A Megaways slot promises up to 117,649 ways to win. That number does a lot of marketing work, and it describes something real, but it does not describe what most players assume it describes.
Here is where the figure comes from, what it actually tells you, and which crypto casinos carry titles built on the engine.
Where 117,649 Comes From
Big Time Gaming built the mechanic and launched it with Bonanza in December 2016. The studio now sits inside Evolution and holds licences from the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority.
It licenses the engine to other developers, which is why hundreds of Megaways titles exist across studios that had nothing to do with inventing it.
The arithmetic behind the headline number takes about a minute to follow.
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Six reels, changing height. Every spin, each reel independently shows somewhere between two and seven symbols. The grid is a different shape each time you press the button.
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Multiply the reel heights together. That product is the number of ways. Two symbols on all six reels gives 64 ways. Seven on all six gives 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7.
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Which comes to 117,649. Seven to the sixth power. The engine cannot produce more, and it only reaches that figure when all six reels land at full height simultaneously, which happens rarely.
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Wins run left to right on adjacent reels. Matching symbols pay if they appear anywhere on consecutive reels starting from the first. Vertical position is irrelevant, and that is what makes the ways structure work at all.
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Cascades chain further wins. Winning symbols disappear, new ones fall into the spaces, and any fresh combination pays again. One paid spin can produce a run of them.
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Some titles add a horizontal reel. Bonanza runs an extra row above the middle reels that contributes symbols to the count, and in that game it is the only place wilds turn up.
More Ways Does Not Mean Better Odds
This is the part the number implies and the maths does not support.
Studios calibrate the paytable against the ways count.
A game offering 117,649 ways pays proportionally less per matching combination than a twenty-payline slot, which is why Bonanza's published return sits at 96%, squarely average, and why Megaways titles across studios cluster in the same range as ordinary slots.
So the figure tells you the grid reshapes and that wins can form in many configurations. It does not tell you the game returns more, because it does not return more.
Treat 117,649 as a ceiling, not a per-spin constant. Most spins produce a small fraction of it.
The Return Lives in the Bonus
Megaways titles run high volatility, and the structure explains why.
Cascades and variable reels produce reasonably frequent small hits during base play. One analysis of Bonanza records hit frequency near 37%, roughly one win every two and a half spins, which sounds generous until you notice most of those wins land below the stake.
The substantial money sits in free spins, where cascading combines with an increasing multiplier that many titles leave uncapped. Each cascade during the round lifts the multiplier, so a long chain escalates quickly. Base play funds that feature, which is the textbook shape of a high-variance slot.
Bonanza triggers its round on four G-O-L-D scatters for twelve free spins, adding five more per additional scatter.
Versions Differ, So Check the Panel
A caution that applies across the whole format.
Reported maximum wins for the same Megaways title vary considerably between sources and builds. Return figures differ between titles too: White Rabbit is commonly listed near 97.24% and reaches 248,832 ways in some versions, while Extra Chilli often appears around 96.82%.
The figures that apply to you are the ones in the game's own information panel at the casino you opened, not the ones on a comparison page, and returns are configured by the studio with the operator choosing which build to run.
Five Crypto Casinos Carrying Megaways Titles
Each of these lists the format, with the studio behind it noted where it matters.
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Dexsport carries Big Time Gaming among its slot providers, meaning the format appears at source and not only through licensees. Its catalogue filters by feature, so Megaways titles surface without opening games individually, and demo versions across much of the library let the reel-height variation and cascade chains be watched before staking. The platform is non-custodial and runs under an Anjouan licence, lighter than Curacao or Malta.
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Stake carries Megaways content alongside a large slot catalogue and its own originals suite, with balances held by the operator between sessions.
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BC.Game lists the format within a substantial library built over years of trading under Curacao licensing, with wide coin support at the cashier.
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Vave offers Megaways titles from established studios, with multi-coin funding and a narrower overall catalogue than the platforms above.
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Mega Dice draws on around 50 providers across its wider library, with Telegram-native access for players who prefer it.
Provider range is the thing to check here, since a casino without Big Time Gaming or one of its licensees carries no Megaways at all, whatever the slot count says. Which studios a lobby signs decides what appears in it.
Playing the Format Knowingly
Megaways is a genuine piece of slot engineering: a grid that reshapes every spin, wins that chain through cascades, and a free spins multiplier that can escalate without a ceiling.
Read the headline number as a description of structure, expect long stretches without the feature, and check the return figure on the specific build in front of you.
Confirm what is legal where you live, keep stakes within a set budget, and play only if you are of legal age, since KYC or AML checks may apply.
Responsible gambling matters with high-variance formats, where a long run without the bonus can feel like a game building toward something, when the distribution is simply behaving as designed.
Disclaimer: The information here is provided for general purposes only and is not legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. Return figures, maximum wins and mechanics vary by title, version and operator, so consult each game's published information before playing. Betting carries risk, and rules vary by country, so check the law where you live. Please gamble responsibly, within your means, and only if you are of legal age.
