Megaways slots vary the number of symbol positions on their reels, changing the number of possible ways to win. The name describes a reel mechanic, not one game or a fixed payout rate. Two Megaways games can have different bonus rounds, maximum wins and patterns of payouts.
This guide explains the Megaways mechanic, how winning combinations are counted and what UK players should check in the game rules. Our wider online slots guide covers other slot formats.
What are Megaways slots?
Big Time Gaming developed the Megaways mechanic and licenses it to other game studios. As BTG explains, the number of symbols across the reels can change from one spin to the next. You may see a compact layout on one spin and taller reels on another.
Traditional slots with fixed paylines check symbols along specified routes across the reels. A typical Megaways slot game pays for matching symbols on adjacent reels without requiring those drawn lines. The paytable still decides which symbols pay, how many reels are required and where a combination must begin.
How Megaways slots work
Calculating the number of ways to win
To calculate the ways to win in Megaways, multiply the number of eligible symbol positions on each reel. If the reels contain 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 positions, the calculation is:
2 × 3 × 4 × 5 × 6 × 7 = 5,040 possible ways.
Seven eligible symbols on each reel of a six-reel layout produce 117,649 ways to win: 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7. That familiar figure is a maximum for many Megaways slots, not a number that appears on every spin. It is not a universal ceiling either: BTG’s Gold Megaways offers up to a million ways during free spins with extending reels.
In Big Bucks Bandits Megaways, the horizontal reel adds one symbol to each of reels 2–5. A reel showing four symbols below and one above therefore counts as five in the ways calculation. The symbol above is counted once, as part of that column.
Big Bucks Bandits Megaways demo
Look at the horizontal reel above reels 2–5 to see the layout described in the example.
Game Information
How a winning combination is paid
A single spin can display thousands of ways to win, but these are possible routes through the layout. For regular symbol wins, a route must contain the required matching symbols or valid wild substitutes. Scatter and bonus awards follow their own rules.
Consider a simplified game in which three matching symbols pay from the leftmost reel. Suppose the first reel has two A symbols, the second has three and the third has one, with no A or substituting wild on the fourth reel. There are 2 × 3 × 1 = six three-reel A combinations. If the paytable awards £0.10 for each at the chosen stake, the A combinations pay £0.60 in total. This is their payout, not the net profit from the spin.
That is an illustrative calculation, not a paytable for a particular slot. Wild substitutions, scatter awards, longer combinations and multipliers can change the settlement. The game’s rules determine which awards are added and whether only the longest matching combination is paid.
Cascading reels and Megaways bonus features
With cascading reels, symbols forming a win disappear and replacements fill the gaps. Another qualifying combination can then pay within the same sequence. A cascade is different from a free spin: it continues the current sequence rather than using a separate awarded spin.
Multipliers may increase those payouts, but their behaviour varies. One game may build a multiplier during its free spins bonus; another may reset it between sequences. The same caution applies to free spins, collecting symbols, respins and jackpots. These bonus features belong to individual games; they are not guaranteed by the Megaways name.
For example, Big Time Gaming describes cascading wins and free spins with an increasing multiplier in Bonanza Megapays, alongside a separate progressive jackpot feature. That specification belongs to the Megapays edition and should not be applied to every Bonanza or Megaways release.
RTP and volatility in Megaways slots
Return to player, or RTP, describes the theoretical long-term return as a percentage of money staked. An illustrative 96% RTP means a theoretical return of £96 per £100 wagered over the long run. It does not promise £96 back from your next £100, and total stakes can include the same winnings being wagered again.
Volatility concerns how results are distributed. A high volatility slot game can concentrate more of its return in rare large awards, producing a very different session from one with more frequent small payments. A short run of spins is too limited to establish either a game’s RTP or its overall payout pattern.
The Megaways label supplies neither figure. Check the information for the exact game offered by your online casino. A higher ways count on the screen does not establish a higher RTP, and a high theoretical return does not prevent substantial losses during a session.
The UK Gambling Commission’s rules require accessible information about how games work, their payouts and the likelihood of winning before a customer commits to gamble. The help menu and paytable are useful starting points.
Megaways slot reviews on Mr Win
Our reviews cover the features and rules of individual Megaways titles. The same series can include both a conventional slot and a separate Megaways edition, so check the full title when comparing them.
Our game providers guide introduces the studios behind the games. To compare casinos offering online slots, see our UK slot sites guide.
Before you play Megaways slots in the UK
Check the winning-combination rules and total stake first, followed by the RTP, bonus conditions and maximum payout. An international developer page may show features or betting limits that differ from the version offered to players in Great Britain.
Under the current online slot stake limits, the maximum per game cycle is £2 for adults aged 18–24 and £5 for those aged 25 or over in Great Britain. These are legal ceilings, not suggested stakes; a casino or game can impose a lower limit.
Decide what you can afford to spend before starting. Raising stakes after losses does not remove the house edge, and no Megaways betting system guarantees a profit.
Megaways FAQs
What does Megaways mean in slots?
It refers to Big Time Gaming’s licensed reel mechanic, which varies the number of symbol positions and possible winning ways. It does not specify one RTP, bonus round or maximum win.
Do all Megaways slots have 117,649 ways?
No. That figure comes from six reels with seven eligible positions each. Individual games can use different limits, and the number available on a particular spin depends on its layout.
Do more Megaways mean better RTP?
The ways count alone cannot tell you the RTP. Symbol probabilities, payouts and features form part of the game’s maths. Read the RTP information for the game instead of using its advertised ways count as a comparison.
Are cascading reels the same as free spins?
No. A cascade replaces winning symbols within a sequence. Free spins are separate spins awarded under the game’s bonus rules, and they may contain cascades of their own.
Are all Megaways slots equally volatile?
No. Sharing the reel mechanic does not give games the same payout distribution. Check the specific game’s volatility information and rules; neither can predict what will happen in one session.
Daniel is a content creator at Mr Win and has worked in the iGaming industry since 2012. With more than a decade of experience reviewing casino operators and bonuses, he focuses on safe play, licensing standards, and helping players find fair gaming sites.
Fact checked by: Greg – Casino expert. Last fact-checked: September 8, 2026.