Editorial note: this is a general guide to how Bonanza Megaways works. Slot rules, feature availability and RTP can vary between operators and game versions, so always check the in-game information panel before you spin. Slots are games of chance — nothing here is a prediction of results, and no strategy changes the odds.
Bonanza Megaways slot review
Bonanza is the slot that changed the industry. Big Time Gaming’s 2016 mining adventure introduced the Megaways engine — up to 117,649 ways across six reels whose heights change every spin — and an unlimited free-spins multiplier so influential that half of today’s lobbies are built in its image.
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How Bonanza plays
Each reel shows between two and seven symbols, so the ways count is different on every spin, and a horizontal mine-cart reel above the grid adds four more symbols to reels two through five. Wins pay on adjacent reels from the left and then cascade: winning symbols are blasted away and new ones fall in, so one spin can chain several wins. Gem symbols lead the paytable beneath the miners’ dynamite wild.
GOLD scatters and the unlimited multiplier
Spell G-O-L-D across the reels and twelve free spins begin. Inside the round, the win multiplier starts at 1x and increases by one with every cascade — with no cap and no reset for the duration. A long chain of cascades late in the round, with the multiplier in double figures, is where most of the round’s value sits. Three or four scatters during the feature add five or ten extra spins.
RTP, volatility and max win
The RTP of the version you play is shown in the game’s information panel. It can differ between operators and game versions, so check it there before you spin. Volatility is high: many spins return little or nothing, and most of the game’s value sits in the free spins. The original has no fixed advertised cap on wins. All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins etc.) mentioned in relation to this slot game are subject to change at any time.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Bonanza historically important?
It introduced the Megaways engine in 2016 — variable reel heights and up to 117,649 ways — which Big Time Gaming went on to license across the industry.
How do you trigger free spins?
Land the letters G, O, L and D across the reels for twelve free spins, with extra scatters during the round adding more.
How does the multiplier work?
It rises by one with every cascade during free spins, without limit and without resetting, for the entire round.
What is the RTP of Bonanza?
The game’s information panel shows it. RTP can differ between operators and game versions, so check the panel in the version you play.
Related guides
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