As competition in the iGaming industry intensifies throughout 2026, developers are increasingly focusing on fresh gameplay mechanics and creative twists on familiar concepts.
Following Elk Studios’ recent launch of Wild Toro III featuring dual volatility options, BGaming is now introducing a Hold & Win slot with a unique feature that allows players to roll a die during a special bonus round.
The innovative bonus mode in Shark & Spark: Hold & Win draws inspiration from the classic Chutes & Ladders board game. Earlier this month, BGaming shared a preview video on X showcasing the Sharks & Ladders feature alongside the company’s other May releases.
In the Sharks & Ladders feature, players roll a die to move the main character across a prize board packed with rewards, with opportunities to chase the slot’s top payout of up to $250,000.
Balanced appeal
The dice-based feature is not the only standout element in this colorful underwater-themed slot. Despite carrying a medium-high volatility level, Shark & Spark also delivers an impressive RTP of 97%, making it especially attractive for players seeking balanced gameplay.
According to BGaming, the Sharks & Ladders concept was inspired by the classic family board game that originated in ancient India. The original snakes and ladders game was designed to teach lessons about karma before later evolving into Chutes & Ladders in the United States during the World War II era.
Within the bonus game, each die roll moves the smiling shark character across a 6×5 prize grid filled with coins, Pearl multipliers, and directional arrows functioning as ladders. As players progress through the board, the shark collects multipliers and shortcuts toward a reward wheel positioned in the bottom-right corner, offering prizes ranging from 100x up to 5,000x.
Alongside the redesigned board-game-inspired feature, Shark & Spark also includes a traditional Coin Respin bonus with tiered Coins. This feature is randomly activated when players land four or more Scatter symbols represented by pearl-carrying oysters.
Extra charm
The slot’s betting range is designed to appeal to both casual users and experienced high-stakes players, starting at $0.20 and reaching up to $50 per spin. Players can also instantly access either bonus feature through a buy option costing 50x the selected stake, with pricing automatically adjusting based on the wager amount.
Another player-friendly addition allows users to choose which bonus feature they want to trigger instead of relying on a completely random selection system.
Overall, Shark & Spark combines a fresh board-game-inspired mechanic with classic Hold & Win gameplay, helping the slot stand out from more traditional ocean-themed releases in the genre.
