Bonanza Slot Review

Bonanza Megaways - Slot Overview

Bonanza Megaways from Big Time Gaming is a mining themed video slot that has become a cult favourite since its release in December 2016. You get 6 reels with 2 to 7 symbols on each reel and up to 117,649 ways to win on every spin. The default RTP sits at 96% and the volatility is high, so the game can feel swingy, but the max win of up to 26,000 times your stake keeps me coming back.

Stakes in Bonanza Megaways range from 20p to £20 per spin, which suits small and mid sized bankrolls, though very big stakes players might feel a bit capped. There is no progressive jackpot attached, but the combination of Megaways, cascading wins and the bonus round makes it feel like a gold mine when the game runs hot. As an experienced slots player, I see it as a reference point for high variance Megaways play.

Theme, Graphics and Audio in Bonanza Megaways

Bonanza Megaways drops you into a peaceful hillside gold mine. Behind the reels you see green grass, rocky cliffs, a small wooden hut and a water wheel turning under a waterfall. The reels themselves are carved into stone blocks, so every spin feels like shifting rocks in a mountain face. When wins land, the stones explode, new symbols fall in and the whole screen feels alive with mining action and dynamite blasts.

The soundtrack in Bonanza Megaways uses light hearted country style music with twanging banjos that ramps up when you hit spin or get a good run of reactions. It sets a relaxed but tense mood, which suits a game that can swing hard between dead spins and big cascades. Personally I like the old school look and simple animations; even though the music can get repetitive, the visual style still holds up very well.

Bonanza Megaways Symbols and Paytable

The paytable in Bonanza Megaways uses a mix of classic royals and gemstone icons. Low value symbols are 9, 10, J, Q, K and A. Hitting six of a kind across the reels pays between 0.8 times and 1.75 times your total stake for these. They drop in often and help keep reactions going, even if the individual wins feel small compared to what the game can do in the bonus.

Premium symbols in Bonanza Megaways are the coloured gems. The green emerald and blue sapphire pay up to 2 times your bet for six of a kind, while the red ruby jumps to 7.5 times. The star of the show is the clear diamond, which pays 2, 5, 10, 25 or 50 times stake for 2 to 6 symbols. When you chain diamonds together with a big multiplier in free spins, the screen can light up fast.

Special symbols carry the mining theme nicely. Dynamite bundles act as wilds, but they only appear in the extra cart reel above reels 2, 3, 4 and 5, substituting for regular pay symbols to save or extend reactions. Scatters are gold plates with the letters G, O, L and D, which you need to spell on one spin to start the free spins. During the feature, extra gold bullion scatters in the carts award 5 or 10 extra spins.

Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	6	x50
	5	x25
	4	x10
	3	x5
	2	x2
	5	x7.5
	5	x2.5
	4	x2
	3	x1
	6	x2
	5	x1.5
	4	x1
	3	x0.25
	6	x2
	5	x0.75
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.25
	6	x1.75
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.4
	3	x0.2
	6	x1.75
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.4
	3	x0.2
	6	x1
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.25
	3	x0.2
	6	x1
	5	x0.5
	4	x0.25
	3	x0.15
	6	x0.9
	5	x0.5
	4	x0.25
	3	x0.15
	6	x0.8
	5	x0.4
	4	x0.2
	3	x0.1
	Wild

How to Play Bonanza Megaways

Getting started with Bonanza Megaways is simple. Set your total stake with the arrows until you land between 20p and £20 per spin, then hit the main spin button. The 6 reels change height every spin, showing between 2 and 7 symbols each. A horizontal cart reel runs above the middle four reels. Wins form when matching symbols land on successive reels starting from the left, with the diamond paying from just 2 symbols.

Every winning combination in Bonanza Megaways triggers a reaction. The winning symbols explode, new ones drop in from above and the carts roll in fresh icons along the top, giving you another shot at a hit on the same paid spin. You can use autoplay for up to 100 spins and set loss and single win limits, which I always do, as the high volatility can chew through a balance if you get a long cold patch.

Bonus Features in Bonanza Megaways

Bonanza Megaways might look straightforward, but the features give it serious punch. The core mechanic is the Reactions feature, where wins blast away and new symbols fall in, letting you string together a series of payouts from a single spin. The main bonus round triggers when the scatter letters spell GOLD anywhere in view. That awards 12 free spins, and each extra scatter on the trigger adds another 5 spins on top.

During free spins in Bonanza Megaways, an unlimited win multiplier sits above the reels. It starts at 1x and rises by 1 after every reaction, without resetting between spins. This is where the slot can throw out wins up to around 26,000 times stake. Extra gold bullion scatters appear only in the carts during the feature; landing 3 or 4 of them adds 5 or 10 additional free spins, so big streaks can carry on for a while.

Bonanza Megaways Verdict

As someone who has played a lot of Megaways titles, I still rate Bonanza Megaways as a go to option when I fancy high variance mining action. The mix of 117,649 ways, constant reactions and that free spins multiplier makes it thrilling when it behaves, but you need patience and a sensible stake because long dry spells do happen. If you enjoy chasing big multipliers rather than lots of small hits, this slot earns its reputation.

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