Big Time Gaming is an Australian studio that changed how slot machines are built worldwide. Founded in 2011 by Nik Robinson and based in Surry Hills, New South Wales, it invented Megaways and licensed it to most of the industry. For a market that calls them pokies, it is a genuinely local success story.
- 2011founded in Sydney
- 2016Bonanza launches Megaways
- 117,649maximum ways to win
- €450mEvolution acquisition, 2021
The Short History
BTG spent its first years building conventional slots before releasing Bonanza in 2016. Bonanza introduced Megaways: reels of variable height that recalculate the ways to win on every spin, topping out at 117,649. The mechanic was novel enough that instead of keeping it exclusive, BTG licensed it out — and it became an industry standard.
Evolution agreed to acquire the studio in April 2021 in a deal valued at around €450 million. That put BTG alongside NetEnt, Red Tiger and Nolimit City inside the same group, which is worth knowing when a lobby's "provider" list looks more diverse than the ownership behind it actually is.
The House Style
High volatility, deliberately
BTG titles are built around a big feature round and long base-game stretches. This is the defining characteristic and it is not incidental.
Mechanic-first design
The studio builds around a novel mechanic rather than a theme. Megaways, Megaclusters and Bonus Buy variants all came from that approach.
Unlimited multipliers
Free-spin rounds frequently carry a multiplier with no ceiling, which is where the outsized wins come from — and why most sessions never see one.
Reference implementations
Because BTG built the mechanic, its own Megaways titles tend to be the purest expression of how it was meant to behave.
Suitability warning, stated plainly. This studio's games are among the highest-variance products in any lobby. On a modest budget you will most often see a long, uneventful session — that is the expected outcome, not bad luck. If you want a balance that moves gradually, look at cluster-pays or classic titles instead. See pokie types.
Titles Worth Knowing
Bonanza is the historically important one — the first Megaways game and still the reference point for what the mechanic feels like. Bonanza Megapays adds a progressive layer, which as always means a lower base return in exchange for a jackpot chance.
Beyond Megaways, BTG has shipped variations including cluster-based mechanics and titles built around bonus-buy entry. The catalogue is smaller than a volume studio's, because the model is fewer games with more novel engineering in each.
Return Figures
BTG titles generally publish returns in the mid-90s, though the studio also makes multiple certified configurations available to operators on some games. That means the same title can run at different RTPs at different casinos — one of the clearest cases where checking the game's own info panel matters more than reading a review.
Progressive variants publish materially lower base returns for the usual reason: part of each stake funds the pool rather than the paytable. Detail on jackpot pokies.
Finding Them in a Lobby
Use the provider filter and look for Big Time Gaming by name. Because Megaways is licensed widely, a lobby full of Megaways titles does not mean it carries BTG — most of those games are made by other studios under licence. If you specifically want the originals, filter by developer rather than by mechanic.
Big Time Gaming Questions
Is Big Time Gaming Australian?
Yes. It was founded in 2011 by Nik Robinson and is based in Surry Hills, New South Wales. It was acquired by Evolution in 2021 but remains an Australian-founded studio.
What was the first Megaways pokie?
Bonanza, released by Big Time Gaming in 2016. It introduced variable reel heights producing up to 117,649 ways to win, and the mechanic was later licensed across the industry.
Who owns Big Time Gaming now?
Evolution, which agreed to acquire the studio in April 2021 in a deal valued at around €450 million. Evolution also owns NetEnt, Red Tiger and Nolimit City.
Are Big Time Gaming pokies good for small budgets?
Generally no. They are among the highest-variance titles available, built around a large feature round with long dry stretches in between. A small budget usually runs out before the feature lands.
Do all Megaways games come from Big Time Gaming?
No. The mechanic is licensed to many studios, so most Megaways titles in a lobby are made by other developers. Filter by developer rather than mechanic to find the originals.