Bonanza Megapays: Slot Overview

Sharp-eyed readers will likely already know Bonanza Megaways is the top-rated slot so far on Bigwinboard. With the original already doing so much right, how could Big Time Gaming possibly make it better? It’s like Da Vinci staring at the Mona Lisa and wondering what’s missing — a wider grin, more cleavage, a peace sign? The Australian studio’s answer is to bolt on a progressive jackpot system under the trademarked name of Bonanza Megapays™.

The studio is clearly aiming big with this new framework and expects it to appear across major casinos. If everything works as intended, jackpot hunters could see decent wins landing every few days. You might be thinking: right, it’s Bonanza with a jackpot — do I really need to know anything else? Not much if you already know the Big Time Gaming classic, but there are a few small tweaks here and there. Let’s put on the hard hats and dig in.

One look tells you the visuals haven’t been overhauled. If anything, the art feels a touch sharper — slightly crisper rocks, cleaner grass, brighter flowers. The main standout is that where the waterfall once flowed out of the logo, you now get a bold MEGAPAYS label so it’s clear which edition you’re on. And there are 4 jackpots displayed across the top of the screen, showing what’s available to win. Beyond that, it’s the Bonanza you remember, right down to the iconic banjo twang as the reels spin.

The Megapays edition also expands the betting options, beginning at 20 p/c, rising to $/€30 per spin – with a slice of each wager feeding the jackpot pool. Your stake matters because the bigger the bet, the higher the chance of triggering the Jackpot feature. That said — and this is key — the jackpot values themselves don’t change, and any of the prizes can drop regardless of bet size. Keeping things accessible, Bonanza Megapays runs on any device, from mobile and tablet to desktop. Alongside the higher top bet, another adjustment is the RTP, shifting from 96% to 96.40% to accommodate the jackpots. The following contributions are added to the jackpot from each bet: Mini (0.15%), Midi (0.13%), Major (0.12%), and Mega (0.11%). Combined, the 4 Megapays jackpots carry a total RTP of 9.44%.

If any slot truly made Megaways famous, it was Bonanza. Few could have guessed how influential the mechanic would become in the years that followed. This jackpot version keeps the same core layout: 6 dynamic reels with 2-7 symbols on each, plus 4 extra positions above reels 2-5 that show symbols in carts. With every spin, the number of visible symbols changes, producing up to 117,649 ways to win. You never quite know how a spin will unfold, which pairs perfectly with the Reaction mechanic.

The paytable is unchanged in this release. That means 9-A royals as the lower-paying symbols, with three minerals and a diamond at the top end. Wins of up to 6 of a kind are available, returning 2 to 7.5 times the stake for the three rock symbols. The diamond is the standout since it’s the only symbol that pays from two of a kind, while 6 across delivers the biggest return at 50x the bet. Lastly, the fiery dynamite sticks act as the wild and appear only in the carts. Wilds substitute for any other paying symbol to help complete winning combinations.

Bonanza Megapays: Slot Features

This part reads like a Megaways 101 checklist. It may feel familiar today, but back then it was a genuinely fresh shot of innovation. Along with Reactions, you get Free Spins, progressive multipliers, and the new progressive jackpot layer. The Reaction feature is, as always, the engine of the gameplay: after every win, the winning symbols disappear and new ones drop into the empty spaces. This chain continues for as long as new wins keep landing.

Just like before, landing the 4 scatter symbols to spell G, O, L, D triggers 12 free spins. During the bonus, a progressive win multiplier applies, starting at x1 and increasing by +1 after each Reaction. The feature can be extended when 3 or 4 scatters land on the bonus reel, awarding 5 or 10 free spins respectively.

Now for what’s new – Megapays. All 4 jackpots are progressive, meaning every wager adds a portion into each jackpot. Randomly triggered on any spin, the game shifts from the mine setting to an area outside a luxury hotel. BTG has taken a slightly different approach here, since the jackpot round isn’t decided by a wheel like you might expect. Instead, 1 symbol is randomly chosen as the Megapays symbol before the action moves to a 6×7 grid. Once the feature starts, every time the Megapays symbol lands, it is collected at the bottom of the reels and you receive another spin. If no additional Megapays symbols appear, the feature ends. If you manage to collect 4 or more Megapays Symbols, you’ll win prizes like so;

Bonanza Megapays: Slot Verdict

If you’ve played the original, you’ll instantly recognise the core gameplay. But adding the Megapays jackpot system elevates one of the greatest slots ever made into one of the strongest jackpot slots the iGaming world has produced. Whether you’re discovering Bonanza for the first time or you’re a seasoned miner, the jackpots add an extra reason to take a run at Bonanza — aiming for the mega jackpot and the chance to trigger wins of 3,000,000x times the stake.

Even after several years, Bonanza still feels as important as ever. It’s a true milestone that reshaped how many players looked at slots — and developers too, judging by the endless wave of imitators since. You’ll often hear people say, ‘This is just Bonanza with X‘ when describing a game. Now we literally have “Bonanza with a progressive jackpot”. And if you’re going to play Bonanza, you may as well choose the Megapays edition going forward. That said, players should understand that because the jackpot feature takes a portion of the RTP, Bonanza Megapays won’t behave exactly like the standard version during regular play. Still, the RTP is respectable for a progressive jackpot slot.

Jackpot chasing rarely feels as rewarding as it does in Bonanza Megapays. Since the original is widely seen as one of the best “grinding games” — offering strong value and plenty of playtime — pairing Bonanza with a jackpot system is simply a perfect fit.