Megaways slots
Megaways slots explained, tested & reviewed
Megaways slots are awesome and the mechanics behind them are even more impressive. Megaways slots can have up to 117,649 ways to win and can produce wins of more than 100,000x the size of your bet!
That’s massive, but how is that even possible? While classic slots have only a few pay lines and maximum wins are capped at 1,000x the size of your bet. So how is it possible that Megaways games have so many more ways to win? And so much bigger wins? So, how do Megaways slots work? With the help of images and examples, we will answer the following questions about Megaways slots:
- How do Megaways slots work?
- How can Megaways slots give you so many ways to win?
- How can Megaways slots pay you so much money?
- How do you calculate the potential of Megaways slots?
Best Megaways casinos in 2023
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What are Megaways slots?
Perhaps the biggest craze in the online gambling industry of all time is the area of the Megaways slots! An exciting and innovative version of the already existing video slots in online casinos. Video slots come with a fixed amount of reels and win lines, while the reels and win lines are variable at Megaways games. You can imagine this makes every single spin much more thrilling.
The whole Megaways concept was initially invented by Big Time Gaming who released the popular slots Bonanza and White Rabbit. A patented technology that they decided to make available for other online slot creators as well. Blueprint Gaming took this opportunity straight away and launched its own range of Megaways pokies which were different and appealing to online slot lovers.
Megaways slots have variable reels and win lines. The amount of symbols popping up on your screen is thus variable as well. Hereby every single spin is different. This in combination with stunning graphics, moving elements, uplifting music, and catching sound effects, makes Megaways slots very exciting to play. The more win lines and symbols, the bigger the chance to win big.
Megaways slots usually have a lower return to players and are high variance. In theory, this means you will win less often, but if you win, you have a bigger chance to win big. And by big, we mean very big! We’ve already seen wins exceeding 10,000x the bet size. We’ve even seen wins approaching 100,000x the bet size. Even with the minimum bet size which is usually around €/$/£ 0,10, you’re able to win a decent amount of money.
Megaways slots come in all different shapes and sizes. Some versions have cascading symbols on each and every hit. The symbols that disappear make room for new symbols. With just one single spin, many spins could follow! This is what we call infinity spinning. Also, the bonus game is usually an innovative and interesting one. With an increasing multiplier with each and every hit, the potential is huge.
Buying bonus games and gambling the bonus game feature are also used quite often in Megaways slots. Here you will find your favorite Blueprint Megaways slot, learn everything about it and find a licensed online casino where you’re able to play your favorite slot!
How to win in Megaways slots?
In Megaways slots there are no traditional pay lines. The traditional pay lines are replaced by “ways to win”. Any symbol of the same kind anywhere on connecting reels starting on reel 1, will give you a win. For example, if you hit 10s on reels 1, 2, and 3 it will give you a 3-of-a-kind win of 10’s. Let’s give you an example of a non-winning pay line and a winning pay line:
How do Megaways slots work?
Megaways slots are a beautiful addition to online slots and online casinos, but they are also very difficult and complicated to understand. How can Megaways slots have tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of ways to win, while the classic slots only have 5 or 9 pay lines? In order to understand the Megaways, we need to understand the reels and rows. The reels and rows give you a certain amount of pay lines. In order to calculate the amount of Megaways, you need to multiply the number of symbols you can get on a single reel by the total amount of reels. Let’s give you an example of the 2 most common amounts of Megaways.
117,649 ways to win
The maximum amount of Megaways you could potentially get is 117,649. In order to get this amount of Megaways, the slot needs to have 6 reels. Usually, the slots come with an additional reel above reels 2 to 5. Each reel alone should be able to have up to 7 symbols which will give a total of 117,649 ways to win. The calculation of the Megaways will look as follow:
7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 = 117,649 ways to win
On reel level the calculation will look as follow:
Reel 1: 7 symbols (total of 7 ways)
Reel 2: 7 symbols (total of 7 x 7 = 49 ways)
Reel 3: 7 symbols (total of 49 x 7 = 343 ways)
Reel 4: 7 symbols (total of 343 x 7 = 2,401 ways)
Reel 5: 7 symbols (total of 2,401 x 7 = 16,807 ways)
Reel 6: 7 symbols (total of 16,807 x 7 = 117,649 ways)
Impressive he? Obviously, it’s relatively difficult to hit the maximum amount of Megaways in a slot. Luckily there are Megaways slots where you could secure a minimum amount of Megaways including the maximum 117,649 ways to win! Safari Gold Megaways is a good example. Let’s give you an example of the more common Megaways and the maximum amount of Megaways:
15,625 ways to win
Besides Megaways slots with a stunning 117,649 ways to win, there are also quite some Megaways slots that have “only” 15,625 ways to win. These slots will have 6 reels in total and each reel alone will have up to 5 symbols. The maximum amount of Megaways is 15,625 when you multiply the symbols with the reels. The calculation of the Megaways will look as follow:
5 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 = 15,625 ways to win
On reel level the calculation will look as follow:
Reel 1: 5 symbols (total of 5 ways)
Reel 2: 5 symbols (total of 5 x 5 = 25 ways)
Reel 3: 5 symbols (total of 25 x 5 = 125 ways)
Reel 4: 5 symbols (total of 125 x 5 = 625 ways)
Reel 5: 5 symbols (total of 625 x 5 = 3,125 ways)
Reel 6: 5 symbols (total of 3,125 x 5 = 15,625 ways)
Gods of Olympus Megaways is a good example of a slot with 15,625 ways to win. Let’s give you an example of the more common Megaways and the maximum amount of Megaways:
How to calculate your winnings?
Did you manage to get a big win by connecting multiple premium symbols? But you have no idea how your win is being calculated? Let us help you with this! Calculating the winnings is as difficult as the mechanic behind calculating the amount of Megaways. In order to calculate your winnings, you would first need to know how much the symbols are worth in particular Megaways slots. You can find the value of the symbols in the pay table. Once you know the values, you need to use the following calculation to understand your winnings:
Amount of winning lines x value of symbols x bet size
Still not very clear how you calculate your winnings in a Megaways slot? Let us explain this process step by step and give you some examples.
Step 1: Check the paytable
Paytable Diamond Mine Megaways Did you decide what game you want to play? Open the online slot and head over to the paytable. Here you can find all the different symbols and payout values.
Tip: Check out the top-paying symbol for huge wins!
Step 2: Start spinning
The result of the first spin The result after the first spin: ÂŁ5 win on a ÂŁ5 stake and 3,456 Megaways. How is this win being calculated? First, you need to count the number of winning lines and thus you need to have a look at the winning symbols and connected reels. In this example, we have 3 connecting premium symbols (gold miners) on reels 1, 2, and 3. So the total amount of winning lines is 1 x 1 x 1 = 1. If we have a look at the pay table in example 1, we know that 3 connecting reels of the gold minors symbol have a value of 1. The winning lines multiplied by the value of the symbols is thus 1 x 1 = 1. The last step we need to do is multiply this number by the bet size which is ÂŁ5 in this example. So our winnings are 1 x 1 x 5 = ÂŁ5.
Step 3: Spin again
The result of the second spin The result after the second spin: £10 win on a £5 stake and 7,200 Megaways. In this example, we have 7 connecting symbols (7’s) on reels 1, 2, 3, and 4. So the total amount of winning lines is 1 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 8. If we have a look at the pay table in example 1, we know that 4 connecting reels of symbol J have a value of 0.25. The winning lines multiplied by the value of the symbols is thus 8 x 0.25 = 2. The last step we need to do is multiply this number by the bet size which is £5 in this example. So our winnings are 8 x 0.25 x 5 = £10.
Step 4: One more spin
The result of the third spin The result after the third spin: £13 win on a £5 stake and 11,340 Megaways. In this example, we have 2 different connecting symbols: the gold miner and the 9. We hit 5 connecting gold minors symbols on reels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 = 1 winning line). We also hit 3 connecting 9’s symbols on reels 1, 2, and 3 (1 x 1 x 1 = 1 winning line). If we have a look at the pay table in example 1, we know that 5 connecting reels of the gold minors symbols have a value of 2.5. The winning lines multiplied by the value of the symbols are thus 1 x 2.5 = 2.5. For the 9’s it’s 1 x 0.1 = 0.1. This is a total of 2.5 + 0.1 = 2.6. The last step we need to do is multiply this number by the bet size which is £5 in this example. So our winnings are (1 x 2.5 x 5) + (1 x 0.1 x 5) = £13. Or 2.6 x 5 = £13.
Tip: If you’re feeling lucky and the game is paying, stay for a bit longer!
Result
As a result and with the help of our examples and images above, you’re able to calculate your own Megaways now!
Want to give Megaways games a try yourself?
All British Casino
Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse | Cashback is cash with no restrictions | Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded | Cashback applies to deposits where no bonus is included | Full T&Cs apply
Fun Casino
Eligibility is restriced for a suspected abuse | Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded | Full T&Cs apply
Frequently Asked Questions
Megaways slots are one of the most complex slots that exist. The mechanics behind Megaways slots are difficult to understand. After searching the internet, we’ve noticed that there are many questions about Megaways slots and how they work. We will answer the most frequently asked questions in our FAQ. If you still have questions after reading our FAQ, please feel free to get in touch with us.
Megaways are already around for quite some years now. They really started to become popular in the last couple of years. Since then new Megaways slots are released almost weekly. Megaways have been invented by Big Time Gaming and since 2018 they are selling licenses to other gaming providers including Blueprint Gaming.
On the day of writing, the maximum amount of Megaways is 117,649. We’re sure there will be Megaways slots released with more ways to win in 2020.
In order to calculate the amount of Megaways, you need to multiply the total amount of symbols on each and every reel. If you’re for example playing a 6-reel Megaways slot and you get 5 symbols on each reel, the total amount of Megaways is 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 = 15.625.
The answer to this question is instant. Even before your spin has finished, the amount of Megaways and the outcome of the game round already have been calculated. If anything goes wrong with your game round or you accidentally close the slot you’re playing, the outcome of the game round is registered at the online casino you’re playing. So you never miss out on potential winnings because of an error or tiny mistake.
Blueprint’s Megaways journey started all the way back in 2018. They released their first Megaways slot on the 5th of May in 2018. Irish Riches Megaways is the name. It is a Megaways slot that stood out from its competition. Irish Riches Megaways has many unique features and a progressive jackpot that no other Megaways slot had in 2018.
The first-ever Megaways slot is named Bonanza Megaways. The slot was released by Big Time Gaming in December 2016. Big Time Gaming licensed Megaways to Blueprint Gaming in April 2018. Blueprint released its first-ever Megaways slot named Irish Riches Megaways in June 2018.
Final verdict
We can only conclude that Megaways Slots have changed the online gaming world for good. A whole new and unique mechanism that gives players the opportunity to win up to a shocking 117,649 different ways. The more ways the player can win, the more fun for the player. Each and every spin suddenly becomes a thrilling one and with hundreds of different Megaways games, there is one for each and every one of us.
Even though Big Time Gaming invented this whole new mechanism, Blueprint Gaming might be the biggest name in the industry if it comes to Megaways slots. We’ve played and tested them all for you. We wrote expert and honest reviews so that you’re able to find out which Megaways slot suits all your needs. You can also find an overview of the best licensed and trusted online casinos where you’re able to try your luck on your favorite Megaways slots.
What is your experience? Have you already tried your luck on Megaways slots? Why or why not?
Have you spotted a mistake in our content? Please get in touch with us, so we can update our content accordingly.
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