What Megaways Actually Means
Megaways is a slot mechanic where the number of symbols on each reel changes every single spin, rather than staying fixed the way a traditional slot’s grid does. On a standard slot, each reel might always show exactly 3 symbols, giving a fixed number of ways to win. On a Megaways slot, each reel can independently display anywhere from 2 to 7 symbols on any given spin, and the total number of ways to win is calculated by multiplying the symbol count across all reels together.
Because that multiplication compounds across six reels, the maximum possible ways to win reaches 117,649 (7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7), a number that’s become closely associated with the mechanic itself and is often printed directly in a game’s title or marketing.
A Real Example: The Dog House Megaways
The Dog House Megaways by Pragmatic Play illustrates how this plays out in practice. On one spin, the reels might show 4-3-5-2-6-4 symbols across the six positions, giving 4 x 3 x 5 x 2 x 6 x 4 = 5,760 ways to win. On the very next spin, that same game might show 7-6-7-5-7-6, giving 7 x 6 x 7 x 5 x 7 x 6 = 61,740 ways, over ten times more, purely from the reel heights changing.
This constantly shifting ways-count is exactly why Megaways slots feel visually different from spin to spin, the reel grid itself grows and shrinks, not just the symbols landing on it, which is part of why the mechanic became so popular for building anticipation into an otherwise standard base game.
Why Megaways Changed Slot Design, and Who Uses It
Megaways was created and patented by Big Time Gaming, and its early hits proved popular enough that the studio began licensing the mechanic out to other developers rather than keeping it exclusive. This is why you’ll now find Megaways versions built by studios well beyond Big Time Gaming itself, each paying to use the underlying mechanic while building their own themes and bonus features around it.
Because the ways-to-win count is constantly in flux, Megaways titles are almost always paired with a cascading or tumbling wins feature, where winning symbols clear and new ones drop in, letting a single spin chain together multiple wins as the reel heights shift beneath it. If you’re comparing Megaways titles across our slots section, check the specific RTP and volatility for each individually, since licensing the same core mechanic doesn’t mean two Megaways games play anything alike. For current crypto bonuses at casinos offering Megaways titles, see what’s available at our reviewed crypto casinos.
FAQ – Megaways
Megaways is a slot mechanic where the number of symbols on each reel changes every spin, multiplying together to produce a constantly shifting number of ways to win, up to 117,649 at maximum.
Big Time Gaming created and patented the Megaways mechanic, later licensing it out to other studios, which is why you’ll find Megaways versions built by many different developers.
No. While they share the same core reel mechanic, RTP, volatility, and bonus features vary significantly between individual Megaways titles, even from different studios.
Because the ways-to-win count is constantly changing, cascading (or tumbling) wins let a single spin chain together multiple wins as new symbols drop in, a natural fit for the format.
Not necessarily, the maximum is a ceiling that occurs on specific spins, not every round. RTP and volatility matter more for overall value than the theoretical maximum ways figure.
Max Ledger
Casino and gaming expert
Max Ledger is a crypto and online casino specialist who has personally reviewed 20+ crypto casinos on this site, covering blockchain gambling platforms, bonus structures, and provably fair gaming.