Bonanza Megapays™

Bonanza Megapays™ Slot Review

Slot Provider: Big Time Gaming

RTP: 96.4% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 17,926x

Our Score: 8.8

Play at Casumo Casino
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About Bonanza Megapays™

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 26th September 2022

How We Review Slot Games

We test and rate all slot games across 5 criteria, assigning a score out of 10 for each and an overall score that is an average of the 5. To build an accurate assessment of each game we gather information from the supplier and play in real play or demo mode. Find out more.

Bonanza from Big Time Gaming is a slot that needs no introduction. It is one of the few slots that can genuinely be called a ‘game changer’. It was the first Megaways™ title to go ballistic and it hasn’t looked back since its release in 2018. It remains one of the greatest slots of all time and always appears in the ‘Most Popular’ games list at all UK slot sites. The electric mix of win reactions, free spins and progressive multipliers has a kind of alchemy about it that blasted BTG into stratosphere. Which is appropriate for a game about mining gold!

And now Sydney’s finest have taken this slot one step further by adding their own Progressive Jackpot bonus feature to the game. In fact, this was the first BTG slot to run with the Megapays™ prizes back in June 2021. There are four levels of JP from Mini (seeded at £100) up to Mega (seeded at £300,000).

In this review we are going to tell you how to play the game and what is required to unlock those stunning payouts. We’ll also offer you a few alternative Megapays™ titles to try and show you the best slot sites where they are available.

Bonanza Megapays™ Game Information

  • RTP: 96.4%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 17,926x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 6
  • Rows: 2 to 7
  • Paylines: 117,649
  • Minimum Stake: £0.20
  • Theme: Mining
  • Features: Reaction Wins, Free Spins, Progressive Multipliers, Megapays™ Jackpots

What We Liked

  • Huge progressive jackpots
  • Progressive multipliers and free spins
  • Reaction wins on all winning spins
  • Classic Megaways™ gameplay
  • Big top win in main game too

What We Didn't like

  • Might be too high variance for some
  • Tough to unlock those big prizes

Bonanza Megapays™ Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 8
  • RTP and Variance 8
  • Maximum Win 10
  • Symbols and Paytable 9
  • Features and Gameplay 9

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"Awesome! The greatest slot gets the Megapays™ treatment and just got even bigger and better!"

Overall Score: 8.8

RTP and Variance

Our Score 8

What is RTP?

RTP (Return to Player) refers to the amount a game will pay out in cash prizes expressed as a percentage of all the money wagered on that game. For example, a 96% RTP means a game will pay out £96 for every £100 wagered. This is an average number and will vary from one session to the next.  Read more here.

What is Variance?

Variance refers to how far a game will deviate from its RTP over time. High variance games deviate a lot and produce uneven win distributions and unexpected windfalls. Low variance games provide a more stable and even distribution of wins. Read more here.

Once again, the maths on Bonanza Megapays™ is built for the high-risk slots players out there. It’s a tough one. Here are the key facts from the game info sheet:

  • RTP on Bonanza Megapays™ is 96.4%.
  • The variance is rated 4/5 by Big Time Gaming.
  • The top win (excluding the JPs) is higher than the original at 17,926x.
  • Spins are from 20p per play.

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 9

There is no difference in the paytable between this and the original Bonanza game. Here are the highlights:

  • As we know, Bonanza Megapays™ plays on a 6-reel grid with between 2 and 7 rows per reel. There is an additional 4×1 reel set above reels 2 to 5. The variation in rows means the number of paylines changes on every spin up to a maximum of 117,649.
  • You’ll need 3 or more identical symbols in any position on adjacent reels to trigger a win.
  • Low payers are the cards, 9 through to Ace. Ace pays out 1.75x for 6 on a payline.
  • Premiums are the gemstones in red, green and blue and the diamond. The red pays out 7.5x for six on a line. The diamond pays out 50x for six on a line.
  • The Gold Bars are the scatters, each one with a letter on it – G, O, L or D. To trigger free spins you’ll need to spell the word completely on one spin!
  • There are also Dynamite Wilds. These sub in for all other symbols to form wins.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 9

If you know Bonanza slot well, then you will be totally at home with the Megapays™ version – the features and gamplay work exactly the same, except with the Megapays™ feature bolted on. Let’s recap for those that don’t know.

Avalanche Wins or Reel Reaction

At the heart of Bonanza slot is the Avalanche Wins or Reel Reaction mechanic that ties in with a Progressive Multiplier in the free spins round. After every win, winning symbols are removed, and new ones drop in to replace them – this process repeats until no more wins occur.

Free Spins and Progressive Multipliers

The goal here is to unlock the free spins round. This is achieved by landing FOUR gold bars to spell the word G-O-L-D. Beware – many a frustrating session has been had by slots fans trying to unlock that devilishly tricky final ‘D’!

12 free spins are awarded, and 5 or 10 more for hitting 3 or 4 more scatters during the free spins.

The fun part is that a win multiplier is in play and increases by 1x for EVERY winning cascade or reaction that occurs. This is where the dramatic win sequences unfold as reaction after reaction occurs, the multiplier gets bigger and bigger and the payouts get epic!

Megapays™ Jackpots

Of course, the action doesn’t stop there. There are FOUR Megapays™ jackpots to play for two, in a bonus feature that triggers at RANDOM at any point in the game.

The feature plays out on a 6 reel and 7 row grid where one symbol from the paytable becomes the Megapays™ symbol. Every Megapays™ symbol that lands is added to a meter at the bottom of the screen and one extra spin is awarded. To trigger one of the four jackpots you must collect the following number of Megapays™ symbols:

  • Mini Jackpot (from £100) – 4 to 7 symbols
  • Midi Jackpot (from £1,500) – 8 to 11 symbols
  • Major Jackpot (from £20,000) – 12 to 14 symbols
  • Mega Jackpot (from £300,000) – 15+ symbols

NOTE: the round ends when no more Megapays™ symbols land. There is no guarantee of winning a prize – you may land less than 4 symbols.

More Games Like Bonanza Megapays™ Slot

If you like Bonanza Megapays™ you should try these too. Both games offer an alternative to the standard Megaways™ game format.

Who Wants To Be a Millionaire Megapays™ – If you want something with a bigger jackpot in the main game, then this is a great option for you. It pays out at 73,310x with the same number of paylines – up to 117,649 and a 96.38% RTP. There are also some fun features from the TV show as well – Hot Seat Free Spins Gamble with Phone a Friend and Ask the Audience.

The Great Pigsby Megapays™ – Another BTG classic given the Megapays™ treatment is The Great Pigsby. Top win (excluding JPs) is 20,000x and the RTP is 96.19%. It also has a top payout (excluding JP) of 20,000x and runs on a 96.19% RTP. Additional features are Re-Spins and Wild Re-Spins.

Bonanza Slot Megapays Paytable

Where to Play Bonanza Megapays™ – Further Recommendations

Here are two slot sites we recommend to play Bonanza Megapays™ at:

Casumo – one of our favourite slot sites of all time is Casumo, home to over 2,000 slots and offering a sign-up bonus with 20 free spins on Book of Dead. You can spin on the full BTG game catalogue as well as titles from No Limit City, NetEnt and many more. Casumo is fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and comes with Paypal deposits as well as Visa and Mastercard.

Spin Rio – if you want a bit of Latin Samba with your slots play then head on over to Spin Rio, an Aspire Global casino with over 700 slots and 100 NetEnt free spins for new players. Alongside BTG’s Megapays™ games you’ll also find slots from Microgaming, Relax Gaming and ELK Studios.

The Final Verdict

This slot is a no-brainer for fans of BTG and high variance slots play. Bonanza is an all time great, and now you can play it with the chance to land an even greater jackpot of over £300,000. Keep in mind that is the seed level and we can expect multi million GBP payouts in the future. Aside from that, the gameplay is just as it is in the original and we will never tire of those frenetic progressive multipliers win sequences with reaction wins. So, go fill your boots and enjoy Bonanza again, this time with top payouts on steroids!

Who Made Bonanza Megapays™?

  • Name: Big Time Gaming
  • Established: 2011
  • UK License: 38696
  • Total Games: 55 +
  • Known For: Inventing Megaways, super volatile slots, high max payout slots, rock n roll soundtracks
  • Popular Slots: Bonanza Megaways, Max Megaways, Outlaw, Danger! High Voltage
Find More Big Time Gaming slots

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