Megaways is the most successful slot mechanic of the last decade, and it was invented in Sydney. Big Time Gaming built it, launched it in Bonanza in 2016, and licensed it so widely that it now appears under dozens of other studios' names.
- 117,649maximum ways to win
- 2016Bonanza, the first one
- 2–7symbols per reel, per spin
- Highvolatility, almost always
How the Mechanic Works
On a standard pokie each reel shows a fixed number of symbols, so the paylines are fixed too. Megaways changes that: every reel independently displays between two and seven symbols on each spin, and the ways to win are recalculated every time.
The famous number comes from the ceiling. Six reels each showing seven symbols gives 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 — that is 76, or 117,649 ways. Most spins land well below that, because most spins do not show seven symbols on all six reels. The headline is the maximum, not the average.
Two supporting mechanics almost always come with it. Cascades remove winning symbols and drop new ones into the gap, so one spin can chain several wins. And a multiplier that builds across consecutive cascades, usually unlimited or nearly so inside the free-spin round.
Why They Are So Volatile
Ways-to-win counts sound generous, but the paytable is balanced against them: more ways means smaller individual payouts per combination. The value is concentrated almost entirely in the free-spin round, where the cascade multiplier can climb.
The practical effect is long stretches where nothing meaningful happens, punctuated by a feature that returns a large multiple of the stake. That is not a design flaw — it is where the game's entire return lives. If your budget cannot survive several hundred spins of nothing, the format is wrong for that budget.
Bankroll rule of thumb. Size stakes so your session buys at least 300–500 spins. On a AU$100 budget that means roughly AU$0.20 per spin. Playing AU$1 stakes on a Megaways title with AU$100 buys 100 spins into a game built around dry runs longer than that — you will usually leave before the part you came for.
The Australian Connection
Big Time Gaming was founded in 2011 by Nik Robinson and is based in Surry Hills, New South Wales. It is a genuinely Australian studio that changed how slots are built worldwide, and it was acquired by Evolution in 2021 in a deal valued around €450 million.
Bonanza remains the reference implementation. If you want to understand what the mechanic was designed to feel like before other studios adapted it, that is the title to spend two hundred demo spins on. More on the studio on our Big Time Gaming page.
Megaways Is Not One Thing
Because the mechanic is licensed rather than exclusive, implementations vary considerably. Two Megaways titles from different studios can share almost nothing beyond the reel behaviour.
| Element | Range across titles | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Reel count | Usually 6, occasionally 5 or 7 | Changes the maximum ways figure entirely |
| Multiplier cap | Unlimited to capped at 10× or 20× | The single biggest influence on the ceiling |
| Free spin retriggers | Unlimited to none | Decides whether a feature can run long |
| Published RTP | Roughly 94% to 96.8% | Nearly three percentage points of difference |
| Feature buy | Present or absent | Changes cost profile dramatically |
So "it's a Megaways game" tells you the reels behave a certain way and the volatility is probably high. It does not tell you the return. Check the info panel — that advice applies to every pokie, and doubly to a licensed mechanic with this many implementations.
Are They Worth Playing?
They are worth playing if you enjoy the format and budget for the variance. They are not mathematically better than any other pokie: a 96% Megaways title and a 96% three-reel classic cost the same per dollar wagered. What differs is the shape of the outcomes, not the expected cost.
What Megaways genuinely offers is a bigger ceiling on a single session, bought with a much higher chance of that session ending at zero. If that trade appeals, the format delivers it honestly. If you want your balance to move gradually, cluster-pays or classic titles are the better fit.
Megaways Questions
What does 117,649 ways to win actually mean?
It is the maximum, reached only when all six reels show seven symbols at once — 7 to the power of 6. Most spins produce far fewer ways, because reel heights vary between two and seven every spin.
Who invented Megaways?
Big Time Gaming, an Australian studio founded in 2011 and based in Surry Hills, New South Wales. The mechanic launched with Bonanza in 2016 and is now licensed to many other developers.
Are Megaways pokies high volatility?
Almost always. The return is concentrated in the free-spin round with its building multiplier, which means long stretches of small or no wins in the base game.
Do all Megaways games have the same RTP?
No. Because the mechanic is licensed to many studios, published returns range roughly from 94% to 96.8% depending on the title and the operator's configuration. Always check the game's info panel.
What stake suits a Megaways pokie?
Size it so your budget buys at least 300 to 500 spins. On AU$100 that is around AU$0.20 per spin — enough to survive the dry runs the format is built around.