Megaways

Megaways is a licensed slot mechanic in which each reel shows a random number of symbols on every spin, so the number of ways to win changes spin to spin — famously up to 117,649.

Definition

Megaways is a proprietary slot engine created and trademarked by the Australian studio Big Time Gaming (BTG) and licensed to other providers in exchange for a royalty. Instead of fixed paylines, each of the (usually six) reels displays a variable number of symbols per spin — commonly between two and seven — and wins are formed by matching symbols on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost, so the total "ways to win" is recalculated each spin as the product of the symbols showing on every reel. With six reels each able to display up to seven symbols, the maximum is 7^6 = 117,649 ways, the headline figure the mechanic is marketed on, while the minimum on a six-reel grid is 2^6 = 64. Megaways titles are typically high-volatility and often pair the variable reels with cascading (tumbling) reels and rising multipliers, but the mechanic itself does not change the underlying principle that RTP and house edge govern long-run returns.

Worked example

Take a standard six-reel Megaways game. On one spin the reels land showing 4, 5, 6, 3, 7 and 2 symbols, so the ways to win for that spin are 4 × 5 × 6 × 3 × 7 × 2 = 5,040. On the next spin every reel expands to its maximum of seven symbols, giving 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 = 7^6 = 117,649 ways — the advertised maximum. A given high-value symbol still only pays when it appears on consecutive reels from the leftmost: if it lands twice on reel 1, once on reel 2 and three times on reel 3, that symbol pays 2 × 1 × 3 = 6 winning combinations. None of this alters the game's RTP — whether the title is configured at, say, 96.5% or a lower 94%, the variable ways change how a win is displayed and how volatile the ride feels, not the theoretical long-run return.

Why it matters

For learners, Megaways is a clear case study in how a single patented mechanic reshaped modern slot design and how "ways to win" differ from traditional fixed paylines. For professionals — studios, aggregators, and operators — it matters commercially because using the name and engine requires a licence and royalty paid to Big Time Gaming, it functions as a strong marketing hook, and its characteristically high volatility plus multiple selectable RTP configurations carry real player-protection and bonus-exposure implications. Understanding it also helps distinguish genuine licensed Megaways titles from lookalike "variable-reel" mechanics that other studios build to avoid the trademark. As with all slots, it is 18+ entertainment with a built-in house edge, never a way to make money.

Related

Note: "Megaways" is a registered trademark of Big Time Gaming; using the mechanic and name commercially requires a licence, and terms can change — verify current licensing arrangements. The two-to-seven symbols per reel and the up to 117,649 maximum describe the standard six-reel configuration, but some titles use different reel counts, an extra horizontal "reel," or added modifiers that produce different maxima. RTP is not fixed by the mechanic: many licensed Megaways games ship in several RTP versions and operators/jurisdictions may deploy lower-RTP configurations than the ~96% BTG originals, so the paired house edge and the specific 96.5%/94% figures in the example are illustrative and must be checked per title and market.