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Megaways

How Megaways Slots Work: Reels, Win Ways and Cascading Wins

Last checked: 4 min read By SlotConfig Editorial Team

A slot machine with reels of different heights showing cascading symbols

A Megaways slot pays on “ways” rather than fixed lines: matching symbols on neighbouring reels count as a win wherever they land, and the number of ways equals the number of symbols showing on each reel multiplied together. Because the number of symbols on each reel can change from spin to spin, so does the number of ways. You still pay one total stake per spin, and the game’s rules screen tells you exactly how many reels it has, how wins are counted and whether winning symbols are replaced by new ones. Megaways titles are common in Ontario: 58 of the 289 OLG.ca slot pages we collected on October 19, 2026 had Megaways in the name.

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How do you count the ways to win?

Multiply the number of symbols showing on each reel. A few examples, using made-up reel heights to show the arithmetic:

  • Six reels showing 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 and 2 symbols: 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 64 ways.
  • Six reels showing 3, 5, 2, 7, 4 and 6 symbols: 3 × 5 × 2 × 7 × 4 × 6 = 5,040 ways.
  • Six reels showing 7 symbols each: 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 = 117,649 ways.

Each reel matters equally: one reel showing two symbols instead of seven cuts the total by more than two thirds. That is why the ways counter on screen jumps around: it is just this product, recalculated every spin. Each game’s rules screen gives its own reel layout and its own maximum.

Do you pay more for more ways?

No. In a ways game you choose one total stake per spin, and the number of ways on that spin does not change it. The casinos we checked list a single bet range per spin for each Megaways title. A few examples from OLG.ca’s game pages:

  • Great Rhino Megaways: C$0.20 to C$100.
  • The Dog House Megaways: C$0.20 to C$48.
  • Gus’s Gold Megaways: C$0.20 to C$5.
  • Rick and Morty Megaways: C$0.10 to C$10.

The same title can have a different range elsewhere: FanDuel Casino in Ontario listed Buffalo King Megaways from C$0.20 to C$600, against C$0.20 to C$100 on OLG.ca.

How is a win counted?

The rules screen says which symbols pay, how many in a row are needed and in which direction they are counted. In a ways game, each combination of matching symbols across neighbouring reels counts as a separate way, so two matching symbols on one reel can double the number of winning ways for that combination. The paytable shows the payout for each symbol and length.

What are cascading wins?

Some ways games describe a cascade, also called tumbling or rolling reels: after a win, the winning symbols are removed, new symbols drop into the gaps, and any new win is paid in the same spin. One paid spin can therefore produce several wins. Whether a particular game uses cascades, and whether anything grows with each cascade, is written in its rules. Do not assume it from the name.

Does a Megaways slot pay back more than other slots?

Not as a category. RTP is set per game and per casino version. On OLG.ca’s pages, Megaways titles ranged from 94.25% for Chicken Burst Megaways up to 96.86% for Gus’s Gold Megaways, the top of its 95.97% to 96.86% range. The same title can differ between casinos: Great Rhino Megaways showed 96.47% to 96.58% at OLG.ca and bet365 in Ontario, and 94.69% at Betty. Our explainer on what RTP does and does not tell you covers how to use the figure.

What do Ontario’s rules change?

The AGCO’s slot standards apply to Megaways games like any other: no autoplay, no playing several slots at once, at least 2.5 seconds between game starts, and no turbo or quick-spin features. The screen must also show your session net position in Canadian dollars, and a return equal to or below your stake must not be celebrated as a win. So a cascade that pays back less than your stake must not be presented as a win.

What does an hour of Megaways play cost?

The stake, not the number of ways, sets the cost. Ontario’s 2.5-second minimum between game starts caps play at 1,440 spins an hour. At the common C$0.20 minimum, that is up to C$288 wagered in an hour; at a 96.5% RTP the expected cost is about C$10. At C$1 a spin, the same hour means up to C$1,440 wagered and an expected cost of about C$50. Some Megaways games also sell their bonus feature: OLG.ca’s description of Chicken Burst Megaways mentions bonus buy options without stating a price. Our page on bonus-buy slots in Ontario explains how to price one.

What we could not confirm

  • The reel layout and maximum ways of individual games: we did not record them from the rules screens.
  • Which Megaways titles on OLG.ca use cascading wins.
  • The volatility label bet365 shows for each title.

Read a Megaways game before you spin

Open the rules screen and note four things: the number of reels and the most symbols any reel can show, the direction wins are counted in, whether the game uses cascades, and the RTP. Multiply the maximum symbols per reel to check the maximum ways the game advertises. Then set a stake from the bet range, keeping in mind that the number of ways does not change what you pay per spin. For where to find these titles, see where to play Megaways slots in Ontario, and for the paytable in general, see how to read the paytable and set the stake.

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Sources

  1. OLG.ca: slot game pages
  2. OLG.ca: Great Rhino Megaways game page
  3. OLG.ca: Gus's Gold Megaways game page
  4. Pragmatic Play: Great Rhino Megaways game page
  5. AGCO: Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming
  6. bet365 Ontario casino: game info panels

More in this guide

Guide overview: Megaways →