Slots Like Bonanza: It Didn’t Actually Invent Megaways
Bonanza is the Big Time Gaming mining slot most players credit with inventing Megaways, and while that’s not quite accurate, the real story is more interesting than the myth. If you’re comparing slots like Bonanza, this page compares all three genuine entries honestly, corrects the record on where Megaways actually came from, and covers a real unresolved discrepancy in the original game’s own max win. For the full mechanic explainer and every other Megaways game we cover, see our Megaways hub.
Where to Play Bonanza Slots
18+ only. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
Reviewed by Brian TaylorPublished: August 2026
SlotsLike.co.uk contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you sign up through our site, and it never changes what we write about a game. 18+ only. Please gamble responsibly (GamCare, BeGambleAware, GamStop).
Every Bonanza version at a glance
All three Big Time Gaming, all built on the same 6-reel Megaways skeleton, figures checked 6 July 2026:
| Game | Year | Ways | RTP | Max win |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonanza | 2016 | Up to 117,649 | 96.00% | 26,000x |
| Bonanza Megapays | 2021 | Up to 117,649 | 96.40% | 17,926x (excl. jackpot) |
| Bonanza Falls | 2023 | Up to 117,649 | 96.51% | 93,540x |
Bonanza’s own max win has a real history worth knowing: older sources cite 10,000x or 12,000x as the original math model’s ceiling, while every current listing shows 26,000x, strongly suggesting Big Time Gaming updated the game’s math post-launch, though no source explicitly documents when. Bonanza Megapays’ 17,926x is lower than the base game’s because its four-tier progressive jackpot sits alongside the multiplier ceiling rather than adding to it.
Every game, reviewed
1. Bonanza
Released 7 December 2016 on the NYX Gaming network per Big Time Gaming’s own announcement, Bonanza runs on 6 reels that each independently show between 2 and 7 symbols per spin, producing up to 117,649 ways to win when every reel hits full height. DUELREACTION cascading wins clear winning symbols from both directions, a cart mechanic above reels 2 to 5 can drop extra wilds into play, and landing scattered G-O-L-D letters triggers free spins, a base 12 spins, with more awarded for additional scatters. During the bonus, an uncapped win multiplier climbs by 1x with every cascade. Published at 96.0% RTP, with medium-high to high volatility depending on source, and a max win now listed at 26,000x, though earlier sources cited a considerably lower 10,000x-12,000x ceiling for the original math model.
2. Bonanza Megapays
Released in 2021, Bonanza Megapays keeps the exact same reels, ways and G.O.L.D. free-spins system as the original, adding Big Time Gaming’s Megapays progressive jackpot on top: four tiers, Mini, Midi, Major and Mega, seeded at roughly €100, €1,500, €20,000 and €300,000, triggered by random in-spin symbol collection. Its 17,926x max win (excluding the jackpot itself) sits below the base game’s ceiling, since the progressive prize pool takes the place of some of the top-end multiplier potential rather than adding to it. Published at 96.40% RTP and High volatility.
3. Bonanza Falls
Launched 4 December 2023 as a one-month Light & Wonder platform exclusive before wider release, Bonanza Falls keeps the identical 6-reel, up-to-117,649-ways architecture despite its waterfall-themed name and visuals, the “Falls” branding describes the new bonus mechanic, not a different grid. That mechanic, Megadozer, is a coin-pusher-style feature where cascading Bonus Coins during free spins can independently grant wilds up to 5x, duplicate symbols with multipliers up to 10x, add extra free spins, or boost the overall win multiplier, a considerably richer, more randomised system than the original’s simple uncapped cascade multiplier. A Win Exchange lets 25-99x wins convert into bonus entry (100x+ wins qualify automatically), alongside a standard 100x-stake Bonus Buy. Published at 96.51% RTP with a confirmed 94% reduced operator tier, reviewers noted this as a new move for Big Time Gaming to publish a low-RTP configurable option, High volatility, and by far the franchise’s highest max win at 93,540x.
Did Bonanza really invent Megaways?
No, not precisely, though it’s the single most common misconception about this franchise. Big Time Gaming’s actual first Megaways release was Dragon Born, in late 2015, roughly ten months before Bonanza arrived (a correction we’ve made consistently across our Megaways hub page too, after finding the same myth repeated widely). What Bonanza genuinely did was turn Megaways from an interesting new mechanic into an industry phenomenon: Big Time Gaming’s own licensing announcements confirm the engine has since been licensed out to other studios, Pragmatic Play first in 2017, followed by NetEnt, Blueprint Gaming, Red Tiger, Relax Gaming, iSoftBet and ReelPlay among others, and industry commentary now estimates well over 200 Megaways-branded titles exist across more than a dozen studios, an approximate industry figure rather than an official count. Bonanza is the reason that number is so large, even if it wasn’t technically first.
Bonanza: quick facts
| Provider | Big Time Gaming |
|---|---|
| First released | 7 December 2016 |
| Layout | 6 reels, 2-7 symbols each, up to 117,649 ways |
| RTP | 96.00% |
| Volatility | Medium-high to High |
| Max win | 26,000x (current listings; earlier sources cite a lower original figure) |
| Signature feature | G.O.L.D. free spins with an uncapped, +1x-per-cascade win multiplier |
✓ Facts checked 6 July 2026
The maths: three RTPs, a huge spread in ceiling
What a hundred £1 spins costs at each game’s default published RTP:
| Game | House edge | £1 × 100 spins |
|---|---|---|
| Bonanza (96.00%) | 4.00% | £4.00 |
| Bonanza Megapays (96.40%) | 3.60% | £3.60 |
| Bonanza Falls (96.51%) | 3.49% | £3.49 |
✓ Calculated from the published RTPs, checked 6 July 2026
Bonanza Falls edges out both siblings on RTP while also carrying by far the highest published max win in the franchise at 93,540x, more than three times the original’s 26,000x. Session tools on our Responsible Gambling page.
Beyond the reels
All three games are part of Big Time Gaming’s wider portfolio, the studio behind Dragon Born, White Rabbit and the Megaways engine itself. Big Time Gaming’s Megaways mechanic now powers licensed titles from Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Blueprint Gaming, whose Diamond Mine was the very first outside licensee, and others, including several already covered on this site. All three Bonanza titles are confirmed live at UK-licensed operators including Grosvenor Casinos, Mecca Bingo, Betfair Casino and William Hill.
What players say
Players consistently rate Bonanza Falls as the most rewarding entry thanks to its 93,540x ceiling and the more randomised, multi-outcome Megadozer bonus round, while the original still draws loyalty simply for being the game that made Megaways a household name, one of many origin stories catalogued on our slot series hub. Bonanza Megapays appeals specifically to jackpot hunters willing to trade a slightly lower base max win for a shot at the four-tier progressive pool.
Win potential
We couldn’t find a specific, verifiable big-win story for the original Bonanza that survives scrutiny, several promising leads turned out, on closer inspection, to actually describe Big Bass Bonanza Megaways, an entirely different Pragmatic Play game that happens to share part of the name, so we’re not repeating those as fact here. What’s genuinely documented is the mechanical ceiling itself: Bonanza Falls’ 93,540x is more than three times the original Bonanza’s current 26,000x figure, and the original’s own max win appears to have grown significantly from its launch-era 10,000x-12,000x ceiling to today’s published number.
The best Bonanza slot for your priorities
| If you want… | Play | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The original that started the phenomenon | Bonanza | The game credited with mainstreaming Megaways |
| A shot at a life-changing jackpot | Bonanza Megapays | Four-tier progressive pool up to €300,000 seed |
| The biggest possible win | Bonanza Falls | 93,540x via the richer Megadozer bonus system |
Our verdict on Bonanza
SlotsLike score: 8/10, not quite the game that invented Megaways, but absolutely the one that made it stick.
| Features | 8/10, G.O.L.D. free spins and Megadozer solve the same big-payout problem in completely different ways |
|---|---|
| Win potential | 8/10, a real 3x-plus spread in ceiling across the family |
| Design | 7/10, a functional mining theme that’s aged well without needing reinvention |
| Playability | 8/10, the format that launched an entire slot genre, still holding up |
Play here if you want the game most responsible for Megaways becoming a genre rather than a gimmick. Look elsewhere if you specifically want Pragmatic Play’s Sweet Bonanza, a completely different, unrelated game beyond the name.
Bonanza FAQs
Who makes Bonanza?
Big Time Gaming, the studio that also created the Megaways mechanic itself.
How many Bonanza games are there?
Three genuine entries: Bonanza (2016), Bonanza Megapays (2021) and Bonanza Falls (2023).
Did Bonanza invent Megaways?
Not quite, Big Time Gaming’s Dragon Born (2015) came first. Bonanza is correctly credited with popularising and mainstreaming the mechanic, not inventing it.
Is this the same as Sweet Bonanza?
No, Sweet Bonanza is a separate, unrelated Pragmatic Play game that only shares part of the name.
What is the RTP of Bonanza?
96.00% for the original game.
Which game has the biggest max win?
Bonanza Falls, at 93,540x, more than three times the original’s current 26,000x figure.
Why do some sites list a lower max win for Bonanza?
Older sources cite a 10,000x-12,000x ceiling for the original math model; current listings consistently show 26,000x, suggesting an unannounced math-model update at some point.
Are these slots fair?
Yes, Big Time Gaming’s games are independently tested and available through UK Gambling Commission-licensed operators.
Sources & Verification
Primary sources checked 9 July 2026: Big Time Gaming’s own corporate site; and the UK Gambling Commission’s public register (Big Time Gaming PTY Limited, account 38696).