The Megaways format was the brainchild of BTG. It was showcased on Bonanza Megaways and was a massive hit, despite huge reservations from industry insiders. BTG CEO Nik Robinson remembers clients telling him: ‘there is no way this is going to catch on, it’s too complicated.’

In fact, Bonanza Megaways transformed BTG, from small scale Aussie outback outfit, into one of the igaming industry’s most important players. Today, the Megaways game engine is licensed by scores of fellow operators. The bendy straw, the biro, the Post-it note, the iPhone, the Zippo. These are all examples of products (straw, pen, paper, phone, lighter) that were tweaked so brilliantly they became iconic. The Megaways format is in the same category: truly, a reinvention of the reel.

Bonanza Megaways Slot – The Look and Feel

Bonanza Megaways Slot - Look and Feel
Bonanza Megaways Slot – Look and Feel

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"The Bonanza Megaways online slot not only came with a new engine when it was launched, the bodywork also looked pretty good"

The Bonanza Megaways online slot not only came with a new engine when it was launched, the bodywork also looked pretty good, with no compromise on quality. There are six vertical reels, with anything from two to seven symbols on each reel.

Across the top of the screen, a mine train adds an extra four symbols horizontally. As the reels hit, the potential number of winning Megaways permutations is revealed: anything from 64 to the magical 117.649.

The reels are set on a rocky cliff face. On one side is (presumably) the miner’s cabin. On the other side, a waterfall powers a mill. It’s all illustrated beautifully; highly detailed, with gems, grass, moss, and rocks. When you spin the reels, the train shoots in and out a tunnel.

This is a collapsing, avalanche-style, game. When you hit a winning combination, of three or more matching adjacent symbols, the rocks crumble and are immediately replaced. This enables multiple wins from a single spin. Visually, the game nails it. The music, however, is pretty manic. This is hillbilly, country, Appalachian blue grass, with added synthesizers, gone wild. Fortunately, it plays only as the reels spin, fading out after each play. It’s great the first time you hear it but, after a few spins, it really starts to grate. The mute button is your friend.

How To Play Bonanza Megaways

Bonanza Megaways is a collapsing-style game. The best outcome is a big juicy avalanche, with multiple wins hitting on a single spin. This outcome is more likely when you max out your potential winning combinations. There are no paylines with this online slot. All you need to win are matching symbols on adjacent reels. If you land three, seven-tier, adjacent reels, you can win several different combos on a single spin. The winning symbols crumble away and are replaced. The key to playing this game is deep reels.

On the main screen, you can set your total bet anywhere from £0.20 a spin to £5. There is also an auto play option. There is no turbo mode but – to be honest – this game doesn’t need it. It’s fast enough, as it is. The game comes with both a wild and a scatter. The wild appears only in the mining cart. The scatter pops up everywhere and is the key to the bonus round – more on this to follow below.

According to its creators BTG, the Bonanza Megaways online slot was created with one eye on the Twitch streaming marketing channel; where players spin reels, live online, as entertainment. With its raucous score and fast-paced action, the game is perfect for broadcast. However, if you are just playing at home, it can be tricky to stay abreast of the action, as the reels collapse, the wins roll in, and it all repeats.

Bonanza Megaways Symbols

Bonanza Megaways Slot Symbols
Bonanza Megaways Slot Symbols

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This is very good-looking online slot and the detailed design is reflected in the quality of the icons. The low value icons are the generic playing card rankings, from nine to ace. The rest of the Bonanza Megaways icons are simply gemstones: emerald, sapphire, ruby, and diamond. The latter is the game’s jackpot; a row of six diamonds nets you 50x your total stake.

The game’s wild is a bundle of dynamite. This substitutes for every symbol, except the scatter. When you hit a wild in a winning line, it explodes and disappears. The final icon to watch out for is the scatter. This comes in the form of ingots of gold, with the letters G.O.L.D. Spell the magic word and you unlock the bonus round.

Graphically, all the icons are on the money: detailed and carefully illustrated. All you have to do is line up the right ones!

Our Verdict

Bonanza Megaways is a little slice of online slot history. It’s a niche field of study, but this is what put both the Megaways game engine and (subsequently) Big Time Gaming on the map. You can see exactly why this game is so popular. It’s busy, exciting, and packed with promise.

In fact, the RTP is 96%; pretty good, but nothing special. The frenetic action, the high-octane soundtrack, and the ever-shifting potential of winning combinations is what makes this 2016 online slot stand out from the crowd. The wild west theme is a cliché, but it’s one that still retains its popularity. If there was a complaint, it is the hectic pace of the action. It’s good to know what you are winning – and why. Sometimes, the Bonanza action is so bombastic it’s hard to keep up. it’s a niggle-level moan about an important game. Go on: dig in and mine that jackpot!

Bonanza Megaways Bonuses

Bonanza Megaways Slot Bonuses
Bonanza Megaways Slot Bonuses

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There several bonus features to play for on the Bonanza Megaways  – and it’s worth taking the time to dig them up.

Bonus Name Bonus Explanation
Reactions Feature

After you spin a success win, any successful symbols are removed by being blasted away. They are then replaced with new symbols and a new payout is created with the new symbols. So, you can expect to see blast after blast until you have no winning combination left.

Free Spins

Who doesn’t love free spins? The scatters are conveniently made up of the letters G.O.L.D and if you get all four of these then you’ll be given free spins – 12 of them to be precise. As we mentioned, if you land another scatter during your free spin, then you will be given another five free spins, which means that you could carry on racking up those free spins for quite some time!

Unlimited Win Multiplier Feature

If this sounds good, then that’s because it is! After an explosion and a payout, a multiplier is applied. It starts at 1x and then increases by 1 after each explosion win. You’ll be pleased to know that there is no limit to this, so the multiplier can keep on going. However, you should keep an eye on the bars of gold which you will see in the carts above the reels. If you get three bars of gold, then you will get five free spins and if you get four of them, then this will give you ten free spins – the possibilities are endless!

Bonanza Megaways Slot FAQs

Yes, it is possible to play Bonanza Megaways for free as you can play the demo game.

As Bonanza Megaways is considered to be a medium to high variance slot game, you can expect to have a maximum win per free spin of 26,000 x your stake.

The Bonanza Megaways slot has a payout percentage of 96%.

Yes, there are many other Megaways slots to choose from at Casino Kings. You will find the likes of Rainbow Riches, Cops ‘n’ Robbers and Hell’s Kitchen.

About the Author

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Paul Cullen

Paul Cullen is an online gambling industry veteran, with more than 25 years in the sector. After an early career in journalism, Cullen took a marketing role at the world’s first online sportsbook: Intertops.com. Since then, he has worked at dozens of online gaming businesses, been held at gunpoint, seen his boss arrested, and was witness to the Absolute Poker cheating scandal.

Reviewer since April, 2023

Bonanza Megaways Slot Details

👨‍💻 Developer
blank
📅 Released
2016
✅ Paylines
117,649
🎰 Reels
6
🔽 Min Bet
0.20
🔼 Max Bet
20.00
🔽 Min Coins
0.02
🔼 Max Coins
20
📈 RTP
96%
🏆 Jackpot
200,000
Rate This Game:
(7 Votes)

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