Megaways is a reel engine licensed by Big Time Gaming (BTG) in which each reel displays a variable number of symbols — typically between 2 and 7 — on every spin. Because the number of symbols changes, so does the number of ways to win, spin to spin.
On the standard six-reel layout the maximum is 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 = 117,649 ways. That headline number is why the badge sells.
How a win works
Forget fixed paylines. In a ways-to-win engine, any matching symbols on adjacent reels starting from the left pay, regardless of position. More symbols on each reel means more ways those matches can form — and a near-full board of high symbols is where the big hits come from.
Most Megaways titles add two more ingredients:
- Cascading (tumbling) reels — winning symbols are removed and new ones drop in, so one spin can pay several times over. See cascading reels slots.
- An unlimited free-spins multiplier — in the bonus round the win multiplier climbs with every cascade and, on many titles, never resets. This is the engine behind the genre’s biggest results.
Why it runs so volatile
Stack those mechanics together and the return concentrates into rare, large bursts — the definition of high volatility. The base game can feel flat for a long time; the free-spins round with a snowballing multiplier is where the session is won or lost. That’s the trade Megaways asks of you.
The titles that matter
Bonanza Megaways started it all and is still the reference point. Extra Chilli added a gamble-to-extend bonus and one of the first bonus buys. White Rabbit carries a remarkable 97.24% RTP and an expanding feature reaching 248,832 ways. Studios across the industry license the engine, from Buffalo King to Gonzo’s Quest Megaways.
Browse every Megaways slot we’ve mapped →
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