Rainbow Riches vs Rainbow Riches Megaways

Rainbow Riches vs Rainbow Riches Megaways: which one is for you?

If you want the gentle, familiar game with three well-known bonus rounds and a modest ceiling, choose the original Rainbow Riches. If you want a higher listed RTP and a far bigger maximum, and you accept much rougher sessions, Rainbow Riches Megaways is the one. Both are made by Barcrest, so the theme, symbols and leprechaun are familiar in each.

The unusual thing about this pair is that the newer game is cheaper on average. Many remakes keep or lower the RTP; here it rises a full percentage point. That doesn't make the Megaways version a better deal for every player, because its volatility means far more of the return comes in rare large wins. The sections below set out the trade. For other pairings, see the comparison hub.

Specifications of both Rainbow Riches slots

A British slot machine with land-based roots

Barcrest began in the Manchester area in 1968 with two staff and released its first game, Invader, in 1970. It grew up building machines for British venues long before online slots existed; the Museum of the Game's Barcrest listing (opens in a new tab) records many of them. Scientific Games bought the company in 2011, and that group was renamed Light & Wonder in 2022.

Rainbow Riches arrived in 2006 and became Barcrest's signature series, with spin-offs such as Rainbow Riches Pick 'n' Mix. The original's look, with simple reels, an Irish theme and bonus boards that echo a fruit machine feature trail, reflects that background. Its lower RTP also fits Barcrest's typical range of around 94% to 96%.

The three bonus games in the original Rainbow Riches

The original packs three separate bonus features into a 20-line game, which is why it feels busy for a medium-volatility slot:

• Road to Riches: a board-style trail where a spin moves you along steps of rising prizes until the round ends. It works much like a feature trail on a pub machine.
• Wishing Well: a scatter-style bonus that awards a prize multiplier.
• Pots of Gold: a pick feature in which you choose a pot to reveal a prize, similar to a pick me bonus.

Having three routes into a bonus spreads the return across the game, so wins arrive more evenly than in a single-feature slot. The cost is a low ceiling: the whole game caps at 500 times the stake. Trigger rules and prize ranges for each bonus are on the paytable of the version you play.

How the 20 lines split your stake

On a 20-line game the stake is divided across the lines. At 20p a spin, each line is worth 1p; at £1, each is worth 5p. A three-of-a-kind paying, say, 10 times the line bet returns 10p at 20p a spin, half the stake. That kind of result is common on lines games, and under UK rules it isn't dressed up as a win.

What changes in Rainbow Riches Megaways

The remake moves to Big Time Gaming's Megaways engine. Each of six reels shows between two and seven symbols per spin, a top row adds extra positions, and wins count on adjacent reels from the left in any position. The number of ways changes every spin.

Because the stake doesn't change with the ways count, the paytable is scaled for a ways game: a single short match is usually small, and value comes from many ways linking up or from the bonus features. The Megaways version's bonus features are described in its help screen; the core changes from the original are the reel engine, the higher volatility and the much higher cap.

Rainbow Riches RTP vs Megaways RTP: cost per 100 spins

One percentage point sounds small, but it is a fifth of the original's house edge. The table shows average long-run costs; see the house edge explainer for why these are averages rather than predictions.

Over 1,000 spins at 50p, £500 staked, the averages are £25 and £20. Barcrest games have historically varied RTP with stake on some versions, so the help screen is the place to confirm the figure; our RTP variants page explains how that works.

Max win: 500x vs 12,500x at UK stake limits

This is the biggest difference between the two. Online slot stakes in Great Britain are capped at £5 a spin for players aged 25 and over and £2 for 18 to 24-year-olds, as the Gambling Commission's guidance (opens in a new tab) explains.

The original's 500x ceiling keeps outcomes in a narrow band, which is part of why it is rated medium volatility. The Megaways game's 12,500x figure is reached only by extremely rare combinations. Neither figure is something to aim for; our max win caps page explains how caps work.

Online Rainbow Riches vs high-street machine limits

Because the series grew up alongside British gaming machines, it helps to see how online limits compare with the land-based categories. Online slots aren't in these categories; they have their own stake limits and no fixed prize cap set by law, only the cap each game sets for itself.

All of these are for adults only. More detail is on our betting shop machines and pub slot machines pages.

UK online rules for both Rainbow Riches games

Since 31 October 2021, online slots offered in Great Britain have had to follow design rules: no autoplay, at least 2.5 seconds per spin, no turbo or slam-stop, no win effects for returns at or below the stake, and a constant display of net position. Slots are also supplied to Great Britain without a bonus buy. These apply to both versions; our UK slot game design rules page sets them out in full.

How to check what your version offers

1. Open the game and tap the information or menu icon.
2. Read the RTP line; the original should show around 95% and the Megaways version around 96%.
3. Check the maximum win stated in the rules: 500x or 12,500x.
4. Read each bonus feature's description to see how it is triggered and what it can pay.
5. Note the stake range, which will stop at £5 (or £2 for 18 to 24-year-olds).

Demo play is free only after age verification, a rule in force since May 2019. Our demo slots guide explains how it works.

Luck and leprechauns: myths to ignore

• Lucky symbols don't change the odds. The rainbow, horseshoe or pot of gold on screen are decoration and pay symbols, not signs of a coming win.
• A run of bonus near misses means nothing. Each spin is decided independently by the random number generator.
• The Megaways version isn't "looser". It has a slightly higher listed RTP, but higher volatility means most sessions lose more quickly, not less.
• There is no best time to play. Our page on the best time to play slot machines explains why.

Verdict for each kind of player

Where to play Rainbow Riches online in the UK

We can't promise any partner carries either game, so search the casino's lobby; game availability changes. The offers below are what our partners currently give new customers aged 18+: Coral's bet £10 on slots and get 100 free spins (10p each, selected games, no wagering on winnings, seven days to use); Ladbrokes' play £10 on slots and get 50 free spins a day for ten days, up to 500 (10p each, no wagering); and PlayOJO's 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza after a first deposit of £10 or more, with no wagering. Terms apply to all.

Treat any session as paid entertainment. The National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 is free and run by GamCare (opens in a new tab), and NHS gambling support (opens in a new tab) is available if gambling is causing harm.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: plan a slot budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.