Game type

Slots in South Africa

Reel games with paylines, bonus rounds and a fixed theoretical return. The RTP you actually get depends on which configuration your operator licensed.

Try before you deposit

All 76

Play Demo 4.8 777 Strike Red TigerRTP 95.80%

Play Demo 4.5 Hot Hot Fruit Low stakes HabaneroRTP 86% - 98%

Play Demo 4.5 Wealth Inn HabaneroRTP 86% - 98%

Play Demo 4.5 Mystic Fortune Deluxe HabaneroRTP 86% - 98%

Play Demo 4.8 Cash Volt Red TigerRTP 95.71%

Play Demo 4.8 Starburst NetEntRTP 96.08%

Play Demo 4.5 Laughing Buddha HabaneroRTP 86% - 98%

Play Demo 4.8 Duck Hunters Nolimit CityRTP 96.05% All 76games you can try here

Hold and win slots

All 26

4.7 Wolf Gold Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.01%

Play Demo 4.8 Cash Ultimate Red TigerRTP 95.71%

4.6 3 China Pots 3 Oaks Gaming

4.9 Hot to Burn Hold and Spin Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.70%

4.8 Chilli Heat Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50%

Play Demo 4.8 Vault Cracker Red TigerRTP 95.66%

4.8 Ultra Hold and Spin Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.70%

4.6 3 Hot Chillies 3 Oaks Gaming All 26hold and win slots

Megaways slots

All 11

4.9 5 Lions Megaways Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50%

4.9 Buffalo King Megaways Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.52%

Play Demo 4.8 Fruit Shop Megaways NetEntRTP 96.06%

Play Demo 4.8 Divine Fortune Megaways NetEntRTP 96.09%

4.9 Madame Destiny Megaways Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.56%

Play Demo 4.8 Bonanza Big Time GamingRTP 96.00%

Play Demo 4.8 Dragon's Fire Megaways Red TigerRTP 95.72%

Play Demo 4.8 Golden Leprechaun Megaways Red TigerRTP 95.72% All 11Megaways slots

Slots with tumbles

All 24

4.9 Gates of Olympus Users' choice Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50%

4.8 Sweet Bonanza Users' choice Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.48%

4.9 Sugar Rush Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50%

4.9 5 Lions Megaways Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50%

4.9 Buffalo King Megaways Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.52%

Play Demo 4.8 Duck Hunters Nolimit CityRTP 96.05%

4.9 Starlight Princess Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50%

Play Demo 4.5 Hey Sushi HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% All 24slots with tumbles

All 143 games we review

Show all 143 gamesHide the list

All 143 games we review
Game	Score	Provider	RTP	Max win
Starburst	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.08%	96.08%	-
Laughing Buddha	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 2002x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	2002x
Big Bass Bonanza	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.71% · Max 2100x	96.71%	2100x
Buffalo King Megaways	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.52% · Max 5000x	96.52%	5000x
Duck Hunters	4.8	Nolimit CityRTP 96.05% · Max 30000x	96.05%	30000x
Wolf Gold	4.7	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.01%	96.01%	-
Wild Trucks	4.7	HabaneroRTP 92% - 98% · Max 75000x	about 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	75000x
Lucky Lucky	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 900x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	900x
Lantern Luck	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 703x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	703x
Big Bass Splash	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.71% · Max 5000x	96.71%	5000x
Fruit Shop	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.71%	96.71%	-
Cash Ultimate	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.71% · Max 5000x	95.71%	5000x
Dazzle Me	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.91%	96.91%	-
Egyptian Dreams Deluxe	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 2162x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	2162x
3 China Pots	4.6	3 Oaks Gaming	-	-
Starlight Princess	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50% · Max 5000x	96.50%	5000x
Twin Spin	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.55%	96.55%	-
Fortune House	4.8	Red TigerRTP 96.12% · Max 697x	96.12%	697x
Santa's Village	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 543x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	543x
Tuk Tuk Thailand	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 1525x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	1525x
Disco Beats	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 1277x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	1277x
Hey Sushi	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 1217x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	1217x
Diamond Blitz	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.75% · Max 560x	95.75%	560x
Fruit Shop Megaways	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.06%	96.06%	-
Lost Treasure	4.8	PopOK GamingRTP 96.51% · Max 1620x	96.51%	1620x
Wild Wild Riches	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.77% · Max 4600x	96.77%	4600x
Hot to Burn Hold and Spin	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.70% · Max 20000x	96.70%	20000x
Lucky Lightning	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.45% · Max 10100x	96.45%	10100x
10 Shining Diamond	4.6	EGT Digital	-	-
12 Masks of Fire Drums	4.8	Games GlobalRTP 96.00%	96.00%	-
Chilli Heat	4.8	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50%	96.50%	-
Diamond Rise	4.6	PlaytechRTP 95.96%	95.96%	-
Divine Fortune Megaways	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.09%	96.09%	-
Fury of Anubis	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.52% · Max 10000x	96.52%	10000x
Jumanji	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.33%	96.33%	-
Sugartime	4.6	EGT Digital	-	-
10 Crown Hot	4.6	EGT Digital	-	-
Diamond Strike	4.8	Pragmatic PlayRTP 97.02%	97.02%	-
Fire Strike 2	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50% · Max 25000x	96.50%	25000x
Gold Rush	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 1000x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 96% or 98%, set by the operator	1000x
Siren's Spell	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 3352x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	3352x
Taiko Beats	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 4005x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 96% or 98%, set by the operator	4005x
Trollpot 5000	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.19%	96.19%	-
Vault Cracker	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.66% · Max 1410x	95.66%	1410x
Madame Destiny Megaways	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.56% · Max 5000x	96.56%	5000x
Ultra Hold and Spin	4.8	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.70%	96.70%	-
Zodiac Wheel	4.6	EGT Digital	-	-
Brute Force	4.8	Nolimit CityRTP 96.08% · Max 40000x	96.08%	40000x
Congo Cash	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.51% · Max 2200x	96.51%	2200x
Dead or Alive 2	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.80%	96.80%	-
Fortune of Olympus	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.55% · Max 10000x	96.55%	10000x
Gonzo's Quest	4.7	NetEntRTP 95.97%	95.97%	-
10 Crystal Wish	4.6	EGT Digital	-	-
100 Lucky Bell	4.8	PopOK GamingRTP 96.35% · Max 825x	96.35%	825x
3 Hot Chillies	4.6	3 Oaks Gaming	-	-
5 Lions Gold	4.8	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50%	96.50%	-
5 Lucky Lions	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 527x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	527x
64 Gold Coins Hold and Win	4.6	Booming Games	-	-
777 Diamond Strike	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.73% · Max 4168x	95.73%	4168x
777 Super Strike	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.72% · Max 2649x	95.72%	2649x
Apocalypse Super xNudge	4.8	Nolimit CityRTP 96.03% · Max 20000x	96.03%	20000x
Big Money Wheel	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.07%	96.07%	-
Blood Suckers	4.9	NetEntRTP 98.00%	98.00%	-
Bonanza	4.8	Big Time GamingRTP 96.00%	96.00%	-
Book of Dead	4.7	Play'n GORTP 96.21%	96.21%	-
Book of the Fallen	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50% · Max 5000x	96.50%	5000x
Bounty Raid	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.71% · Max 1022x	95.71%	1022x
Buffalo Hold and Win	4.6	Booming Games	-	-
Buffalo Hold and Win Extreme	4.6	Booming Games	-	-
Burning Classics Royal Edition	4.6	Booming Games	-	-
Candy Rush	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.58% · Max 15000x	96.58%	15000x
Candy Tower	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 3177x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	3177x
Cash Flip Medusa	4.8	Games GlobalRTP 96%	96%	-
Coin UP: Lightning	4.6	3 Oaks Gaming	-	-
Crazy Genie	4.8	Red TigerRTP 96.22% · Max 1318x	96.22%	1318x
Diamond Explosion 7s	4.8	RubyPlayRTP 96.82% · Max 8000x	96.82%	8000x
Double Stacks	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.10%	96.10%	-
Dragon's Fire Megaways	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.72% · Max 10470x	95.72%	10470x
Dragon's Luck Deluxe	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.77% · Max 3999x	95.77%	3999x
Dragon's Luck Power Reels	4.8	Red TigerRTP 96.10% · Max 3888x	96.10%	3888x
Dynamite Riches	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.70% · Max 5341x	95.70%	5341x
Elephant Stampede	4.8	RubyPlayRTP 96.91% · Max 1900x	96.91%	1900x
Fa Cai Shen Deluxe	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 577x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	577x
Finn and the Swirly Spin	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.62%	96.62%	-
Finn's Golden Tavern	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.10%	96.10%	-
Fireball Inferno Tiki Blast	4.6	NetGamingRTP 94.28%	94.28%	-
Fish Trio	4.6	PlaytechRTP 95.91%	95.91%	-
Five Star	4.7	Red TigerRTP 95.20% · Max 2000x	95.20%	2000x
Flaming Fox	4.8	Red TigerRTP 96.11% · Max 3457x	96.11%	3457x
Flowers	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.32%	96.32%	-
Four Divine Beasts	4.7	HabaneroRTP 92% - 98% · Max 1800x	about 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	1800x
Give Me Gold Rising Rewards	4.6	Games Global	-	-
Gold Blitz Extreme	4.8	Games GlobalRTP 96.00% · Max 5500x	96.00%	5500x
Gold Trio: Sinbad's Riches	4.6	PlaytechRTP 95.90%	95.90%	-
Golden Leprechaun Megaways	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.72% · Max 10479x	95.72%	10479x
Gonzo's Quest Megaways	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.77% · Max 20972x	95.77%	20972x
Gorilla Kingdom	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.03%	96.03%	-
Grand Wheel	4.8	Red TigerRTP 96.20% · Max 1000x	96.20%	1000x
Great Rhino Megaways	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50% · Max 20000x	96.50%	20000x
Hit Bar	4.6	PlaytechRTP 96.00%	96.00%	-
Jelly Express	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50% · Max 5000x	96.50%	5000x
Jump!	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 1440x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	1440x
Mahjong Wins Triple Pot	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50% · Max 100000x	96.50%	100000x
Mega Fire Blaze: Big Circus!	4.7	PlaytechRTP 96.37%	96.37%	-
Mental	4.8	Nolimit CityRTP 96.08% · Max 66666x	96.08%	66666x
Mystic Fortune	4.7	HabaneroRTP 94% - 96% · Max 1947x	94% or 96%, set by the operator	1947x
New Years Bash	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 851x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	851x
Nuwa	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 550x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	550x
Ocean's Treasure	4.8	NetEntRTP 95.99%	95.99%	-
Panda Panda	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 6075x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 96% or 98%, set by the operator	6075x
Parthenon: Quest for Immortality	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.03%	96.03%	-
Phoenix Fire Power Reels	4.8	Red TigerRTP 96.22% · Max 1941x	96.22%	1941x
Piggy Riches	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.38%	96.38%	-
Pirates' Plenty	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.70% · Max 4359x	95.70%	4359x
Pirots 2	4.6	ELK StudiosRTP 94.0% · Max 10000x	94.0%	10000x
Pumpkin Patch	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 1316x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	1316x
Queen of the Pyramids: Mega Cash Collect	4.5	PlaytechRTP 95.41%	95.41%	-
Rainbow Jackpots	4.8	Red TigerRTP 96.14% · Max 1054x	96.14%	1054x
Rainbow Jackpots Power Lines	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.68% · Max 1224x	95.68%	1224x
Reel Rush	4.8	NetEntRTP 96.96%	96.96%	-
Sahara Riches: Cash Collect	4.5	PlaytechRTP 95.67%	95.67%	-
Sahara Riches: Cash Collect Max	4.5	PlaytechRTP 95.46%	95.46%	-
Shamrock Trio - Hold & Respin	4.6	NetGamingRTP 94.41%	94.41%	-
Soju Bomb	4.5	HabaneroRTP 86% - 98% · Max 1643x	about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% or 98%, set by the operator	1643x
Super 7s	4.8	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.50%	96.50%	-
Super China Pots	4.6	3 Oaks Gaming	-	-
The Racaroon	4.5	PlaytechRTP 95.83%	95.83%	-
Triple Tigers	4.7	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.52%	96.52%	-
Tropical Tiki	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.43% · Max 3000x	96.43%	3000x
Wild West Gold Megaways	4.9	Pragmatic PlayRTP 96.44% · Max 5000x	96.44%	5000x
Wings of Ra	4.8	Red TigerRTP 95.69% · Max 3166x	95.69%	3166x

RTP here is the figure the studio publishes. Some studios let the casino choose one of several settings, and in some games the bet you pick or the moment you cash out moves the return; each game guide says which applies.

All games

What a slot is

A slot is a game of reels and symbols: you set a stake, the reels stop on a random result, and the paytable says what each combination pays for that stake. EGT Digital's rules for 10 Crown Hot put it plainly: the game is random, and skill does not affect the outcome. Screens range from three reels and a single line, as in Lucky Lucky, to grids such as the seven-by-seven of Sugar Rush. Slots differ in how they decide that symbols have won, and in what they add on top.

Lines, ways, Megaways and grids

Paylines are fixed paths across the reels, usually read from the leftmost one. Wolf Gold plays all 25 of its lines on every spin, and Starburst reads its ten from both ends, so a win can start on reel 5 as well.

Ways games have no paths: matching symbols on neighbouring reels, usually counted from reel 1, win in any row. Twin Spin has 243 ways, by our arithmetic three positions on each of five reels multiplied together. Egyptian Dreams Deluxe starts at 243 and grows towards 3,125 as pharaohs open the stone tiles above them.

Megaways, a Big Time Gaming trademark that other studios use under licence, lets the reel heights change from spin to spin. Fruit Shop Megaways lands two to seven symbols on each of six reels, and the ways, by our arithmetic the heights multiplied, run from 64 to 117,649.

Grid games look at the whole screen. Sweet Bonanza and Gates of Olympus pay for eight or more of one symbol anywhere on a six-by-five grid; Sugar Rush pays for clusters of five or more joined across or down. All three tumble: winners vanish, fresh symbols fall in from above, and the spin continues while each new screen pays. Habanero calls it a cascade in Hey Sushi, NetEnt an Avalanche in Parthenon: Quest for Immortality.

Re-spins, money symbols, free spins and multipliers

Starburst has no free spins round. Its wild lands only on reels 2 to 4, fills its reel and holds it for a free re-spin, and each new wild adds another, three at most.

Money-symbol rounds are called Money Respin in Wolf Gold, Hold and Spin in Hot to Burn Hold and Spin and Hold and Win at 3 Oaks Gaming, publisher of 3 China Pots. In Wolf Gold six or more moons start three respins, in Hot to Burn Hold and Spin five or more money symbols start four; each new one sticks and resets the count, and the values are added up and paid when the round ends. A full screen adds Wolf Gold's 1,000x Mega Jackpot, or starts the Big Money Wheel in the other.

Free spins in Gates of Olympus and Big Bass Bonanza come from scatters: four or more anywhere on the screen give 15 in the first, three to five give 10 to 20 in the second. Fruit Shop Megaways awards them for ordinary fruit wins. Big Bass Bonanza stops retriggering after the third time; Wolf Gold's rules set no limit.

Multipliers differ in where they work. Sweet Bonanza's bombs land only in free spins; the orbs in Gates of Olympus land in ordinary spins too, and their total is applied once to what the tumbles paid. A Sugar Rush spot takes x2 the second time a winning symbol explodes on it and doubles with each win after, up to x128. Fury of Anubis doubles its multiplier after every tumble, up to 1,024x.

Ante bets and bonus buys

In Gates of Olympus the ante bet adds a quarter to the stake and doubles the chance of free spins arriving on their own, and the bonus buy costs 100 times the bet; Pragmatic's demo gives the same 96.50% return for all three ways to play. With the ante on, 5 Lions Megaways caps a win at 4,000x instead of 5,000x and Fury of Anubis at 3,334x instead of 10,000x: the bet the cap counts against went up, so by our arithmetic the cap in rand barely moves. Pragmatic's launch posts for those two games say buys come only in some markets.

RTP and volatility: whose figure is it?

Our guide to RTP and volatility explains both; on a slot, ask whose figure you are reading. A studio can ship one game in several RTP versions: Habanero's settings for Egyptian Dreams Deluxe and Nuwa are about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% and 98%. Official sources can differ too: Diamond Strike is 97.02% on Pragmatic's page and 96.48% in its demo's rules. The figure that counts is on the game's information screen at your casino; our casino reviews cover the brands.

Volatility labels are each studio's own words. Pragmatic's rules screens call Sweet Bonanza low and Sugar Rush high, Habanero uses very high, Nolimit City rates Duck Hunters extreme, and Red Tiger's badges run past extreme, the label on Wings of Ra, to insane. One game can carry two labels: NetEnt's page rates Starburst medium and Evolution's games site low to mid, while Vault Cracker is high on Red Tiger's badge and low on Evolution's site; both studios belong to the Evolution group. Compare labels within one studio; our list of which slots pay most often groups every slot we review by its studio's label.

A jackpot is not a max win

A jackpot is one prize in a game; the max win is the most a round can pay. Diamond Strike's jackpots, four fixed prizes of 10x to 1,000x the bet, come from a pick game, and its rules state no win limit. Wolf Gold pays its 1,000x Mega on top of the moon values, and 10 Crown Hot's Clover Chance is progressive, funded, according to the game's help, from a percentage of wagering.

A max win is a cap only where the rules say so: Gates of Olympus ends a round that reaches 5,000 times the bet. Sweet Bonanza's opening screen reads 'WIN OVER 21,100X BET', yet its rules state no limit, and Red Tiger lists 3,166x for Wings of Ra beside 'up to 3,000x' in the same page's description.

Choosing a slot: four checks

How it counts wins
Lines, ways, Megaways or a grid: the rules screen names the system.
Where the feature sits
Starburst has no free spins round, and Sweet Bonanza's multipliers appear only in free spins.
Whose label, which cap
Compare volatility within one studio, and check whether the rules make the max win a cap.
The RTP where you play
Read it on the game's information screen at your casino, and set a budget and a time limit first. At Hollywoodbets the slots sit in a section it calls Spina Zonke.

Eight slots side by side

The first three checks, game by game. Labels and figures are the studios' own; a dash means no single figure or label.

Eight slots side by side
Slot	Wins	Feature	Volatility label	Max win
Starburst (NetEnt)	10 lines, both ways	Wild re-spins	Medium; Evolution site: Low / Mid	-
Fruit Shop Megaways (NetEnt)	64 to 117,649 ways	Free spins multiplier to x10	Medium; Evolution site: High	-
Egyptian Dreams Deluxe (Habanero)	243 to 3,125 ways	Tiles that open ways	Very high	x2,162, studio figure
Sweet Bonanza (Pragmatic Play)	8+ anywhere	Bombs in free spins	Low	Over 21,100x, advertised
Gates of Olympus (Pragmatic Play)	8+ anywhere	Multiplier orbs	Medium	5,000x cap
Sugar Rush (Pragmatic Play)	Clusters of 5+	Multiplier spots to x128	High	5,000x cap
Wolf Gold (Pragmatic Play)	25 lines	Money Respin	-	-
Wings of Ra (Red Tiger)	10 lines	Mystery Coins	Extreme; Evolution site: High	3,166x, studio figure

Slots FAQ

What is the difference between paylines and ways?

Paylines are fixed paths, and a win needs matching symbols along one of them. Ways games have none: matching symbols on neighbouring reels, usually counted from the left, win in any row, so by our arithmetic Twin Spin's five reels of three make 243 ways.

What does Megaways mean?

Megaways games change the height of every reel from spin to spin, and, by our arithmetic, the ways are the heights multiplied: Fruit Shop Megaways runs from 64, with two symbols on each of six reels, to 117,649, with seven on each. The name is a Big Time Gaming trademark that other studios use under licence.

Is the max win what I can expect to win?

No. It is the most one round can pay, as a multiple of the bet, and a hard cap only where the rules say so, as in Gates of Olympus at 5,000x. It says nothing about what a session will pay.

Can the same slot have a different RTP at different casinos?

Yes, where the studio ships several versions: Habanero's page for Nuwa lists about 86%, 92%, 94%, 97% and 98%. The game's information screen at your casino shows the one it runs.

Is a slot due to pay after a long run of losses?

No. Each spin is settled on its own, so a long run without a win or a feature does not make one due. Some games carry something over that their rules describe and the screen shows, such as the truck meters of Wild Trucks. Set your budget before you start and stop when it is spent.