Megaways slots explained

What are Megaways slots?

On a traditional video slot, every reel shows the same number of symbols on every spin, and wins are counted along fixed paylines or a fixed number of ways. A Megaways slot breaks that rule. On each spin, each reel randomly shows between two and seven symbols (on the standard design), so the grid changes shape every time and so does the number of ways to win.

The mechanic comes from Big Time Gaming, founded in Sydney in 2011 and now owned by Evolution. Bonanza, a gold-mining game, was one of its first big Megaways hits, and the format is now licensed to many other studios, including Blueprint Gaming, Relax Gaming, Red Tiger and Pragmatic Play. That is why you will find Megaways versions of familiar UK titles such as Rainbow Riches and Fishin' Frenzy in the casino games hub.

How Megaways ways to win are counted

The number of ways is simply the number of symbols on each reel multiplied together. On a standard six-reel game with two to seven symbols per reel, the range runs from 2⁶ = 64 to 7⁶ = 117,649.

Not every Megaways game uses the standard layout. In our slot data, Primal Megaways runs to 46,656 ways (two to six symbols per reel), Eye of Horus Megaways and Fishin' Frenzy Megaways run to 15,625, and some Pragmatic Play titles, such as Great Rhino Megaways and Buffalo King Megaways, reach 200,704 by adding a horizontal reel above the middle reels. White Rabbit Megaways reaches 248,832 when its reels expand in free spins. The help screen gives the range for each game, and our ways to win glossary entry covers the general idea.

How a Megaways win is calculated

Wins count matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left, in any position. The payout is the symbol's value multiplied by the number of combinations that form. Take an illustrative spin with a £1 stake:

1. Reel 1 shows two lion symbols, reel 2 shows one, and reel 3 shows three. Reel 4 has none.
2. That is a three-of-a-kind win, and the number of combinations is 2 × 1 × 3 = 6.
3. Suppose the paytable says three lions pay 0.2x the total stake per combination.
4. The win is 6 × 0.2 × £1 = £1.20.
5. If the game uses cascades, the winning lions disappear, new symbols fall in, and any new win is added within the same game cycle.

Notice the paytable values are small. With up to 117,649 ways in play, a game paying full line prizes on every way would hand out far more than it takes in, so each way is worth a fraction of the stake. That scaling is what keeps the RTP at its published level. Our guide to cascading reels shows how chain reactions extend a single spin.

Why Megaways slots are so volatile

Most Megaways titles are rated high or very high volatility. Three design choices pile up:

• Variable ways: a 64-way spin and a 117,649-way spin have very different win potential, so results swing from spin to spin.
• Cascades: chains of wins can keep a spin going, producing occasional large totals and many small ones.
• Growing multipliers: in several titles, including Bonanza, free spins add to a multiplier with each cascade, so a long chain in the bonus can multiply returns many times over.

The result is a game that spends long periods returning small amounts and then, rarely, pays a large multiple. If your budget is small, that pattern can end a session before a feature lands. Our volatility guide and the answer to high or low volatility? explain how to match a game to your budget.

Megaways slots to know: figures from our slot data

These are published default figures; casinos can run other RTP versions. Max wins are caps on rare outcomes, not targets.

Studios publish full details on their own sites; Pragmatic Play's site (opens in a new tab), for example, lists its Megaways range. Our Blueprint Gaming and Red Tiger profiles cover two of the biggest licensees.

UK rules that shape Megaways slots

Megaways games are reel-based online slots, so every British slot rule applies. Because the games are volatile and spins can involve long cascades, some rules are more noticeable here than on simpler games.

The Commission's stake limit guidance (opens in a new tab) explains game cycles in detail, and the government's announcement of the £2 limit for under-25s (opens in a new tab) sets out why younger adults have a lower cap. Many Megaways games sold elsewhere include a button to buy the free spins round; the versions supplied to Great Britain do not, as our bonus buy page explains.

Megaways max wins and the stake cap

Max win figures are quoted as multiples of the stake, so the UK caps put a ceiling on the pound amount. A 50,000x cap at the £5 maximum is £250,000; at the £2 maximum for under-25s it is £100,000; at a 20p stake it is £10,000. These are the most a single game cycle can pay, and they are reached on a vanishingly small share of spins, if at all. Read more in our max win guide.

Megaways bankroll maths: a £40 example

Say you have £40 for a session on a 96% Megaways game. The average cost is 4% of everything staked, but high volatility means the path to that average is rough.

On a volatile game the second column matters as much as the third: the fewer spins your budget covers, the more likely it is to run out before a bonus round arrives. Our bankroll basics guide covers stake sizing.

Megaways myths

• "117,649 ways means you win more often." The paytable is scaled down to match; the RTP still sits near the published figure.
• "Tall reels mean a big win is coming." Reel heights are random each spin and say nothing about the next.
• "Cascades are free extra spins." They are part of the same game cycle and already counted in the RTP.
• "The bonus is due after 300 spins." Feature triggers are random; read how slot bonus rounds work.

Playing Megaways slots safely

Big swings can make it tempting to keep going after a loss to catch the next feature. Set a deposit limit and a session time before you start, and walk away when either is reached. If it is getting hard to stop, the National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare (opens in a new tab), is free on 0808 8020 133, 24 hours a day, by phone, live chat or WhatsApp.

Where to play Megaways slots in the UK

All our partner casinos are licensed by the Gambling Commission and carry large slot lobbies. Search for "Megaways" to see the current range, since we do not guarantee any specific title is listed on a given day. Our new Megaways casinos page explains how to judge newer sites, and the compare section puts our partners side by side.

Offers checked on 5 October 2026. Casumo gives new customers who opt in a 50% bonus up to £100 on a first deposit of at least £20, with 10x wagering on the bonus within 7 days, a £5 maximum bet while it is active, and game and payment restrictions. PlayOJO gives new UK customers, excluding Northern Ireland, 80 free spins at 10p each on Big Bass Bonanza (not a Megaways game) with a first deposit of £10 or more, and winnings are paid in cash with no wagering. Coral gives new players 100 free spins at 10p on selected games when they deposit and stake £10 on slots between 1 October 2026 and 1 February 2027; spins must be accepted within 48 hours, last 7 days and carry no wagering on winnings, and some deposit methods are excluded. 18+, full terms apply.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set deposit limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.