What is Megaways?
Megaways is a slot mechanic created by Australian studio Big Time Gaming in which the number of symbols on each reel changes every spin, giving up to 117,649 ways to win.
Big Time Gaming introduced the mechanic in its slot Dragon Born, released in February 2016. On a standard six-reel Megaways game, each reel can show between two and seven symbols on any spin. The number of ways to win is the product of the symbols on each reel, so six reels of seven symbols give 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7, or 117,649 ways.
Winning combinations need matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right, as in other ways-to-win slots. Many Megaways games also use cascading reels, where winning symbols disappear and new ones drop in, plus multipliers that grow during free spins.
Big Time Gaming patented the mechanic and licensed it to many other studios, which made Megaways one of the most widely copied formats in online slots. The games are generally high volatility.