Bonanza Megaways™ Slot Review


NOTE: Screenshots on this page were taken whilst we played this game for real money at Casumo Casino
Game Scorecard
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.Overall Score
8.6We recommend this site to play Bonanza Megaways™
8.7


Opt-in required. 20 Bonus Spins on “Book of Dead” and 100% Deposit Bonus up to £25 on first deposit. Min deposit £10. 30x wagering requirement for Bonus Spins and 30x wagering requirement for Deposit Bonus (game weighting applies). Max £5/spin or £0.50/line or £10/round (live casino). 30 days expiry. T&C’s Apply. Please gamble responsibly • www.begambleaware.org
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Game Information
- Name: Bonanza Megaways™
- Game Suppplier: Big Time Gaming
- Release Date: December 2016
- RTP: 96%
- Variance: High
- Maximum Win: 26,000x
- Progressive Jackpot: No
- Minimum Stake: £0.20
- Reels: 6
- Rows: Up to 7
- Paylines: Up to 117, 649
- Features: Cascading Wins, Free Spins, Multpliers, Expanding Reels
We've Picked These Slot Sites Where You Can Play Bonanza Megaways™
7.8


18+ new players only. Minimum deposit: £20. Maximum £100 bonus. Max bet with an active bonus: £2. Wagering requirement 100% match bonus: 30 times sum of deposit + bonus. Max redeemable from welcome bonus: £500. 100 Free Spins are given out 20 per day on Book of Dead for 5 days in a row, log in each day is required. Max Free Spins winnings: £100. Winnings from Free Spins are credited as bonus money with a wagering requirement of 45 times. Free Spins expire after 3 days. Some games may not be played with a bonus. Games may contribute differently when wagering a bonus. Play Responsibly!
7.2


New customers only. Register with code GAMES100. Deposit and stake £10 or more, within 7 days, on Slots at Betfred Games to receive 100 Free Spins on selected titles. Free Spins credited within 48 hours. Free Spins are valid for 7 days. E-Wallet & Card restrictions apply. SMS validation may be required.
7.2


Max bet limitations per spin apply. 35x wagering requirements apply (i.e the bonus x35). Higher wagering requirements may be applied depending on the games played.
7.6


Welcome package includes 3 deposit bonuses as follows: First Deposit: 100% up to £50 + 20 Spins on Starburst *Min. Deposit £10 Second Deposit: 50% up to £75 *Min. Deposit £20 Third Deposit: 50% up to £75 *Min. Deposit £20 After first deposit made, customers will get + 20 Spin for the next 4 days: 1st day after First Deposit: 20 Spins of Finn and the Swirly Spin 2nd day after First Deposit: 20 Spins of Book of Dead 3rd day after First Deposit: 20 Spins of VIP Black 4th day after First Deposit: 20 Spins of Aloha! Cluster Pays Winnings won with spins that require deposit, have to be wagered 35x. Bonuses that require deposit, have to be wagered 35x.
8.2


New players only, only one offer per player, min deposit £10, max bonus £5, 1st deposit offer is 100% up to £100 + 25 bonus spins on Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst. Spins expire after 10 days, funds after 30 days. Bonus funds separate to cash, wagering requirements of 35x deposit + bonus apply.
7.5


New players only. One offer per player. Min Dep £10. Max bonus bet £5. 1st Dep offer is 100% up to £100 + 100 Bonus spins on selected slots. Spins expire after 10 days, funds after 30 days. Bonus funds separate to Cash. Wager Req of 35x Deposit + Bonus apply.
7.4


18+. New players only. Min. deposit £20. Max. bonus bet is £5. Bonus spins on selected games only and must be used within 72 hours. Winnings from Bonus spins credited as bonus funds and capped at £20. Bonus funds expire in 30 days, unused bonus funds will be removed. Welcome Offer is 100% match up to £300 plus 60 Extra Spins on your 1st deposit. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 40x wagering the total bonus & cash. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. Affordability checks apply.
7.0


*Terms and Conditions apply. New players only.18+.Min deposit £20. 40x wagering applies to a match-up bonus. Offer valid for 1 week. 50 Spins on Starburst. 40x wagering applies to Spins. Please gamble responsibly.
7.9


18+. New players only. Min deposit £10. Bonus funds are 121% up to £100. Bonus funds are separate to cash funds and subject to 35x wagering requirement. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. £5 bonus max bet. Bonus funds must be used within 30 days, spins within 10 days. Affordability checks apply.
8.4


This offer is only available for first time depositors. Min deposit is £10. 50 Free Spins on Book of Dead. Spin Value: £0.10. After your first deposit you may claim your 30 Extra Free Spins by visiting the Kicker Section. No min withdrawal. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. This offer is only available for specific players that have been selected by PlayOJO. OJO’s Rewards and Game Play policy applies. 18+| BeGambleAware| Full T&Cs Apply
7.5


Minimum deposit £10. Qualifying customers will receive 20 free spins on Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Catch game. Free spins will be added to the account immediately and be available as soon as the game is launched. The maximum stake per free spin bet is 10p. Free spins must be used within 48 hours of qualifying. Any remaining spins in your account after 48 hours will be removed. Offer excludes customers based in Northern Ireland.
8.6


New players only, First 3 deposits only, min deposit £10, max total bonus £500 and 150 spins, 30x wagering (bonus + deposit), 30x on spins, 4x conversion, bonus and spins valid on selected conversion.
7.4


18+ new players only. Maximum £50 bonus. Minimum deposit: £20. Deposit Bonus wins are capped at £500. Max bet with active bonus: £2. Wagering requirement 100% match deposit bonus: 30 times sum of deposit + bonus. Winnings from Free Spins are credited as Real Money without wagering requirement. Some games may not be played with an active bonus. Games may contribute differently when wagering a bonus. Deposit Bonus expires after 30 days if wagering requirement has not been met. Free Spins expire after 3 days. One bonus allowed per person, address, device, IP. www.begambleaware.org. Full bonus terms apply
7.7


Welcome bonus for new players only | Maximum bonus is 100% up to £100 | Min. deposit is £10 | No max cash out | Wagering is 40x bonus | Maximum bet with an active bonus is £5 | Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse | Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded for welcome bonus | Cashback when offered, applies to deposits where no bonus is included | Cashback is cash with no restrictions |
7.6


18+. New players only. One offer per player. Max bonus bet £5. Offer: 100% bonus match on 1st deposit + bonus spins. Value of bonus & number of spins depend on deposit amount: £20-£100: max £100 bonus + 50 spins on selected games; £101-£200: max £200 bonus + 100 spins on selected games; or £200+: max £300 bonus + 150 spins on eligible NetEnt Games. Winnings from spins credited as bonus and capped at £100. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 35x wagering the total bonus & cash. Only bonus funds contribute to wagering requirement. Bonus funds expire within 30 days; bonus spins within 72hrs. Affordability checks apply.
8.6


New customers only. First three deposit only. Min Deposit £ 10. max total bonus £ 400 and 175 spins. 30x bonus wagering (deposit + bonus), 30x spins wagering, 4x conversion. Selected slots only.
7.5


*18+ Applies only to new depositing players. Minimum deposit: £10. 35x Wagering requirement applies to match up bonus. Spins credited in specific games. Spins expire after 24 hours. Wagering requirement applies to spins. Terms and Conditions apply. Please play responsibly. begambleaware.org #AD
6.5


18+. For new and existing customers. See site for full details.
7.3


1st dep only (min £10), max bonus £500, valid 7 days, on selected slots; 40x wagering on the sum of deposit & bonus applies. Max convertible to real is 5x bonus amount received bonus & wins for selected slots only.
7.8


18+ new players only. Maximum £50 bonus. Minimum deposit: £20. Deposit Bonus wins are capped at £500. Max bet with active bonus: £2. Wagering requirement 100% match deposit bonus: 30 times sum of deposit + bonus. Winnings from Free Spins are credited as Real Money without wagering requirement. Some games may not be played with an active bonus. Games may contribute differently when wagering a bonus. Deposit Bonus expires after 30 days if wagering requirement has not been met. Free Spins expire after 3 days. One bonus allowed per person, address, device, IP.
7.0


First-time depositors only (18+ country restrictions apply). Min deposit: £10. Max offer: £20 Games Bonus & 100 Free Spins (on a game of our choice). Promo code: SPINIT. Any Games Bonus winnings, if applicable, must be wagered 60x before withdrawal. Any Free Spins winnings, if applicable, will be credited as bonus funds and capped at £10. FS are valid for 7 days and any winnings must be wagered 40x before withdrawal. Games Bonus win cap: £100 + original bonus amount. Wagering contribution varies by game. We reserve the right to deny bonuses based on abusive bonus activity across sites operated by the Company. Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time (UK only). General withdrawal restrictions & full T&Cs apply. Valid until 31.12.2021
9.0


18+, New players only. Min deposit £10. 20 Bonus Spins valid on Book of Dead. Bonus funds are 100% up to £100. Bonus funds + spin winnings are separate to cash funds and subject to 35x wagering requirement. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. £5 bonus max bet. Bonus funds must be used within 30 days, spins within 10 days. Affordability checks apply.
8.4


18+. New players only. Min deposit £10. 22 Bonus Spins valid on Starburst. Bonus funds are 100% up to £100. Bonus funds + spin winnings are separate to cash funds and subject to 35x wagering requirement. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. £5 bonus max bet. Bonus funds must be used within 30 days, spins within 10 days. Affordability checks apply
7.3


18+. New players only. Min. deposit £10. Bonus: 1st deposit 100% up to £300 + 30 bonus spins (Reactoonz™), 2nd deposit 50% up to £500 + 50 bonus spins (Book of Dead™), 3rd deposit 25% up to £200 + 20 bonus spins (Legacy of Egypt™). Spins on specified games only. Bonus money is separate to Cash funds & subject to 35x wagering requirement. £5 bonus max. bet. Bonus must be used within 30 days, spins within 10 days, otherwise any unused will be removed. Only bonus funds contribute towards wagering requirements.
7.9


18+, First Deposit Only. Min. deposit: £10, max. Bonus £50. Game: Book of Dead, Spin Value: £0.10. WR of 30x Deposit + Bonus amount and 60x Free Spin winnings amount (only Slots count) within 30 days. Max bet is 10% (min £0.10) of the Free Spin winnings and bonus amount or £5 (lowest amount applies). Free Spins must be used before deposited funds. First Deposit/Welcome Bonus can only be claimed once every 72 hours across all Casinos. Bonus Policy applies.
7.5


1st dep. of £20-£300, max bonus £300 on selected slots, 50x wagering on the sum of deposit & bonus applies. Max convertible 5x bonus amount received and T&C’s Apply.
7.4


Offer valid upon 4 deposits. 1st deposit: 50% up to £50 + 50 extra spins in Starburst, 2nd deposit: 30 extra spins in Book of Dead. 3rd deposit: 30 extra spins in Fire Joker, 4th deposit: 50% up to £50 + 40 extra spins in Gonzo’s Quest. 35x wagering applies.
7.5


18+, Welcome Bonus for New Players Only, Maximum bonus is 100% up to £100, Min deposit is £20, No max cashout, Wagering is 35x bonus, Maximum bet while playing with a bonus is £5, Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse, cashback is cash with no restrictions, Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded, Cashback applies to deposits where no bonus is included.
8.0


New Customers Only, 50x wagering, £10 Min Deposit, £100 Max Bonus, Game Contribution and eligibility vary, 10p to £5 bet range, £500 max redemption, New players only, Limited Time Offer, Valid 7 Days.
8.2


18+. New Players only. One bonus offer per player. Min deposit £10. Max bonus bet £5. Bonus funds expire within 30 days & bonus spins within 10 days. Spins valid on Starburst only. 1st dep: 100% up to £300 & 100 spins, 2nd dep: 75% up to £300 & 75 spins, 3rd dep: 50% up to £300 & 50 spins, 4th dep: 25% up to £300 & 25 spins, 5th dep: 100% up to £100. The 100 spins on 1st dep are credited at a rate of 25 spins per day over 4 days. Bonus spins winnings credited as bonus funds & capped at £50. For the 1st dep offer, this winning cap shall be applied to each set of 25 spins. Bonus funds separate to Cash funds, 35x wagering.
8.7


Opt-in required. 20 Bonus Spins on “Book of Dead” and 100% Deposit Bonus up to £25 on first deposit. Min deposit £10. 30x wagering requirement for Bonus Spins and 30x wagering requirement for Deposit Bonus (game weighting applies). Max £5/spin or £0.50/line or £10/round (live casino). 30 days expiry. T&C’s Apply. Please gamble responsibly • www.begambleaware.org
8.6


18+, New Customers Only, Minimum Deposit £10, Bonus spins are valid on Fruit Shop only and subject to a 35x wagering requirement, and must be used within 10 days, otherwise any unused bonus spins will be removed. Bonus funds are 100% up to £100 and separate to cash funds. 35x bonus wagering requirements and only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. £5 max bet with bonus funds. Bonus must be used within 30 days otherwise any unused bonus will be removed.
7.8


New customers only. Min deposit £20. Wagering 40x bonus. Max bet £5 with bonus funds. 100% bonus up to £100. Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse. No max cash out on deposit offers. Welcome bonus excluded for players depositing with Skrill or Neteller. Full T&Cs apply18+ Please Gamble Responsibly. Click ‘Claim Bonus’ to view the full terms and conditions.
About Bonanza Megaways™
Check out the ‘Top 10’ listing of games at any of your favourite slot sites right now and you are likely to find Big Time Gaming’s legendary Bonanza Slot in there somewhere. It is one of the most famous slots of all time and one of the early proponents of the Megaways™ game engine that was little-known back in December 2016 when it first started but now threatens to challenge the standard game formats of the online slots world.
In many ways Bonanza is the quintessential Big Time Gaming slot, bringing together all the very best aspects of their extraordinary gaming experience – you’ve got the expanding reels that drop anything from two to seven symbols on any given spin, up to 117,649 paylines active at one time, a super-charged variance that makes for massive peaks and troughs in the distribution of payouts, Avalanche Reels with multipliers, and a Free Spins round with re-triggers where the multipliers keep progressing even between Cascades.
Anyone who has played this game for any length of time and finally scored a big win will tell you that this is what high-risk slots play at its best is all about. And it’s this intuitive understanding of what makes a great slots experience that led Big Time Gaming to crack the mainstream in such a big way.
In this review we will take you through the maths model, including the RTP, variance and potential payouts, as well as explaining how the features work and what you need to do to trigger the big wins.
What We Liked
- Quirky gold mining theme
- Megaways with up to 117,649 paylines
- Unlimited multipliers
- Free spins re-triggers
- Crazy win sequences
What We Didn't like
- High volatility makes this a risky play
About The Developer
- Name: Big Time Gaming
- Established: 0000-00-00
- UK License: 038696-R-320048-006
- Total Games:
- Known For:
- Popular Slots:
RTP and Variance 8/10
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.Let’s start with the maths then, remembering that Bonanza Megaways™ is on the very top end of high variance and definitely not for the feint hearted. You can read more about what variance means in this guide, but in short, this slot is best suited to higher rollers and those who enjoy the thrill of high-risk games with long odds and big jackpots. The win distribution will generally be very uneven, with lots of relatively dry sessions with little return on your wager before a short sharp peak of wins, always delivered through cumulative avalanches with multipliers in the free spins round. We’ll explain how that works in the features part of this review.
For those with a taste for the RTP, this stat sits at 96% for Bonanza which is bang on average for an online slot. Meanwhile the 20p minimum bet is reasonable, whilst also setting the tone for a game that requires deep pockets to get the best out of it. The hit rate is advertised by BTG as 37.47% which means roughly a little over a third of all spins will trigger a win of some kind.
And finally, if you want to chase the 26,000x stake top payout, you’ll need to open up more paylines through the Megaways™ expanding reels feature explained below, trigger the free spins and hit some Progressive Multipliers! Easy, right?!
Paytable 9/10
Bonanza offers a packed game screen when you first load it up. The base game is played on a mountainside with a waterfall, greenery and a little hut in the foreground, while the Free Spins round transports you to an underground setting for more visual excitement. There are 6 standard reels with varying rows of symbols from two to seven high on each spin. There is also a horizontal reel running along the top of the screen to improve your potential winning combinations.
The symbols in Bonanza include high cards, the gold-plated letters G, O, L and D, and precious gemstones – an amethyst, emerald, ruby and sapphire. The lower payouts come from the high cards, while the gemstones offer the higher rewards. The best-paying symbol is the amethyst which can award 50x your bet for 6 of a kind.
The horizontal reel running along the top of the screen also contains symbols held in wooden carts, which sit above reels 2 to 5. These symbols include the same as the symbols on the main reels, while you’ll also find some Wild Symbols here, waiting to substitute and create more winning combinations.
Gameplay & Features 10/10
Whilst known for the quality of its gameplay, Bonanza is in fact a pretty simple slot and once you’ve played in a few times, like us you will become very familiar with the patterns of spins, avalanches, the rare bonus round triggers and the adrenaline rush of those progressive multipliers. It’s not as feature packed as some of the more recent high variance game rolled out by rivals like No Limit City, but it doesn’t need to be. It does enough with what it’s got.
Now, here is how those features work.
Megaways™
This slot is played with the Megaways mechanic, which pushes the paylines up to a potential 117,649, giving an enormous number of ways to win. Bonanza was one of the first slots to use this mechanic, making it an innovative leader in the slot world.
Why 117,649? There are 6 reels, each potentially containing up to 7 rows of symbols. As wins are created by landing identical symbols ANYWHERE on adjacent reels, regardless of position so the win ways is simply calculated as 7x7x7x7x7x7.
Tumbling or Avalanche Reels
The Megaways feature combines with the Tumbling Reels to create monster payout opportunities. Whenever you hit a winning combination, all winning symbols disappear to be replaced by new ones – and new chances to win. These Reactions keep on going until no new wins appear, allowing you to enjoy many payouts from one single spin.
Free Spins
If you manage to land all the letters to spell out G O L D using the scatters in the main game, you’ll trigger the Free Spins round. This awards 12 Free Spins initially with 5 extra Free Spins awarded for every additional Scatter that lands on the triggering spin. You will get another 5 Free Spins if you hit 3 more Scatters during the round.
And there is no limit on how many more spins you can add.
The key here is that a Progressive Multiplier is in play during the Free Spins round with every spin starting with a 1x Multiplier. When an Avalanche sequence starts, so the multiplier increases by 1x with each Cascade.
Now the important point is that there is no re-set between avalanches. So, if your multiplier increases up to 5x from a sequence on your first spin, then that 5x is carried over to your next free spin. That means your multiplier can reach huge heights and boost your win total more and more.
This all adds up to being a classic high-risk feature to really get the blood pumping. BTG’s execution here is awesome and as fans of the genre will know, it kick started a revolution in high risk variance slots with variations on this mechanic appearing in games across the board from No Limit’s infamous San Quentin xWays to slots like Money Train from Relax Gaming.
Our Verdict 8.6/10
It is testament to the quality of the Bonanza Megaways™ slot that despite its age – 5 years and counting – it continues to be the most popular BTG game in that format. Indeed, there have been many, many copy-cat versions using the exact same engine (we’re looking at you, Blueprint) but none have ever quite matched the original. It’s something about the clever mix of gameplay and theme, and even the notorious hillbilly soundtrack come to think of it, that is the secret sauce that makes this game so special.
For those who haven’t played a BTG slot before, it’s definitely a fine entry point and a surprisingly simple slot to get to grips with. For diehards it will always be the one to go back to when you’ve exhausted yourself on the latest new releases. And for all of us December 2016 will go down as the time that high risk slots games changed forever!
From our own experience we can tell you that this one will give you a few very exciting moments and many more of pain and frustration. It’s a really tough slot to crack and we urge you to stick to the Responsible Gambling advise and never chase your losses with Bonanza, no matter how many times you hit the G, O, and L scatters whilst falling short on the final T (hint … that will happen a lot!).
Enjoy for what is is … a rollicking good slots ride! Its not hard to see why this game has its legion of fans. If you love the Megaways™ mechanic and quirky mining theme, this is the only choice. Now check out Bonanza at any of the online casinos on this page to see for yourself the slot that propelled Big Time Gaming into the big time!!
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