How the Megaways engine works
Traditional pokies have a fixed number of symbols per reel — usually three or four — giving a fixed number of paylines or ways to win. Megaways instead has variable reel heights. Each spin, each of the six reels independently shows between 2 and 7 symbols. The number of ways to win per spin is calculated as the product of symbols across all six reels. Minimum (2×2×2×2×2×2) = 64. Maximum (7×7×7×7×7×7) = 117,649. Most spins land somewhere in between — typical spins show 10,000 to 40,000 ways.
Most Megaways titles also include a cascading reels mechanic: winning combinations are removed and new symbols drop in, potentially triggering further wins from the same spin. Combined with the variable reel heights, this lets individual spins produce genuinely large wins without needing the player to trigger a bonus round.
Who makes Megaways pokies
Big Time Gaming is the original. The engine has been licensed to many studios, each of whom has produced their own Megaways titles. Notable lines:
• Big Time Gaming — Bonanza Megaways (the original), White Rabbit, Extra Chilli, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
• Pragmatic Play — Great Rhino Megaways, Power of Thor Megaways, 5 Lions Megaways, Sugar Rush 1000
• Relax Gaming — Hellcatraz, Money Train 4 (not pure Megaways but Megaways-inspired)
• Red Tiger — Gonzo's Quest Megaways, Dragon's Luck Megaways
• Blueprint — Buffalo Rising Megaways, Diamond Mine
These titles are common across AU-facing casino libraries.
Megaways volatility and session planning
Megaways pokies are typically medium-high to high volatility. Base game hit rate is lower than fixed-payline pokies — you lose on more spins — but when you hit, especially during bonus rounds with multipliers, wins can be 50x to 5,000x bet. This means:
• Bankroll needs to be larger to ride out cold streaks
• Max-win potential is genuinely large (many titles cap at 10,000x or higher)
• Not suited to small bankrolls playing small stakes over long sessions
• Well-suited to medium bankrolls prepared to chase bonus rounds
Availability at the six AU casinos we review
Megaways titles from Pragmatic Play and Red Tiger are broadly available at AU-facing casinos; Big Time Gaming originals are slightly less universal but still widely carried.
| Casino | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fortune88 | Broad | Pragmatic and Red Tiger Megaways well represented; BTG catalogue partial |
| B4Bet | Good | Mainstream Megaways titles present; focus is pokies-plus-sports not deep catalogue |
| Aussie2Win | Good | AU-popular Megaways prominent (Great Rhino, Buffalo Rising, Dragon's Luck) |
| The Star | Curated | Hand-picked Megaways releases rather than exhaustive library |
| Ripperbet | Standard | Mainstream Megaways coverage; library is broad-not-deep |
| Le88Win | Varies | Anglo-studio Megaways present; Asian-theme studios dominate wider catalogue |
FAQ
What does "117649 ways to win" mean?
It is the maximum possible ways-to-win on a six-reel Megaways slot — achieved when every reel shows 7 symbols. It does not mean you are more likely to win; the RTP is still the RTP. It means the per-spin win combinations are maximised, which typically happens on a small fraction of spins.
Are Megaways pokies higher RTP than normal pokies?
Not inherently. Megaways RTP is a design choice per title — most sit in the 94-96.5% range, same as other studio releases. A few run higher; a few run lower. Check individual title info pages.
Can I buy the bonus round on Megaways?
Many Megaways titles have a bonus-buy feature (typically 50x to 100x bet). Before using it while clearing a welcome bonus, check the max-bet cap — bonus-buy cost is almost always above standard max-bet cap and can void the bonus. Read our wagering guide.
Which Megaways title is best?
No single answer — depends on your volatility preference. Bonanza Megaways and Extra Chilli are the classics; Great Rhino Megaways and 5 Lions Megaways are the AU crowd favourites; Sugar Rush 1000 is the recent high-variance pick. Try a range at low stakes to find your preference.
Related reading
- AU online pokies hub — overview + all categories
- How pokies RTP works
- Bonus wagering explained
- All six AU casino reviews