Megaways is the most licensed slot mechanic in the industry. Hundreds of titles carry the name. Most players have played it without understanding what the variable reel system actually does to the mathematics and why that matters for how you budget a session.
Big Time Gaming invented Megaways in 2016 and patented it. The original implementations (Bonanza, Extra Chilli, White Rabbit, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire) established the mechanic’s reputation for high volatility and large bonus potential. Since then, BTG has licensed the mechanic to dozens of providers, creating a secondary market of Megaways titles with widely varying quality.
The name Megaways on a slot’s packaging tells you about one specific aspect of the win mechanic. It tells you nothing about the RTP, the bonus structure, the max win, the free spins multiplier implementation, or the overall quality of the math model. Two Megaways slots with identical configurations can have completely different session experiences depending on how the free spins round is built.
The short answer
- What it is: a reel system, created by Big Time Gaming, where each reel shows a random number of symbols on every spin.
- How you win: matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right, in any row position.
- The headline number: the most ways possible on a single spin. Most spins have far fewer.
- Who makes them: Big Time Gaming and other studios that use the mechanic, such as Pragmatic Play and Red Tiger.
- Typical risk: most popular Megaways slots are high volatility.
How the Variable Reel System Works
In a standard ways-to-win slot, each reel shows a fixed number of symbols, typically 3 or 4. The total ways to win is the product of the symbol counts across all reels. A 5-reel, 3-row slot always has 243 ways to win.
In a Megaways slot, the number of symbols displayed on each reel changes randomly on every spin. A standard 6-reel Megaways configuration allows each reel to show between 2 and 7 symbols. When all six reels simultaneously show 7 symbols (the maximum), the total ways to win is 7×7×7×7×7×7 = 117,649. When the reels show fewer symbols (which is more common), the ways to win are lower. The average ways to win across all spins is significantly lower than 117,649. The maximum is a peak, not a baseline.
The practical effect on gameplay: the base game has a variable feel. High-way spins (reels showing 6–7 symbols) produce more opportunities for winning combinations. Low-way spins (reels showing 2–3 symbols) feel sparse. The variability in the base game is part of what creates the high-volatility character of Megaways titles. You cannot predict from one spin to the next how many win opportunities exist.
How the number of ways is worked out
Multiply the number of symbols showing on each reel.
- Typical layout: 6 reels, each showing 2 to 7 symbols.
- Maximum: 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 = 117,649 ways.
- Minimum: 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 64 ways.
- A typical spin: reels showing 3, 5, 2, 7, 4 and 6 symbols give 3 x 5 x 2 x 7 x 4 x 6 = 5,040 ways.
What most guides miss: more ways does not mean more value. The game’s maths is balanced around the changing grid, so a 117,649-ways spin is not a better bet than a 64-ways spin. The RTP stays the same.
The Horizontal Reel
Many BTG Megaways implementations include a horizontal reel running above or below the main reels. This reel shows a fixed number of symbols (usually 4) that contribute to winning combinations on the reels they appear above or below. The horizontal reel adds a second layer of symbol variability and is one of the features that distinguishes original BTG Megaways titles from some licensed versions that do not include it.
The Free Spins Round: Where Almost All the Value Lives
Every competitive Megaways title concentrates the majority of its mathematical return in the free spins round. The base game is primarily a vehicle for landing the scatter symbols that trigger the bonus. The free spins round’s design determines whether a Megaways title is worth playing.
Unlimited win multiplier
The standard free spins implementation across most Megaways titles: the multiplier starts at 1x (or higher in some cases) and increases by 1 for every cascade within a free spins round. There is no ceiling. A sequence of 15 cascades in a single free spins spin reaches a multiplier of 15x on the final cascade’s wins. Combined with 117,649 ways to win and a high-value symbol combination, this interaction produces the large wins associated with Megaways.
The important nuance: the multiplier increases by 1 per cascade. In most sessions, the free spins round produces 2–5 cascades per spin and the multiplier reaches 10x–20x at its peak. The session-defining wins come from rounds where the multiplier climbs into the 30x–50x range or above, which requires a sustained chain of cascades across multiple spins within the same bonus round.
Retriggers
Landing additional scatters during free spins retriggers additional spins in some implementations. In others, a specific symbol or mechanic extends the round. Retriggers significantly extend the expected value of the bonus round because they sustain the multiplier’s ascent across more spins. Megaways titles without retriggers have a lower average bonus value and a lower max win ceiling than those with retriggers, all else being equal.
Features you will often see
- Cascades: winning symbols disappear and new ones drop in, so one spin can pay several times.
- Free spins with multipliers: many Megaways slots raise a multiplier with each cascade during the bonus.
- Extra reel above the grid: some versions add a horizontal reel that adds symbols to the middle reels.
- Bonus buys: offered in some markets, not in the UK. See our bonus buy guide.
Why Not All Megaways Titles Are Equal
The Megaways licence covers the variable reel mechanic. It does not standardise the free spins structure, the RTP, the max win, the reaction to specific symbol types, or the overall math model quality. A licensed Megaways title from a smaller provider may use the variable reel system but implement the free spins without an unlimited multiplier, without retriggers, and at a lower RTP than the BTG originals. The result is a slot that carries the Megaways name but lacks the characteristics that make the mechanic valuable.
Before playing any Megaways title, check three things in the slot review: whether the free spins include an unlimited ascending multiplier, whether retriggers are possible, and whether the published RTP matches the BTG standard (96%+) or falls below it. These three factors account for most of the quality variation within the Megaways ecosystem.
Megaways slots we have reviewed
| Slot | Studio | Max ways | RTP | Max win |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonanza Megaways | Big Time Gaming | 117,649 | Up to 96% | Not published by the provider |
| Extra Chilli Megaways | Big Time Gaming | 117,649 | 96.82% | 20,000x |
| Power of Thor Megaways | Pragmatic Play | 117,649 | Up to 96.55% | 5,000x |
RTP Warning: Many Megaways slots are offered at more than one RTP setting. Always check the game info panel at your casino.
Bankroll Requirements for Megaways Play
All standard Megaways titles are high-to-very-high volatility. The base game dry spells are long. The bonus trigger frequency is typically 1 in 100–400 spins depending on the title. This means your bankroll must be large enough to sustain the base game through multiple bonus-free stretches before the math model has a meaningful chance to perform.
At £1 per spin, the minimum recommended bankroll for a single Megaways session is £150–£300. This is not a guarantee of triggering the bonus. It is the amount required for your session to have a statistically reasonable probability of including at least one bonus trigger. Playing a high-volatility Megaways slot with a £30 budget at £0.50/spin gives you 60 spins. Most Megaways bonuses trigger less frequently than once per 60 spins. You are statistically more likely to exhaust your budget in the base game than to see the bonus.
For players using the Buy Feature on Megaways titles: the buy price is typically 80x–100x the spin bet. At £1/spin, a bonus buy costs £80–£100. This guarantees access to the bonus but includes the operator’s margin. The expected value of the bought bonus is slightly lower than the expected value of a naturally triggered bonus. The buy feature is most rational when your session goal is specifically the bonus experience and your base game bankroll is insufficient to reach it organically.
What Megaways means for your budget
- Expect swings. Long quiet runs are normal, followed by occasional large cascades.
- Plan a bigger session budget. For high-volatility Megaways slots, 150 to 300 times your stake per session is a sensible range.
- Judge over several bonuses. One free spins round tells you very little.
- Check the RTP. A lower setting makes the same game noticeably more expensive.
Who Megaways slots suit
- ✓ Players who enjoy a grid that changes every spin
- ✓ High-risk players with a budget to match
- ✓ Fans of cascades and building multipliers
- ✗ Players who want steady, frequent wins
- ✗ Players on a small budget who want long sessions
For steadier play, see the lower-volatility options in our volatility guide.