Bonanza: Megaways, GOLD Free Spins and Similar Slots

Bonanza is Big Time Gaming’s mining slot with changing Megaways, reacting wins and a free-spin multiplier that carries across the bonus. Four GOLD scatters award twelve free spins. Extra Chilli shares the reaction-led multiplier; Diamond Mine shares licensed Megaways, while other mining games use different win and bonus systems. The wider archive includes White Rabbit.

Big Time Gaming released Bonanza on 7 December 2016, following its earlier Megaways title Dragon Born. Its identity is the combination of variable reel heights, Dual Reactions and a GOLD-triggered bonus with a continuing multiplier. The mining scene makes those changing rows and cart positions recognisable, but the rules are the stronger basis for comparing another slot. A streamer’s unusually large result does not establish the chance or return of a future session.

Where to Play

18+ only. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.

How the Game Works

Reviewed by Paul Stone
Published: April 2026

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Bonanza uses six main reels and a horizontal cart reel above the middle four. The visible positions form a variable number of ways, up to 117,649. The cart contributes positions to the corresponding reels beneath it, rather than supplying four independent extra reels. Ordinary matching combinations start on the leftmost reel and continue across adjacent reels; they do not need to follow one fixed drawn line.

Every win sets off a Reaction. The winning symbols blow up, fresh ones drop in from the dynamite chute above, and it keeps going for free until a drop lands no new win. In the base game that’s a tidy way to string a couple of hits together. In free spins it’s the whole point, because each Reaction also nudges the multiplier up. Stakes run from 20p to £20 a spin, so it’s reachable for low rollers but capped fairly low at the top end.

Symbols and Paytable

The original screen distinguishes card-rank blocks, coloured gems, the dynamite wild and GOLD scatters. The wild substitutes for ordinary paying symbols, while the scatters have the bonus role. Read the exact installed paytable before converting a displayed prize: a coin figure, a cash award and a multiple of total stake are different units. More than one matching path can contribute to an ordinary result, followed by another reaction if the replacement symbols also win.

Pros and Cons

Looking for another version of Bonanza? Our Bonanza series comparison explains how the related releases differ.

Pros

• The free spins multiplier has no ceiling. It opens at 1x and adds 1x on every Reaction, so it’s a long chain of cascades, not one lucky symbol, that produces the headline wins.
• Four GOLD scatters start the free-spin feature; entry and cart retrigger rules are separate
• Retriggers add free spins while the bonus multiplier continues; the cart scatter count determines the documented extra-spin award
• The maximum ways count is available only when the reel heights reach the full layout

Cons

• The bonus trigger is required before the continuing free-spin multiplier applies
• The supplier’s published stake range and maximum belong to its stated configuration
• Three GOLD scatters do not carry a missing fourth letter into the next paid spin
• There’s no bonus buy for UK players, so when the feature won’t come, there’s no shortcut to it.

Counting ways and a continuing multiplier

The Megaways number and the win multiplier do different jobs. A hypothetical reel-height pattern of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 offers 5,040 possible ways because those heights multiply together. The maximum pattern of seven on each of six reels gives 117,649. The horizontal cart positions contribute to the reels beneath them; they are not seven extra symbols to add again on top of each maximum-height reel.

For one symbol, count only positions carrying that symbol or a valid wild along the qualifying adjacent reels. If a hypothetical three-reel combination has two matching positions on the first reel, three on the second and one on the third, there are six matching paths for that combination. The total Megaways display also includes possible paths for other symbols. It is not the number of actual winning paths for this one result.

Dual Reactions replaces winning symbols on the main reels from above and on the cart reel from the right. Several paying combinations can disappear together as part of one winning result. The free-spin multiplier then advances with the reaction sequence; it is not a separate increment for every printed way in the Megaways count.

Imagine three successive eligible winning stages with ordinary awards of £1, £2 and £1. If their applied multipliers are 1x, 2x and 3x, those stages contribute £1, £4 and £3, for £8. Adding the ordinary £4 and multiplying it all by the last 3x would wrongly produce £12. Follow the factor that applies to each stage rather than rewriting earlier awards at the latest displayed multiplier.

The multiplier carries between free spins within that bonus. The spin counter can fall while the multiplier stays at its current value, and a retrigger can add turns without erasing the factor. An unlimited multiplier describes the absence of a multiplier cap in that feature rule; it does not mean that the game has an unlimited contractual cash payout.

For a same-studio comparison, Extra Chilli also uses reacting Megaways and a continuing free-spin multiplier, but adds its own bonus-entry and gamble choices in permitted versions. White Rabbit changes the feature through Extending Reels: cakes add two symbols to a reel during free spins. Those additions alter possible combinations, whereas Bonanza’s multiplier alters the value of an eligible win.

Bonus Features Explained

The GOLD Free Spins Trigger

Four GOLD scatters trigger twelve free spins. An additional scatter at the entry adds five more. During free spins, the supplier describes a separate cart retrigger: three stacked free-spin scatters award five extra spins, while four award ten. That is different from treating every individual scatter during the bonus as an automatic five-spin award. Follow the entry and retrigger conditions in the exact game help.

The Unlimited Multiplier and Reactions

Each winning reaction increases the bonus multiplier by one, and it carries between free spins until the feature ends. The current factor, remaining-spin counter and credited feature total are separate displays. More reactions can raise the multiplier, but a larger factor cannot turn a non-winning result into a prize. The worked example above shows why each stage uses its own applied multiplier rather than the final factor being applied again to all earlier awards.

Closely Related Games

Diamond Mine, Dynamite Digger and Dynamite Riches broaden the mining theme with different win and feature rules. The pictured “Bonanza 2” is a separately illustrated game with Asian artwork, not a Big Time Gaming sequel established by the shared name. For the same-studio Megaways and continuing-multiplier relationship, begin with Extra Chilli; for reel extension, compare White Rabbit.

• DIAMOND MINE
  
  
  Diamond Mine is Blueprint’s mining Megaways slot, and it’s the closest theme-and-mechanic match to Bonanza on this list. Same 117,649-way engine, same gold-dust setting, with a free spins multiplier of its own.
• BONANZA 2: the pictured Asian-themed game needs its own identification. The shared Bonanza name does not make it the official continuation of Big Time Gaming’s mining slot. Its individual reels and features must be read independently.
• DYNAMITE DIGGER: a conventional mining-themed reel alternative. Its exploding-symbol imagery does not establish Bonanza’s variable ways, GOLD trigger or continuing multiplier. Compare the actual paying layout and the event that supplies another result, rather than a claim that a similar scene produces fewer losses.
• DYNAMITE RICHES: Red Tiger’s mining setting uses its own reel and wild features. The pictured golden frames and mining symbols give a visual connection, but its prize progression is distinct from Bonanza’s reaction-led free-spin factor. It is a themed alternative, not a guaranteed steadier or cheaper session.

Similar Games by Theme

Mining artwork provides a broader route through the catalogue. The strongest mechanical comparisons still depend on reacting wins, reel heights and the rule that changes during the bonus. A mine, pickaxe or dynamite symbol does not establish that a game has licensed Megaways or the same GOLD entry.

More Mining themed slots to try

Lost Island, Dynamite Digger, Dynamite Riches and All My Gold give different treasure and mining settings. The pictured Bonanza 2 changes the scene as well as the rules. Use their individual layouts and feature explanations before applying the original Big Time Gaming game’s multiplier or maximum.

A few of these, like Diamond Mine and Diamond Mine Extra Gold, also run the Megaways engine, so they come closest to recreating the actual feel of Bonanza rather than just the look.

Diamond Mine

Diamond Mine uses licensed Megaways with up to 117,649 possible ways. The count is not fixed paylines, and the visible heights can change between rounds. The mining scene and variable-ways format are the useful common ground; its specific bonus trigger and multiplier schedule still require its own rules.

Diamond Mine Extra Gold is a separate Blueprint release with variable Megaways. The shared mine artwork makes it easy to confuse editions, so keep the full title beside any quoted feature or configuration. A 117,649 ceiling identifies the possible layout, not a universal return or a fixed collection of line paths.

Treasure Mine uses five reels, four rows and forty fixed lines. Its treasure-chest imagery is a theme connection, but this conventional layout is different from Bonanza’s six changing-height reels and cart. Trace the active line path in that game rather than using the original Megaways count.

Dwarf Mine uses a five-reel, four-row mining display with a dwarf character and collection indicators. The genuine screenshot shows its own counter interface. Those indicators belong to that title’s feature sequence; they are not Bonanza’s carried free-spin multiplier or its GOLD scatter requirement.

All My Gold
All My Gold keeps the pit-head setting but swaps cascades for ReelPlay’s Locked Reels, running 4096 ways on a 6 reel, 4 row grid with a 96.04% RTP. Six or more GOLD NUGGET symbols start Bonus Respins where every nugget holds its own multiplier of up to 1000x, so the gold collect does the heavy lifting that Bonanza hands to its unlimited multiplier.

More Slots from Big Time Gaming

Big Time Gaming was founded in Sydney in 2011 and built its name on a single idea: the Megaways reel system, which it still licenses to studios like Blueprint and Pragmatic Play. Evolution bought the studio in April 2021, and it holds a UK Gambling Commission licence to operate here. Bonanza is the game that made all of it happen, the breakthrough hit that took BTG from a small Australian outfit to one of the most influential names in slots, alongside later flagships Extra Chilli and White Rabbit.

If you want more from the same studio, these are all Big Time Gaming titles. Holy Diver in particular shares Bonanza’s high-variance, multiplier-led approach.

• Donuts slot game
  
  Donuts uses a separate symbol and feature format. Its genuine screenshot gives a different reel presentation; use its individual review rather than an old catalogue position to compare it with Bonanza.
• Lucky Streak slot game
  
  Lucky Streak is another studio catalogue route. Its familiar slot symbols do not establish Bonanza’s GOLD entry, cart retrigger or continuing multiplier. Compare its own feature rules before applying those conditions.
• Mr Multiplier slot game
  
  Mr Multiplier provides a different multiplier-focused game. A multiplier’s name does not establish when it activates or resets. Use the named title’s own rules rather than transferring Bonanza’s bonus sequence.
• Holy Diver
  
  Holy Diver uses its own Megaways feature structure. Megaways counts possible symbol combinations rather than fixed paylines. Its illustrated board is a different release, so use the individual review for the active layout and return setting.

Bonanza Key Stats

Bonanza slot information last reviewed: June 2026

The supplier configuration below belongs to Bonanza. Keep the ways count, continuing bonus multiplier and overall win limit separate. The illustrated mining alternatives have their own layouts and feature rules, even when a title uses licensed Megaways.

Screenshots

Bonus Feature Gallery

Slots with Similar Features

Bonanza’s headline ingredients are its free spins round, its huge number of ways to win and the golden GOLD scatters. Here are slots that lean on the same building blocks.

Online slots with Free Spins

The best matching slots with Free Spins are Rhyming Reels Georgie Porgie, Agent Jane Blonde, 80 Days Adventure, Lucha Maniacs and Amazon Lost Gold, whose free spins multiplier climbs with every cascade and never caps out.

Variable-ways alternatives

Fishin For Gold and Angel Or Devil provide wider feature routes. 1 Million Megaways BC changes its layout through a growing Mammoth Reel. These are possible-combination systems rather than an extra collection of fixed paylines; read the particular game’s height and expansion rules.

Online slots with Golden Symbols

The gold-themed gallery below shows Atlantis Slot and Desert Treasure 2. Their individual scatter and feature rules differ from Bonanza’s four GOLD-symbol entry; the shared treasure artwork is a broader visual connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you trigger the free spins in Bonanza?

Four GOLD scatters award twelve free spins, with five more for each additional entry scatter. The documented free-spin cart retrigger instead gives five extra spins for three stacked scatters or ten for four. Check the loaded game help for that distinction.

What is the multiplier in Bonanza and does it reset?

It starts at 1x when free spins begin and rises by 1x on every winning Reaction, with no upper limit. It holds across spins inside the same bonus and only resets when that feature ends.

What is the RTP and volatility of Bonanza?

Big Time Gaming’s current Bonanza product page states a 96.11% RTP. The game is high volatility, with most of its potential concentrated in the free-spins feature. Check the information screen before playing because an operator may offer a different configuration.

What is the maximum win on Bonanza?

Big Time Gaming’s current product page states 26,000x total stake for its documented configuration. A quoted cash value depends on the actual stake and applicable payout rules. The feature’s unlimited multiplier is separate from this overall win limit; neither establishes the cap of every older or operator-specific build.

Was Bonanza the first Megaways slot?

No. Big Time Gaming’s Dragon Born, released earlier in 2016, was the first. Bonanza arrived in December that year and was the one that made Megaways famous, helped by how well it played to streaming audiences.

What are the best slots like Bonanza?

Extra Chilli provides the close same-studio comparison for reacting Megaways and a continuing bonus multiplier. White Rabbit adds reel extension through cakes. Diamond Mine provides licensed Megaways in a mining setting. Razor Shark uses a different reel and feature system, so a general description of cascade tension is not evidence of identical gameplay.

Can you play Bonanza for free?

The launch option above uses play credits rather than cash. It can help identify the grid, scatters and multiplier rules, subject to provider access. A short demo session does not establish feature frequency or the return at a cash casino. Check the exact loaded version’s help and limits.

Our Verdict on Bonanza

Bonanza’s useful comparison points are its changing ways, two-direction reactions and continuing free-spin multiplier. The GOLD entry and cart retriggers are separate conditions, while the ways count and multiplier measure different parts of a result. Extra Chilli stays closer to that reaction-and-multiplier structure; White Rabbit introduces reel extension; Diamond Mine supplies a licensed mining comparison. The wider illustrated games change layout or feature purpose. Choosing among them is easier when those differences are explicit, without relying on a streamer’s payout or a promise that one game will keep a balance steadier.

SlotsLike rating: 8/10