A Megaways slot advertises up to 117,649 ways to win, which sounds like a different category of game from a 20-payline classic. Mechanically it is. Mathematically it is not, and understanding why is the difference between reading the number as information and reading it as a promise.

This explains how the engine actually produces that figure, what cascades do, and why more ways to win does not mean better odds.

Where the Number Comes From

The mechanic was built by Big Time Gaming and introduced with Bonanza in December 2016.

Its creator, now part of Evolution and licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority, went on to license the engine to other developers, which is why hundreds of Megaways titles exist across studios that did not invent it.

Arithmetic behind the headline figure is simple once seen.

1. Six reels, variable height. On each spin, every reel independently displays somewhere between two and seven symbols. The grid is a different shape every time.

2. Ways multiply across reels. The number of ways is the product of the symbol counts on each reel. Two symbols on every reel gives 2×2×2×2×2×2, or 64 ways. Seven on every reel gives 7×7×7×7×7×7.

3. That product is 117,649. Seven to the sixth power. It is the maximum the engine can produce, achieved only when all six reels land at full height simultaneously, which is uncommon.

4. Wins pay on adjacent reels, left to right. Matching symbols count if they appear anywhere on consecutive reels starting from the first. Position within the reel is irrelevant, which is what makes the ways structure work.

5. Some titles add a horizontal reel. Bonanza runs an extra row above the middle reels that contributes additional symbols to the count, and in that game it is the only place wild symbols appear.

6. Cascading reels chain wins from one spin. Winning symbols are removed, new ones drop into the spaces, and any fresh combination pays again. The sequence continues until no new win forms, so a single paid spin can produce several wins.

More Ways Does Not Mean Better Odds

This is the point the marketing leaves implicit, and it is worth being direct about.

The number of ways to win and the return of the game are set together. A game offering 117,649 ways pays proportionally less per matching combination than a game offering 20 paylines, because the paytable is calibrated against the ways count.

Published return on Bonanza sits at 96%, which is squarely the industry average, and Megaways titles across studios cluster in the same range as ordinary slots.

So the figure describes structural variety, not generosity. It tells you the grid changes shape and that wins can form in many configurations. It does not tell you the game returns more than a conventional slot, because it does not.

One further thing to keep in view is that 117,649 is a ceiling. Most spins produce a fraction of it, since reels rarely all land at maximum height at once. Quoting the maximum as though it applies every spin is the most common misreading of the format.

The Return Sits in the Bonus Round

Megaways titles are typically high-volatility games, and the reason is structural.

Cascades and variable reels produce reasonably frequent small hits in the base game. One analysis of Bonanza records a hit frequency near 37%, roughly one win every two and a half spins, which sounds generous until you notice most of those wins are smaller than the stake.

The substantial return sits in the free spins round, where cascading combines with an increasing multiplier that many Megaways titles leave uncapped.

Each cascade during the bonus raises the multiplier, so a long chain can escalate sharply. That structure concentrates the game's payout potential in a feature that base play must fund, which is the textbook shape of a high-variance slot.

On Bonanza specifically, the round triggers on four G-O-L-D scatters for twelve free spins, with five more added per additional scatter.

Version Differences Are Real

A caution that applies across the format and matters when comparing titles.

Reported maximum wins for the same Megaways game differ considerably between sources and builds, with figures for Bonanza cited anywhere from around 12,000 times stake to 29,000 times depending on the version described.

Return figures vary between titles too: White Rabbit is commonly listed near 97.24% and can reach 248,832 ways in some versions, while Extra Chilli is often shown around 96.82%.

The practical response is the same as for any slot. The figures that apply are the ones in the game's own information panel at the casino you are playing, not the ones on a comparison page, and game configurations are set by the studio with the operator choosing which build to run.

Finding Megaways Titles on Dexsport

Dexsport carries Big Time Gaming among its slot providers, which is the studio that owns and licenses the mechanic, so the format is represented at source and not only through third-party adaptations.

Two features of the platform suit this format specifically. The catalogue is filterable by feature, so Megaways and cascading titles can be located without opening games one at a time, which matters in a library where the mechanic appears across many studios under different themes.

And demo versions are available across much of the slot section, which is genuinely useful here: the reel-height variation and the cascade chains are visual behaviours that a few minutes of demo play demonstrates far better than a paytable description does.

Watching a Megaways title in demo also lets you check the information panel for the return figure and volatility label on the specific build running, before deciding whether the format's long dry stretches suit your balance.

The platform is non-custodial and holds an Anjouan licence, and slot catalogues differ between crypto casinos in which studios they carry.

Reading the Format for What It Is

Megaways is a genuine innovation in slot design: a grid that reshapes every spin, wins that chain through cascades, and a free spins multiplier that can escalate without a ceiling. It is also a format whose headline number describes structure and not value.

Treat 117,649 as a maximum count of configurations, expect a high-variance experience concentrated in the bonus, and check the return figure on the version in front of you.

Confirm what is legal where you live, keep stakes within a set budget, and play only if you are of legal age, since KYC or AML checks may apply.

Responsible gambling applies with force to high-variance formats, where a long run without the feature can feel like a game approaching something, when it is simply a distribution behaving normally.

Disclaimer: The information here is provided for general purposes only and is not legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. Return figures, maximum win figures and mechanics vary by title, version and operator, so consult each game's published information before playing. Named titles and figures are examples drawn from published sources. Betting carries risk, and rules vary by country, so check the law where you live. Please gamble responsibly, within your means, and only if you are of legal age.

Source: Crypto Daily