I am Ryan Cole, and I review online slots for a living. I have spent more than eight years playing them, breaking down their maths, and writing about what actually happens versus what the marketing promises. On this site I focus on one game in particular: Royal Express: Hold and Win by Playson.
Experience
Eight-plus years in, most of what I care about on a slot is the number behind the animation. Return to player, volatility, hit frequency, how a bonus is really structured, where the maximum win sits relative to the risk - those are the things that decide whether a game is worth a player’s time, and they are the things a flashy trailer will never tell you. I have written hundreds of reviews over the years, and the ones I am proud of are the ones that gave readers a straight answer instead of hype.
Why Playson and Hold and Win
I have followed Playson’s Hold and Win series closely, because it is one of the more consistent takes on the mechanic in the market. Playson is an established studio - founded in 2012, based in Malta, and licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority and AGCO in Ontario, with certified RNG output - so their maths are documented and their releases are worth taking seriously. Royal Express is one of the studio’s more recent Hold and Win titles, released on 27 March 2025: a compact 3x3 slot with an RTP around 95.62 percent, medium-high volatility, a top prize of x1,000 the bet, and a Hold and Win bonus carrying four jackpots. I have tested it hands-on, and this site is where I put everything I learned.
How I test
My approach is deliberately unglamorous, because that is what keeps it honest:
- Demo first. I play the free demo before I write anything. It runs on the same maths as the real-money game, so it is the fair way to see how a slot behaves without asking anyone to risk money to satisfy my curiosity.
- Published figures only. I stick to what Playson publishes and what reputable databases confirm. If a number is not published - certain hit frequencies, exact paytable weights - I say it is unpublished rather than making one up. A confident-sounding guess is the fastest way to mislead a reader, and I would rather leave an honest gap.
- Log, then judge. I record how the base game and the Hold and Win bonus actually play out over a real session, and only then do I reach a rating - measured against the same criteria every time, and always before any affiliate link goes on the page.
What I stand by
Honesty is the whole job. My verdicts are mine, not a line handed to me by a casino or a studio, and no commission changes a score. If Royal Express falls short somewhere - and no slot is perfect - I will tell you where, because a review that only flatters is worthless. You can read exactly how I reach a rating on the methodology page.
I also take responsible gambling seriously, and not as a footnote. Slots are entertainment, not income; the maths favour the house by design, and no strategy changes that. I only ever suggest treating this as fun you can afford. If it stops being fun, free confidential help is there through BeGambleAware, GamCare and Gamblers Anonymous.
Get in touch
If I have got a figure wrong, or you want to talk about the game, I want to hear about it. Email me at [email protected] - corrections especially, because they help every reader who comes after you. You can start with my Royal Express review, and there is more about the site on the about page.