How Megaways games changed online slots with 117,649 ways to win

If you’ve spent any time browsing an online casino, you’ve almost certainly noticed titles stamped with the word “Megaways.” Whether you’re relaxing on the couch after a long winter day in Oshawa or spinning a few reels on your phone while waiting for your double-double at the local drive-thru, these dynamic games dominate the lobbies of Canadian casinos from coast to coast.

When players first ask “What are Megaways slots?” the short answer is simple: they’re a revolutionary class of online slot games where the number of symbols on each reel changes with every single spin. Instead of relying on a static, fixed number of paylines like the classic fruit machines of the past, Megaways titles use a randomized mathematical modifier. This engine can generate anywhere from a few hundred ways to win up to a staggering 117,649; even more on some newer releases.

Why Megaways design revolutionized slots

To truly understand Megaways slots design and why it took the gaming industry by storm, we have to look back to 2016. An Australian software developer named Big Time Gaming (BTG) released a gold-mining themed title called Bonanza. At the time, standard video slots typically offered 10, 20, or perhaps 243 ways to win across a grid of five reels of equal height.

BTG decided to tear up the rulebook. They patented the Megaways mechanic, creating an unpredictable, high-octane gaming experience where no two spins look exactly alike. One spin might end with two massive symbols on a reel, while the next spin might squeeze seven smaller symbols onto that exact same reel.

The industry response was overwhelming. Players across the world fell in love with the sheer unpredictability of the format. Recognizing they had lightning in a bottle, BTG began licensing their patented engine to other powerhouse software studios, including Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Red Tiger and Blueprint Gaming. Today, the Megaways badge is widely considered the gold standard for high-action, high-volatility slots entertainment.

How do Megaways slots work?

For newcomers who are used to traditional classic slots, staring at a constantly shifting grid can feel a bit like trying to follow a tipped puck in a crowded hockey crease. But once you break down how Megaways slots do work, the underlying mathematics are surprisingly straightforward.

The dynamic reel system

Unlike a standard 5×3 slot grid, a conventional Megaways game features six vertical reels. Every time you press the spin button, the random number generator (RNG) determines how many symbols will land on each individual reel.

• Minimum symbols per reel Typically 2
• Maximum symbols per reel Typically 7

In addition to the main six vertical reels, many Megaways titles feature a horizontal tracker reel (often styled as mining carts or a sliding top row) sitting directly above vertical reels 2, 3, 4 and 5. This extra horizontal row effectively adds one additional symbol to those four middle reels, raising their maximum symbol capacity from six to seven.

Calculating your ways to win

In a Megaways game, you do not need symbols to line up on tracing lines or diagonal patterns. A winning combination is formed whenever matching symbols land on adjacent reels from left to right, starting from the leftmost reel (Reel 1), regardless of where they sit vertically on the reel.

To calculate the exact number of ways to win on any given spin, the game multiplies the number of active symbols on Reel 1 by the number on Reel 2, and so on across all six reels:

Total Ways=R1×R2×R3×R4×R5×R6

If you experience the coldest possible spin where every reel lands only on the minimum of two symbols, your mathematical calculation looks like this:

2×2×2×2×2×2=64 ways to win

However, if the slot gods smile upon you and every single reel expands to its absolute maximum capacity of seven symbols, you hit the iconic ceiling that made these games famous:

7×7×7×7×7×7=117,649 ways to win

Before diving into real-money play, you can test how different symbol combinations multiply your payout paths using ToonieBet’s interactive calculator:

Key insight: Because ways to win multiply exponentially across the grid, adding just a single extra symbol to reels 5 and 6 can instantly transform a modest 10,000-way spin into a massive 50,000-way opportunity.

Comparing Megaways to traditional slots

If you’re trying to decide whether to wager your hard-earned loonies and toonies on a classic three-reel stepper or a modern Megaways release, it helps to see how they stack up side by side. While traditional games offer familiarity and steady, predictable pacing, Megaways titles deliver dynamic variance and layered bonus features.

FEATURE	TRADITIONAL SLOTS	MEGAWAYS SLOTS
Grid Layout	Static grid (usually 3x3 or 5x3)	Dynamic 6-reel grid with shifting heights
Paylines / Ways	Fixed paylines (typically 10 to 50)	Up to 117,649 ways to win (sometimes 200,704+)
Win Mechanics	Exact pattern matching along set lines	Left-to-right adjacent symbol matching
Action	Steady, predictable, single-spin outcomes	Fast-paced chain reactions and cascades
Volatility	Low to medium variance	High to extreme variance
Bonus Multipliers	Fixed multipliers or standard free spins	Unlimited progressive win multipliers

Features that make Megaways unique

While the expanding reel layout is the signature attraction, how to best play megaways slots effectively requires understanding the advanced gameplay mechanics loaded into the engine. When you link these features together, a single spin can transform into an extended payout sequence.

Cascading reels (The avalanche feature)

If you’ve ever played popular candy-matching mobile games, you’re already familiar with the concept behind cascading slots and tumbling reel slots. In a standard video slot, hitting a winning combination pays out your prize and ends the spin immediately. In a Megaways game, a win is only the beginning.

When you land a winning combination, the game pays out your reward and then triggers an avalanche. The winning symbols vanish, leaving empty spaces behind. Gravity takes over, pulling existing symbols down to fill the gaps while brand-new symbols drop from the top of the screen. If these new symbols create another winning combination, the avalanche repeats. This chain reaction continues indefinitely until no new winning combinations are formed, all for the price of a single wagered spin.

Unlimited win multipliers

While cascading reels keep the action moving during the base game, they become downright explosive during free spin bonus rounds thanks to unlimited win multipliers.

In most Megaways bonus games, you start with a 1x win multiplier. Every time you trigger a cascading win reaction, that multiplier increases by +1. Because there’s no cap on how high the multiplier can climb, an extended chain reaction of tumbles can easily push your multiplier to 10x or 20x and beyond. Landing a high-value symbol combination while sitting on a 25x multiplier is where the legendary payout potential of Megaways games shines.

Mystery symbols

To add another layer of suspense, game designers frequently include mystery symbols that are often depicted as question marks, golden shields or closed doors. These special icons can drop randomly across any reel during both base gameplay and as bonus features.

Once the reels stop spinning, the mystery symbols animate and simultaneously transform into the exact same regular pay symbol. If you manage to drop mystery symbols across reels one through five, their transformation can instantly create thousands of matching winning ways in the blink of an eye.

Understanding volatility and RTP in Megaways

Before you start wagering real Canadian dollars, it’s essential to understand the financial engine humming beneath the hood: Return to Player (RTP) and volatility.

RTP represents the theoretical percentage of all wagered money that a slot machine will pay back to players across millions of spins. The vast majority of legitimate Megaways games boast an RTP hovering between 95.5% and 96.5%, which aligns perfectly with industry standards for online casino entertainment.

However, the defining characteristic of the Megaways genre is high volatility (also known as high variance). Think of low-volatility slots like a gentle snowfall, you get frequent, small payouts that keep your bankroll ticking over smoothly. Megaways slots, by contrast, are like a sudden prairie blizzard. You may experience extended dry spells with few significant wins, but when the storm hits via a massive cascading chain reaction or a high-multiplier bonus round, the payouts can be monumental.

Because of this high variance, proper bankroll management is critical. If you normally bet $2 per spin on a standard low-variance slot, you might want to scale your wagers down to $0.60 or $1.00 when playing Megaways. This ensures your bankroll can weather the dry spells until you trigger the lucrative bonus rounds.

Megaways slots pros and cons

Like any style of casino game, the shifting-reel format is not for everyone. Here is an honest look at the advantages and drawbacks to help you decide if they suit your personal playing style.

Advantages

• Massive payout potential With up to 117,649 ways to win and unlimited progressive multipliers, these games offer top prizes that can exceed 20,000x your initial stake.
• Unmatched entertainment value You never know what the next spin will look like. The dynamic reel heights keep visual fatigue at bay.
• Value per spin Thanks to cascading reels, a single wagered $0.50 spin can trigger a chain reaction lasting several minutes and delivering multiple consecutive payouts.

Drawbacks

• High bankroll swing The high volatility means your balance can drop quickly during cold streaks. It takes patience and discipline to play responsibly.
• Visual overload For beginners, tracking thousands of symbols, top tracker carts and exploding cascades can feel chaotic and overwhelming at first glance.
• Bonus reliance In many titles, the base game payouts are kept relatively modest to compensate for the massive payout potential locked inside the free spins multiplier rounds.

The 5 best Megaways slots to play right now

With hundreds of dynamic titles crowding the lobbies of Canadian online casinos, finding the right game can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. Whether you want to browse our complete online casino games catalogue or dive straight in and play slots, this quick-reference guide breaks down the top five Megaways titles dominating the Great White North.

Slot Title	Max Ways to Win	Standout Bonus Feature
Piggy Riches Megaways	117,649	Stacked Mega Wilds with up to 7x multipliers
Gonzo's Quest Megaways	117,649	Earthquake feature replaces low-value symbols with high-paying artifacts
Buffalo King Megaways	200,704	Multiplying wilds that multiply together during free spins stampedes
5 Lions Megaways	200,704	Seven selectable free spin modes with wild multipliers up to 40x
Bonanza Megaways	117,649	Unlimited progressive win multiplier during G-O-L-D free spins

Megaways slots FAQ

1 What’s the easiest way to learn how to win on Megaways slots?

There is no guaranteed strategy or shortcut for how to win on megaways slots, as all outcomes are governed by a certified Random Number Generator (RNG). However, the smartest approach is to practice strict bankroll management. Because these games are highly volatile, lower your cost per spin so you can comfortably survive 100 to 200 base game spins. Your primary objective is to stay in the action long enough to trigger the free spins bonus round, where the increasing multipliers generate the largest payouts.

2 Why do some Megaways slots have 117,649 ways to win while others have 200,704?

The maximum number of winning ways depends entirely on the grid size programmed by the developer. A standard Megaways slot uses 6 reels with up to 7 symbols each (76=117,649). However, some developers will use a modified layout with an extra horizontal tracker row or an expanded 8-symbol reel capacity (8×7×8×8×7×8), which pushes the ceiling up to 200,704 ways to win.

3 Can I play Megaways slots on my phone in Canada?

Absolutely. On the ToonieBet app! Modern software studios develop all Megaways releases using HTML5 technology. Whether you are using an iPhone on the GO train or an Android tablet at the cabin, the dynamic grids and cascading animations scale automatically to fit your touchscreen without sacrificing quality or performance.

4 What’s the Bonus Buy feature found in many Megaways games?

Many international releases include a “Buy Feature” or “Bonus Buy” button, which allows players to pay a flat fee (typically 100x their base stake) to instantly trigger the free spins bonus round without waiting for scatter symbols to land organically. However, depending on your local provincial regulations (such as AGCO rules in Ontario), certain bonus buy features may be disabled or restricted to promote responsible gaming practices.

5 Do cascading reels cost extra money per tumble?

No. When you hit a winning combination and the winning symbols disappear to make room for new ones, that entire cascading chain reaction is covered by your original stake. You could experience 10 consecutive tumbles and collect 10 separate payouts, and it will still only cost you the price of your initial single spin.

 

The content is provided for general informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute betting advice, financial advice, or a recommendation to place any wager. Odds are subject to change. Sports wagering involves risk, and there is no guarantee of success or profit. For Ontario residents, participation in regulated online gaming is restricted to individuals 19 years of age or older. Please play responsibly. If gambling is no longer fun or may be causing harm, support is available through recognized gambling resources like ConnexOntario. Terms and conditions apply where applicable.