Megaways slots explained

What Megaways slots are

Megaways is a random reel modifier. Before each spin settles, the game decides how many symbols each reel will show, and the ways to win are then counted just as in any ways to win slot: multiply the number of symbols on every reel. Because the heights change from spin to spin, so does the number of ways.

The mechanic was created by Big Time Gaming, which was founded in Sydney, Australia, in 2011 by Nik Robinson and bought by Evolution in 2021. In its best-known game, Bonanza, there are six reels that each show between two and seven symbols, giving up to 117,649 ways, according to this Bonanza slot review (opens in a new tab). Our Big Time Gaming studio page covers the company in more depth.

The name is trademarked and the mechanic is licensed, which is why you'll see it on games from many studios. The rest of our slot features section covers the mechanics that are often bolted on to Megaways games, such as cascades and multipliers.

How Megaways ways change from spin to spin

Every result has its own ways count. A few example spins on a six-reel, two-to-seven-symbol game show how wide the range is.

How to read a Megaways spin

1. Count the symbols showing on each reel, including any extra symbol added by a horizontal reel.
2. Multiply the six counts together; most games also display the result above the reels.
3. Find each paying symbol that runs from reel 1 across consecutive reels.
4. Multiply the copies of that symbol on each reel to get its number of winning ways.
5. Multiply by the paytable prize for that run length, and add up every symbol's wins.

In practice the game does all this for you, but knowing the method makes it clear why one spin pays several times on the same symbol and the next pays nothing.

The extra horizontal reel

Many Megaways games add a horizontal reel above or below the main grid. In Bonanza, a mine-cart reel above reels two to five adds one more symbol to each of those reels. Similar extra reels appear in Extra Chilli Megaways, Diamond Mine Megaways, Medusa Megaways and Rick and Morty Megaways, while Extra Chilli Epic Spins places its horizontal reel along the bottom.

Some games quote a top figure of 200,704 ways, among them Buffalo King Megaways and Great Rhino Megaways. That number is 7 × 8 × 8 × 8 × 8 × 7, which is only possible if some reels show more than seven symbols, so the layout differs from the classic 2-to-7 design. The help screen of each game shows its exact reel shape.

Maximum ways in different Megaways slots

Not every Megaways game reaches 117,649. The ceiling depends on how many reels there are and the most symbols any reel can show, as the table shows.

White Rabbit's figure equals 12 to the power 5, reached as its five reels expand during free spins. Monopoly Megaways lists its range as 64 to 117,649, which matches the smallest and largest results of six reels of two to seven symbols.

How often does a Megaways slot hit maximum ways?

Rarely, and the arithmetic shows why. Imagine a simplified game where each of six reels is equally likely to show any height from two to seven. Each reel then has a 1 in 6 chance of showing seven symbols, and all six together have a chance of 1/6 multiplied six times, or 1 in 46,656.

In the same simplified game, the average height is 4.5 symbols, and because the reels are independent, the average number of ways is 4.5 to the power 6, about 8,300, yet the middle result is only 5,184 and roughly two spins in three fall below the average, because a few very tall results pull it up. Real games may weight the heights differently, so treat this as a picture of the principle rather than any title's figures. The point stands: the headline number describes the ceiling, not a typical spin.

The ways count doesn't decide what a game pays back. Developers set the paytable so the game returns its published RTP across all possible reel heights.

Megaways history: from Dragon Born to licensed games

Big Time Gaming's first Megaways game was Dragon Born. Trade reports from 2018 put its debut two to three years earlier, so the exact launch date is uncertain. Bonanza followed in December 2016 and made the mechanic famous. BTG described Megaways as protected by a US patent and registered the MegaWays name as a trademark, then began licensing it.

The Blueprint deal was reported as a first-of-its-kind Megaways licence (opens in a new tab), and the Red Tiger agreement covered both the patented mechanic and the MegaWays trademark (opens in a new tab). Red Tiger went on to build Megaways versions of NetEnt classics such as Gonzo's Quest Megaways.

Megaways slots in our reviews compared

Figures below are the published specifications in our reviews. Several games exist in lower-RTP versions; the version a casino runs is shown in the game's help screen.

Megaways games are frequently paired with cascading reels, where winning symbols are removed and new ones drop in, so one paid spin can produce a run of wins on changing reel heights. Extra Juicy Megaways, for example, adds multipliers that build across tumbles in free spins.

Megaways RTP versions and what they cost

Expected loss is the total staked multiplied by the house edge, which for a slot is 100% minus the RTP. Many Megaways titles are released in several versions, and the gap between them is real money over time.

On a £20 budget at 20p a spin, Bonanza Megaways at 96.00% costs about 80p on average for 100 spins. But most Megaways games are high or very high volatility, so a large share of the RTP sits in rare big results; a session can lose the whole budget with little in between. Our guides to slot RTP, slot volatility and why RTPs differ between casinos explain more.

UK rules for Megaways slots

A Megaways spin is one game cycle for stake limit purposes, however many ways it produces. The Gambling Commission's online slots stake limit guidance (opens in a new tab) sets the cap at £5 for players aged 25 and over and £2 for those aged 18 to 24. Our slot stake limits page has the details.

Feature buys matter here too. Since a Gambling Commission warning in January 2020, feature buy-ins are not offered to British players, so some Megaways games have a different RTP in Great Britain. Extra Chilli's figure of up to 96.41% is the version without Feature Drop, its bonus buy; the 96.82% quoted elsewhere includes that option. Our feature buy rules page explains the background, and the usual design rules (2.5 seconds per spin, no autoplay, no turbo) apply to every Megaways title.

Where to play Megaways slots at UK casinos

None of our partner offers is tied to a Megaways game: PlayOJO's spins are on Big Bass Bonanza, and Coral and Ladbrokes use selected games. To find Megaways titles, browse each casino's slot lobby. 18+ only; terms apply.

• PlayOJO: 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza for new UK customers, excluding Northern Ireland, on a first deposit of £10 or more. Spins are 10p each with no wagering, so winnings are paid as cash; claim only through the designated offer link, not with other offers.
• Coral: new players who deposit and bet at least £10 on slots between 1 October 2026 and 1 February 2027 get 100 free spins on selected games at 10p each, to accept within 48 hours and use within 7 days; no wagering on winnings. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't qualify.
• Ladbrokes: deposit and spend £10 or more on slots as a new customer for 50 free spins a day over your first 10 days (up to 500), 10p each on selected games, claimed by 23:59 daily and valid for 7 days, with no wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits are excluded.

Both Coral and Ladbrokes are operated by LC International Limited, which may stop one person opening new accounts at both. High-volatility Megaways games can drain a budget quickly, so set a limit first; the National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133) is free and runs around the clock.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.