Megaways slot mechanic
Megaways is a licensed slot mechanic, created by Big Time Gaming, in which the number of symbols on each reel changes at random on every spin, so the number of ways to win changes with it. On the standard six-reel layout each reel shows between two and seven symbols. That gives anything from 64 to 117,649 ways on a single spin, and the figure printed on the game is the ceiling, reached only when every reel lands at full height.
How the Megaways count is calculated
The count is the product of the reel heights. A spin landing seven, six, five, four, three and two symbols gives 5,040 ways, because those six numbers multiplied together come to that total.
A win needs matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left, wherever they sit on each reel.
Many titles add a horizontal reel above some of the main reels, which lifts the minimum on those games to 324 and can push the top end further. Which reels it covers varies from studio to studio, so the paytable of each game is the place to confirm it rather than any general rule.
Megaways against fixed paylines
Megaways is most often confused with an ordinary ways-to-win or payline slot, so the rows below set the two side by side.
Megaways slot | Fixed-payline slot |
|---|---|
| Reel heights change on every spin | Grid shape stays the same each spin |
| Ways range from 64 to 117,649 on six reels | Line count is fixed, often 10 to 50 |
| Headline figure is a maximum, rarely reached | Stated line count applies on every spin |
| Wins pay from the left on adjacent reels | Wins pay along set line patterns |
| More ways does not mean a higher RTP | RTP is likewise set by the game's maths |
Where players meet the term
The word usually sits in the game’s name, as in Bonanza Megaways, the 2016 title that made the format popular. Big Time Gaming licenses the mechanic to other studios, including Pragmatic Play, Red Tiger and Blueprint Gaming, so the same engine turns up under many brands.
Inside the game, the live ways count is often shown beside the reels.
What the number does not tell you
A large ways count describes how many paths exist on that spin, and says nothing about how much the game returns. RTP and volatility come from the game’s own maths, published in its information screen, and the same title can be released in more than one RTP version, so the figure at one casino may differ from another.
Nor does a run of short reels mean full ones are due.
Each spin’s reel heights are drawn independently, and one session proves nothing about the next.
