KEY TAKEAWAYS
A Megaways-style slot is a game in which the number of symbols on each reel changes on every spin, so the number of ways to win changes too. The most common layout has six reels that each show between two and seven symbols, which gives anywhere from 64 to 117,649 ways to win. The ways are counted by multiplying the number of symbols showing on each reel, not by drawing fixed paylines.
The idea is easy to misread as “more ways, more wins.” This guide explains how variable reels work, how the ways are counted step by step, what the arithmetic looks like for a hypothetical spin, and what the mechanic does and does not change about the odds and the cost of play. The name Megaways is a trademarked mechanic that Big Time Gaming licenses to other studios, so this article describes how the mechanic works rather than recommending any game.
What Variable Reels Are
On a classic slot, every reel shows the same number of symbols on every spin, such as three rows on each of five reels. In a variable-row slot, each reel can show a different number of symbols on each spin, so the shape of the reel window changes every time. One spin might show two symbols on one reel and seven on the next.
Big Time Gaming describes its patented and trademarked Megaways mechanic as a random reel modifier system: any given spin can produce a different number of symbols across the reels. Other studios have licensed the mechanic, and some games use their own variations, so details such as the number of reels and the row limits differ by game.
The standard layout has six reels with two to seven symbols each. The number of symbols on a reel is decided at the moment of the spin, along with which symbols land. Because of that, a variable-row game has no fixed paylines. It uses a ways-to-win count, which is the same idea explained in what 243 ways to win means, but with a number that moves from spin to spin.
A way to win is a path of matching symbols on adjacent reels, usually counted from the leftmost reel, and the game pays when a matching symbol appears on consecutive reels starting from the left. This is different from a payline, which is a fixed line across the reels, as explained in what paylines are in slots.
How the Ways to Win Are Counted
Multiply the symbols on each reel
The number of ways to win in a single spin is the product of the number of symbols showing on each reel. If the six reels show 4, 5, 6, 3, 7 and 2 symbols, the spin has 4 × 5 × 6 × 3 × 7 × 2 = 5,040 ways. Each added symbol on any reel multiplies the count, which is why the total can swing so widely.
The minimum and the maximum
With six reels that each show between two and seven symbols, the smallest layout has 26 = 64 ways and the largest has 76 = 117,649 ways. The maximum happens only when every reel shows its full height at once, and the odds of that depend on how the game weights the row counts, which real games do not publish.
How a win is paid
A win needs matching symbols on adjacent reels, usually starting from the first reel on the left. If a symbol appears three times on reel one, twice on reel two and once on reel three, the win is paid once for each combination, which is 3 × 2 × 1 = 6 combinations at the paytable value for a three-reel match. Several symbols on the same reel multiply the number of winning combinations, so a single spin can pay many times over.
What a bigger window does to the bet
In a typical ways game, the bet per spin is a single amount, and all ways are always active. The bet usually does not change when the number of ways changes, which means a spin with 117,649 ways costs the same as one with 64. The game’s help screen states the exact rules, and some games include features that change the cost, such as a bonus buy.
Worked Example: One Hypothetical Spin
Suppose, as a hypothetical, that a six-reel game shows 4, 5, 6, 3, 7 and 2 symbols on its reels for one spin, and that the bet is $1.00. Every number below follows from those assumptions alone and does not describe any real game.
The ways count is 4 × 5 = 20, then 20 × 6 = 120, then 120 × 3 = 360, then 360 × 7 = 2,520, then 2,520 × 2 = 5,040. That spin has 5,040 ways to win at a cost of $1.00, the same cost as any other spin in this hypothetical.
Now suppose, again as a hypothetical, that each reel is equally likely to show any height from 2 to 7 symbols. The average height per reel is (2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7) ÷ 6 = 4.5. Because the reels are independent, the average ways count is 4.56 = 8,303.77, or about 8,304. The chance that all six reels show seven symbols at once is (1 ÷ 6)6 = 1 in 46,656. Real games weight the row counts differently, so this only shows how the arithmetic works. It says nothing about the real odds of a full window in any actual game.
The Numbers That Matter
The table below compares how many ways different layouts give. Each figure is a product of the symbols on each reel, and the last two rows show the extremes of a six-reel variable layout.
| Layout | How it is counted | Ways to win |
|---|---|---|
| 5 reels × 3 rows | 35 | 243 |
| 5 reels × 4 rows | 45 | 1,024 |
| 5 reels × 5 rows | 55 | 3,125 |
| 6 reels, each showing 2 rows (smallest window) | 26 | 64 |
| 6 reels, each showing 7 rows (largest window) | 76 | 117,649 |
Notice that the ways count describes how wins are counted, not how often they happen. The ways count is a different number from the RTP, the share of wagered money a game is designed to return over the long run, which is explained in what RTP means in slots. A game with 117,649 possible ways and a game with 243 can have the same RTP, or very different ones, depending on the paytable and symbol weights.
The ways count also does not measure volatility, the spread of a game’s wins. That depends on the paytable, the features and how the game weights its symbols, and the idea is covered in what slot volatility is. The mechanic alone does not set it.
Common Mistakes and Myths
“More ways means better odds” is the most common mistake. A larger count means more paths can match, but the game’s designers adjust symbol weights and paytable values so the whole package returns its stated RTP. More ways does not change the house edge.
“A big window is due” is the gambler’s fallacy. The random number generator decides each spin independently, so a long run of small windows does not make a full window more likely next. The reasoning is laid out in why slot machines are never due to hit.
“The ways count is the number of wins a spin pays” confuses possible paths with actual wins. Most spins in any slot lose, and many spins that do pay return less than the bet. A large ways count does not make a win more frequent.
“Every game with this mechanic works the same way” is also wrong. Row limits, reel counts, features and RTP versions differ by game and casino.
Practical Tips Before Playing
Before playing, check the help screen for the row limits, the maximum ways and the RTP of the version on offer, because the same game can be released in several RTP versions and a casino chooses which one to run. The help screen also explains any extra features, such as cascading reels, where winning symbols are removed and new ones drop in, and how the multipliers inside a free-spins round work.
Because spins in these games are fast and the bet is the same however many ways appear, set a budget and a time limit before the first spin and treat the budget as the cost of entertainment. Many spins per hour means many bets wagered per hour, and the long-run average cost is the house edge times the amount wagered. At a hypothetical 96% RTP, $1.00 spins and 600 spins in an hour, $600 is wagered and the average loss is $600 × 4% = $24.
Remember that rules, features and the availability of options such as bonus buy vary by jurisdiction. A bigger window never changes the fact that every slot is built to return less than it takes in over the long run.
Where to Go Next
Variable reels are one way of counting wins. Fixed-line games count wins along set paths, while ways games count every matching path, and the two ideas build on each other. The explanation of ways on a fixed window, linked above, is the natural companion, since it shows the same counting idea with a number that does not move.
Features such as free spins often sit alongside this mechanic, because stacked multipliers and repeated wins are where large results come from. Reading how free spins work in slots explains how those rounds are built and how they affect the volatility of a game.
A good habit is to read the ways count, the RTP and the volatility together, and to treat each as one part of a description of the game rather than a promise about a session.
