Bonanza Megaways is the Big Time Gaming mining slot that put the Megaways engine on the map when it launched in December 2016. Reels change height on every spin, up to 117,649 ways can appear, and the free spins have a multiplier with no stated upper limit. It is not the same game as Big Bass Bonanza Megaways, which is a Pragmatic Play fishing title that SlotPal already reviews.
This review draws on Big Time Gaming’s own game listings where they were readable and names the independent source for every other figure. Where sources disagree, we say so. It is not a recommendation to play for money, and we have not played the game.
Bonanza Megaways at a glance
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Provider | Big Time Gaming |
| Release | 7 December 2016 (Big Time Gaming press release and listing) |
| Grid and ways | 6 reels, up to 7 rows, up to 117,649 ways, plus an extra horizontal reel |
| RTP | 96% (most sources); 96.11% on one Big Time Gaming listing |
| Volatility | High (most sources) |
| Max win | 26,000x the stake (most sources; an older 12,000x cap is also cited) |
| Free spins | 12 from 4 GOLD scatters, plus 5 per extra scatter (Casinomeister) |
| Reported hit frequency | 37.94% (Big Time Gaming listing), 37.47% (OLBG) |
| Reported free spins frequency | About 1 in 400 spins (quoted by Casinomeister from Big Time Gaming) |
| UK stake range | Reported minimum 20p, £2 maximum for ages 18 to 24, £5 maximum for over 25s |
How to play and stakes
The game is played on six reels. Each reel shows between two and seven symbols, and the four middle reels have an extra symbol position above them, so the number of ways changes every spin and reaches 117,649 when every reel is full. A win needs three matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left, or two of the top symbol.
Casinomeister and Big Time Gaming list a minimum of 0.20 and a maximum that has historically been 20, though casinos set their own limits. In the UK the stake rules for online slots apply: £2 a spin for 18 to 24 year olds and £5 for those aged 25 and over. Casinomeister mentions a 100 round autoplay, but autoplay and quick spin are not available to UK players.
RTP: which figure applies
Most sources give 96%, including OLBG, Casinomeister, Slotcatalog, Pokernews and Evolution’s own game page. One Big Time Gaming listing shows 96.11%, which is a small difference we cannot resolve. Casinomeister says the RTP is fixed at 96% and casinos cannot change it, a claim we have not seen contradicted but also could not check against the provider’s rules.
Even so, check the game’s information panel at your UK casino, because that is the figure that applies to you.
Volatility
OLBG, Pokernews, Slotcatalog, Fruity Slots and Gamblerid all call it high. Evolution’s game page goes further and describes it as very high, while AskGamblers says medium to high. We follow the majority: high.
Max win
Big Time Gaming’s listing, OLBG, Slotcatalog, Evolution and most others give 26,000x the stake. Fruity Slots and SportsBoom cite 12,000x, and Fruity Slots says 12,000x was the original cap before the game was remastered. We follow 26,000x as the current figure. We did not find a published probability for hitting it.
At UK stakes, 26,000x converts to the following, using the 20p minimum most sources report:
| Stake | Max win at 26,000x |
|---|---|
| £0.20 (reported minimum) | £5,200 |
| £1 | £26,000 |
| £2 (18 to 24 limit) | £52,000 |
| £5 (over 25 limit) | £130,000 |
The £2 and £5 rows only apply to players within each age band’s limit.
Win reactions, free spins and the unlimited multiplier
Big Time Gaming calls its cascade system dual reactions. Winning symbols disappear, new symbols drop in from above, and carts above reels two to five add symbols from the side, so reels can refill in two directions. Reactions work in the base game and the free spins.
The free spins trigger when four GOLD scatters land. Casinomeister says the round starts with 12 free spins and that each extra scatter in the trigger spin adds 5 more. During the round every winning reaction raises a win multiplier by 1, and the multiplier has no upper limit. Extra spins come from gold bars above the reels: Big Time Gaming’s listing says three stacked scatters add 5 spins and four add 10.
Casinomeister reports players seeing multipliers around 70x with 50 bonus spins. That is an anecdote about a rare outcome, not a typical one.
Bonus buy
Big Time Gaming’s listing shows a feature buy, but we found no published price and no confirmation of availability to UK players. Treat the buy as unconfirmed for UK casinos and check the game’s information panel.
Symbols and paytable
Casinomeister describes the symbols as nine, ten, jack, queen, king and ace at the low end, with green, blue, red and purple gems above them. The purple gem is the top symbol at 50x the stake for five of a kind. The wild is a stick of dynamite and appears only on the row above the reels, and the scatter is a gold letter that spells the word GOLD.
| Symbol group | Reported payout |
|---|---|
| Card ranks 9 to A | Lower payouts (not itemised by our sources) |
| Green, blue and red gems | Mid payouts (not itemised by our sources) |
| Purple gem | 50x for five of a kind (Casinomeister) |
We did not find a trustworthy line by line paytable, so we show only the confirmed top payout.
Hit frequency and win rate
The hit frequency is unusually well documented. Big Time Gaming’s listing shows 37.94%, and OLBG and Fruity Slots give 37.47%, about one win every 2.66 spins. Casinomeister quotes Big Time Gaming’s chief executive as saying the free spins arrive about once in every 400 spins and that the bonus averages roughly 100x. Treat the 1 in 400 and 100x figures as statements reported by Casinomeister, not as figures we verified.
SlotPal’s guide to hit rates in Big Bass and Eye of Horus covers the Pragmatic Play game called Big Bass Bonanza Megaways, which is a different game, so nothing there applies here.
How it compares with other Megaways games
Casinomeister notes that Bonanza was not the very first game to use the engine, since Dragon Born was earlier, but it was the one that made it famous. OLBG points to Extra Chilli as Big Time Gaming’s later sequel of sorts, and the Casinomeister page says the Megaways engine is now licensed to dozens of studios. Compared with Pragmatic Play’s Big Bass Bonanza Megaways, this game uses a cascade and unlimited multiplier instead of money symbol collection.
Is it enjoyable? Our verdict
This section is based on mechanics, provider rules and independent data. We have not played the game.
The reported hit frequency of around 37% keeps the base game moving, and the unlimited multiplier gives the free spins a clear route to a large result. Casinomeister describes the base game as steady for a high volatility slot and adds that it is a popular choice for working through bonus wagering, which varies by casino. The common criticisms are that the bonus is hard to trigger, that the base game can feel repetitive, and that the original cap was lower than modern releases.
Verdict: still a good fit for players who want a classic high volatility Megaways game with a simple structure. It is a weaker fit if you want frequent bonuses or a very high verified cap.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Pioneering Megaways format with dual reactions
- Unlimited win multiplier in the free spins
- Reported hit frequency of about 37%
- Simple mechanics that are easy to learn
Cons
- Free spins reportedly arrive only about once in 400 spins
- Base game can feel repetitive
- Sources disagree on RTP by a small margin and on the max win history
- High volatility with long gaps between bonuses
Bonanza Megaways FAQ
What is the RTP of Bonanza Megaways?
Most sources say 96%, and one Big Time Gaming listing says 96.11%. UK casinos can run different settings, so check the game information panel.
What is the max win?
Most sources give 26,000x the stake. At a £5 stake that is £130,000. Some sources cite an older 12,000x cap.
Is this the same as Big Bass Bonanza Megaways?
No. This is Big Time Gaming’s mining slot. Big Bass Bonanza Megaways is a separate Pragmatic Play fishing game that SlotPal reviews on its own page.
How many ways to win can it have?
Up to 117,649 when every reel shows its maximum number of symbols.
What are dual reactions?
A cascade system where winning symbols vanish and new symbols drop in from above and from carts at the side, according to Big Time Gaming.
How do the free spins work?
Four GOLD scatters trigger 12 free spins, according to Casinomeister, and each winning reaction raises an unlimited multiplier by 1.
Can you retrigger the free spins?
Yes. Gold bars above the reels add 5 spins for three and 10 for four, according to Big Time Gaming’s listing.
What are the stake limits in the UK?
£2 a spin for ages 18 to 24 and £5 for ages 25 and over. The reported minimum is 20p.
How often does it hit?
Big Time Gaming’s listing shows 37.94% and OLBG shows 37.47%. Free spins are quoted at about 1 in 400 spins by Casinomeister.
Can I use autoplay in the UK?
No. UK rules removed autoplay and quick spin from online slots.
Is the bonus buy available in the UK?
We could not confirm. A feature buy is listed by Big Time Gaming, but availability differs by casino.
How we checked the figures
- Big Time Gaming (bigtimegaming.com listing and press release, read through search results): release date, Megaways and dual reaction description, hit frequency, scatter extra spins, stake range and the 26,000x figure.
- Casinomeister: free spin mechanics, multiplier behaviour, symbols, autoplay, volatility and the quoted 1 in 400 frequency.
- OLBG and Fruity Slots: hit frequency, max win history and volatility.
- Evolution game page, Slotcatalog, Pokernews and Gamblerid: RTP, max win and volatility labels.
- UK stake limits: UK Gambling Commission rules for online slots.
- Max win in pounds: our own arithmetic using the 26,000x figure.
- Not verified: the 96.11% RTP listing, the bonus buy price, the max win odds and the full paytable.
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