In 2016, the introduction of the Bonanza slot by the relatively unknown Australian developer, Big Time Gaming (BTG), marked a transcendent moment in the online slots landscape.
The game showcased a groundbreaking system called Megaways, a concept never seen before in the industry. Megaways significantly enhanced the potential payouts for slots and brought about a revolution in the online slot experience. Today, there are over 200 Megaways slot games developed by leading game developers.
Prime Casino offers a platform for playing the latest and very best Megaways games. Continue reading to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Megaways game system.
Traditional Megaways slots feature 6 reels, and up to 117,649 ways to win. However, BTG has licensed the Megaways system to a broad range of developers, and therefore some variants will have maximum win ways that are lower (around 15,000) or far higher (over 200,000) than the traditional formula.
The unique selling point for Megaways games is the changing reel size, which can occur with each spin. Alongside this, multiple wins are possible from each spin thanks to the cascading reels element.
While the original Megaways slot, Bonanza, has a gem mining theme, Megaways slots now come in a whole range of themes and have been combined with other developers' proprietary features such as the Jackpot King (JPK) system. Megaways slots can also be played in a broad range of volatility and variance options, meaning players of all types can enjoy the fun.
In online casinos, the reason Megaways slots can boast numerous winning ways lies in two factors: alternating reel sizes and symbol cascades. Let's first examine the reel set. Megaways slot games feature six reels, unlike traditional video slots that typically use five.
Winways are calculated by multiplying the number of rows on each reel, with the number of rows changing with every spin. For example, if reels one, two, and three have 7 rows, reels four and five have 6 rows, and row six has four rows, then the number of winways would be 49,392 (7x7x7x6x6x4).
In Megaways slot winning combinations are formed in the same way as traditional slot games, requiring three or more (sometimes two or more) matching symbols starting from the leftmost reel. Where Megaways slots differ is what happens next. The symbols which form the winning combination will be removed from the reels and new symbols will fall to fill the space. This can cause more winning combinations. Players may experience a chain reaction of cascading symbols, leading to multiple winning payouts per spin. This is why the value of symbols used in Megaways slot games seems lower than traditional slot games because there could be ten winning combinations in a single spin, as opposed to classic slots where only the highest paying combination is awarded per spin. Some Megaways slots also apply a win multiplier which grows by 1 for each cascade before resetting when no new cascades occur.
Almost all of the most popular slot developers out there have leased the Megaways system from BTG and applied the structure to their fan-favourite slot series. Listed below are some of the most beloved Megaways slot games that you can play at Prime Casino.
In Blueprint Gaming's Deal or No Deal Megaways JPK slot machine, players need to beat the banker. Playable on six reels, this licensed game offers up to 117,649 ways to win. Three Deal or No Deal features, where you challenge the banker to win cash rewards and/or bonus spins, are unlocked by cascades. Cascades boost the infinite win multiplier and there are changing Mystery symbols in the Banker's Bonus Spins feature. Blueprint has combined the Megaways system with its own Jackpot King progressive jackpot system to enhance payout potential even further.
Blueprint Gaming's 6-reel Eye of Horus Megaways slot machine offers a maximum of 15,625 ways to win. The Eye of Horus slot machine, which can be played on any device has expanding wilds, free spins, and symbol upgrades and has an exciting Ancient Egyptian setting. Horus, the Egyptian god of the sun and sky's the wild symbol in this game, which can expand to cover an entire reel.
The Fishin' Frenzy Megaways slot machine, developed by Blueprint Gaming, has six reels and up to 15,625 ways to win. The Fisherman Free Games feature allows players to play with up to 50 free spins. During the bonus a unique feature takes place. Fish with cash values attached will appear on the reels. When a player lands a fisherman wild, the fisherman will reel in all fish currently on screen.
As BTG has licensed the Megaways formula to some of the known developers, others have developed their own Megaways system in new and exciting ways.
Red Tiger Gaming, also referred to as RTG is a developer that is known for the level of immersion they infuse into slot gameplay. This developer places a strong emphasis on visual elements and is known to tailor existing or innovative new bonus elements suited to the theme of the slot in question. Popular Megaways slot releases from the RTG team include Gonzo’s Quest Megaways and Dynamite Riches Megaways.
Pragmatic is a well-established slot developer with years of industry experience. While more recently they have been dabbling with live casino offerings, the team at Pragmatic have also created a large selection of smash-hit Megaways slot titles such as Wheel of Fortune Megaways and The Dog House Megaways.
Blueprint Gaming have extensively experimented with the Megaways formula even combining Megaways slot games with established systems of their own such as the Jackpot King (JPK) progressive jackpot system as is seen in their licensed game Deal or No Deal Megaways JPK.
Megaways slot games and traditional slot games have their similarities and differences. Depending on the type of player you are and what you’re looking for from your slot experience, these differences can be seen as pros and cons.
| Criteria | Megaways Slots | Regular Slots |
|---|---|---|
| Paylines/Win Ways | Traditional Megaways slot games have up to 117,649 ways to win, with the number of available paylines changing with each spin. | Most regular slots have 10-40 paylines. Some have up to 243. Unless an expanding reel system is used (such are during a bonus feature), the payline structure and number of win ways don’t change. |
| Payout Potential | Payouts in Megaways slots seem initially lower than regular slots, usually 0.1-8x a player's stake. This is because players can win multiple times from a single spin, meaning these lower values accumulate into higher overall payouts. | The highest-paying symbols in regular slots tend to be worth between 500-5000x a player's total wager. Values of low-paying symbols can start at around 0.1-1x a player's total bet. |
| Return to Player Percentage | Will depend on specific game design choices made by its developers. | Will depend on specific game design choices made by its developers. |
| Wagering Requirements | With no set payline structure per spin Megaways wagers are similar to slots with fixed paylines in that players will wager a set amount per spin and not on particular lines. | Traditional slots either use fixed or unfixed paylines. Slots with fixed paylines will automatically have the player's total wager equally divided between them. Unfixed paylines allow players to choose which of the lines are active and can pick as little as one payline or all of them. The wagers entered here will be multiplied by the number of lines activated. |
Progressive jackpot slots are the most popular term for jackpot slots. Their jackpots are not fixed at all; rather, they are progressive, meaning they fluctuate with time. The jackpot grows in size each time players make wagers. Oftentimes these prize pots are shared across a network of slots this means that these jackpots have the potential to be worth millions at a time. The pot will continue to grow in value until it is won. Some jackpot systems set a time limit in which the prize will be won (such as daily or weekly), but most will grow and grow until a player strikes it lucky. When the prize is claimed the pot will return to its starting value.
Blueprint Gaming is the developer of the Jackpot King slot game series. Players that play Jackpot King slot games have the opportunity to win three pots: Royal Pot, Regal Pot, and the uncapped Jackpot King Pot. Players need to land all five Jackpot King Bonus symbols to progress to the Jackpot King mini-game in which players gather crown symbols. A player can spin for a chance to win one of the three jackpots if they have gathered 15 or more Crown symbols.
