Megaways Glossary
Every term you will meet playing Megaways slots, in plain English — from ways to win to RTP versions and the unlimited multiplier.
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117,649
The maximum ways to win on a standard six-reel Megaways slot, reached when every reel lands its full seven symbols (7⁶). The rare ceiling, not a typical spin.
Big Time Gaming (BTG)
The Australian studio that invented Megaways and launched it on Bonanza in 2016. It licenses the mechanic to other studios. See history of Megaways.
Bonus buy
A feature on some Megaways slots letting you pay to trigger the bonus round instantly. Subject to UK rules and best approached with caution. See bonus buy explained.
Cluster of studios
Megaways is made under licence by many developers — BTG, Pragmatic Play, Blueprint, Red Tiger and more — each with its own style. See the studios behind Megaways.
Demo mode
Free play of a slot with virtual credits, useful for learning a Megaways title before staking real money. See Megaways free play.
Deposit limit
A cap you set on how much you can pay in over a day, week or month. The simplest way to stay in control when playing high-volatility Megaways slots.
Free spins (bonus round)
The Megaways feature round, usually triggered by scatters, where the unlimited multiplier and reactions combine to produce the biggest wins.
GAMSTOP
The free UK national self-exclusion scheme that blocks you from all UKGC-licensed online gambling for a chosen period. See responsible gambling.
House edge
The casino's built-in mathematical advantage, the inverse of RTP. It is why a casino profits over time even though its games are fair.
Max win
The largest possible payout on a slot, often expressed as a multiple of stake (e.g. 50,000x). Genuine but extraordinarily rare on high-volatility Megaways slots — never a target.
Megaways
A slot mechanic by Big Time Gaming where each of six reels shows a random number of symbols every spin, giving a variable number of ways to win — up to 117,649. See what are Megaways slots.
RNG
Random number generator — the certified software that produces an unpredictable result for each spin. At licensed casinos it is independently tested and cannot be altered.
RTP
Return to Player — the share of stakes a slot returns over the long run. A 96% RTP slot returns £96 per £100 staked on average. Many Megaways slots have several RTP versions. See Megaways RTP explained.
RTP version
Many Megaways slots are released in multiple RTP versions (e.g. 96.5%, 95%, 94%); the casino chooses which to run, so the same slot can pay differently in different places.
Reactions
Also called cascades, avalanches or tumbles — winning symbols are removed and new ones drop in, allowing chained wins from one spin. See reactions explained.
Stake limit
The statutory cap on online slot stakes: £5 per spin for over-25s, £2 for 18–24-year-olds, in force since 2025 — and a sensible guardrail given Megaways volatility.
UKGC
The UK Gambling Commission — the statutory regulator that licenses all gambling in Great Britain. Only play Megaways slots at a casino on its register.
Unlimited multiplier
A win multiplier in many Megaways free-spins rounds that climbs with each reaction and does not reset between spins, driving the biggest wins.
Volatility
How a slot pays out. Most Megaways slots are high-volatility — large wins rarely rather than small wins often. See volatility explained.
Ways to win
How Megaways slots pay: matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left win, regardless of position. The count changes every spin with the reel heights. See ways to win explained.