Bonanza Megaways app guide

Bonanza Megaways app: how a 117,649-ways slot works on a phone

Bonanza Megaways replaces paylines with ways. Each of the six reels shows between two and seven symbols on any spin, and a horizontal reel above the middle reels adds an extra symbol to each of them. A win needs matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left, in any position. Multiply the symbols showing on each reel and you get the number of ways for that spin, which the game displays on screen. When every reel shows seven, the total reaches 117,649.

The game opens inside casino apps that carry Big Time Gaming titles. It uses HTML5, so nothing extra is installed, and your balance and limits are the same as on the casino’s website.

Big Time Gaming and the Megaways engine

Big Time Gaming was founded in 2011 in Sydney, Australia, and created the Megaways mechanic, which it licenses to other studios. Evolution announced its deal to buy the company in April 2021. Bonanza Megaways, with its gold-mining theme, is one of the studio’s best-known games, alongside Extra Chilli Megaways and White Rabbit Megaways. Our Megaways slots apps page explains how other studios use the engine.

The horizontal reel and 7-symbol columns on a small screen

Tall columns are the main challenge on a phone. When a reel shows seven symbols, each one shrinks to fit, and the horizontal reel along the top adds another strip to read. In portrait, the grid sits in the centre with controls below; on a 6-inch screen the symbols remain identifiable, but small details such as wild markings are easier to spot in landscape.

The ways counter usually sits just above or below the grid. It updates every spin and after each reaction, so it is a quick way to see whether a spin has opened up lots of combinations. Our guide on portrait versus landscape slots helps you decide which suits your phone.

How the ways count is calculated

The number of ways to win is the product of the symbols on each reel. A few examples:

More ways mean more possible combinations, but the stake stays the same, so each individual way is worth less. A high ways count does not mean a spin is more likely to pay well overall; it is part of how the game’s maths spreads outcomes.

Reactions: cascading wins explained

When a win lands, the winning symbols explode and new ones fall into the gaps. If the new symbols create another win, the process repeats. Big Time Gaming calls these reactions; other studios use names such as cascading reels or avalanches. A single paid spin can therefore produce a chain of wins, and you only tap once.

Under UK rules each spin must last at least 2.5 seconds, and reaction animations add to that. A long chain can take several seconds to finish. That is normal, and the result was decided at the start of the spin.

Collecting G-O-L-D for free spins

The free spins round starts when scatter symbols spelling G, O, L and D appear in one spin, including any that arrive during reactions. Landing extra scatters awards more starting spins, and the game’s rules screen lists the exact counts for each combination. A wild symbol can appear on the horizontal reel and substitutes for regular symbols.

Because scatters can fall in during a reaction chain, the bonus sometimes triggers after the reels seem to have settled. Watch the letters along the screen; they light up as each one lands.

The free spins multiplier that keeps climbing

In free spins, every reaction raises a win multiplier by one, and the multiplier does not reset between spins in the round. A bonus with long chains of reactions can therefore build a large multiplier by the final spins. Retriggers are possible by landing scatters again during the round.

This is where most of the game’s value is concentrated, and why its volatility is rated high: many bonuses finish with a small multiplier and a modest total, while a few run much longer.

Playing your first spins in a casino app

1. In your casino app, type ‘Bonanza’ into the search bar. Several Bonanza-named games exist from different studios, so pick the one with the miner and Big Time Gaming as provider.
2. Open the game and wait for the loading screen to finish.
3. Tap the stake control and choose a bet. The app enforces £5 a spin at 25 and over and £2 at 18–24.
4. Open the menu and read the rules, including the RTP of this version and the scatter table.
5. Tap spin and let each reaction chain finish before deciding on the next spin.
6. Check the session figures on screen and stop at the amount you planned.

96.00% RTP and high volatility at UK stakes

The published RTP is 96.00%, so the house edge is 4%. In theory, £100 staked over a very long run returns £96. High volatility means short sessions vary a great deal from that figure: many will end down, some up, and a rare few well up.

Bonanza Megaways also exists in versions with different settings, and published maximum wins differ between them, which is why we list the max win as varying by version. Check the game’s rules screen in your app for the figures that apply. Our volatility entry explains how ratings are set.

UK rules on Megaways slots like Bonanza

• No feature buy for players in Great Britain; free spins come only from scatters.
• Maximum stake £5 per spin at 25 and over, £2 at 18–24.
• At least 2.5 seconds per spin, with reactions adding to that time.
• No autoplay, turbo or slam-stop.
• No win celebration for a return smaller than the stake.
• Demo play only after age verification.

Our guide to UK slot design rules on mobile explains each rule.

Bonanza Megaways compared with other Megaways slots

Gonzo’s Quest Megaways is Red Tiger’s licensed version of the engine. For a fishing twist on Megaways, see Big Bass Bonanza Megaways.

Where to play Bonanza Megaways

Big Time Gaming titles appear in many UKGC-licensed apps, but check the game is in a lobby before depositing. The offers below are 18+ with terms applying and are not tied to this game; for bonus funds, check the eligible games list in the app. Our Megaways free spins apps page explains how spins offers treat Megaways games.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.