Big Time Gaming slots

Big Time Gaming slots in brief: the studio behind Megaways

Big Time Gaming, usually shortened to BTG, is an online slot studio founded in 2011 and based in Sydney, Australia, with Nik Robinson as chief executive. It is a small studio by output, but its influence is out of proportion to its size: the Megaways mechanic it created now appears in games from many other developers, and its own titles such as Bonanza Megaways and Extra Chilli Megaways are among the most recognised slot machines online.

BTG's approach is to build an engine first and then reuse it across themes. Megaways is the main example, followed by Megaclusters, a cluster-pays grid that splits symbols, and Megapays, a further branded product that the studio's own website offers to existing Megaways licensees alongside Megaclusters. Because the engine sets the maths framework, BTG games share a recognisable feel: shifting reel heights, cascading reels that clear winning symbols, and free spins where a multiplier climbs with each cascade.

For other studios on this site, see the providers hub.

How Big Time Gaming's Megaways engine works

On a standard 5x3 slot, the reel window is fixed and so is the number of ways to win. A Megaways game instead uses a random reel modifier: before the reels land, the game decides how many symbols each reel will show, typically between two and seven on a six-reel game. The ways to win are then the product of the symbol counts on every reel, because a win needs a matching symbol on each reel from left to right in any position.

Worked example: counting the ways

Say one spin lands reels showing 3, 5, 7, 2, 6 and 4 symbols. The ways to win are 3 × 5 × 7 × 2 × 6 × 4 = 5,040. If all six reels show the minimum of two symbols, the count drops to 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 64. If all six show seven, it rises to 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 = 117,649, the 'up to 117,649 ways' printed on many BTG games. Some titles, including Bonanza and Extra Chilli, add a horizontal reel that adds symbols to the middle reels, which is how the maximum is reached on those games.

The important point is that more ways do not mean a higher return. The paytable is scaled so that the game's overall RTP is the same whatever the reel heights; a spin with 117,649 ways typically pays small amounts on many combinations, while a spin with 64 ways has fewer chances but no lower long-run value. Our Megaways vs 243 ways comparison puts the two systems side by side.

When Big Time Gaming slots first used Megaways

The first Megaways game was BTG's Dragon Born, but the exact debut date is reported differently. A CasinoBeats report from May 2018 described the game as launching 'over two years ago', which points to before May 2016, while a Gambling Insider report from October 2018 said 'more than three years', which points to before October 2015. Both accounts agree it came first; they differ on when. Reports at the time described the mechanic as patented in the US and the MegaWays name as a trademark.

The decisive step came in 2018, when BTG began licensing the engine. The Blueprint licence announced on 1 May 2018 (opens in a new tab) was described as the first of its kind, with Diamond Mine Megaways following that month. A licence to Red Tiger was reported in October 2018 (opens in a new tab), and a Storm Gaming deal with a first game due in early 2019 was also announced. Our Megaways history page lays out the full timeline.

Megaways slots that aren't made by Big Time Gaming

Because the engine is licensed, a slot with 'Megaways' in its name is not necessarily a Big Time Gaming slot. Many come from other developers who pay to use the mechanic. Our checked data credits Diamond Mine Megaways to Blueprint Gaming under licence from BTG, and Temple Tumble Megaways to Relax Gaming, again under licence. Each licensee builds its own maths on top of the shared engine, so RTP, volatility and max win vary widely.

The easiest way to tell is the game's help screen, which credits the developer. Our guide to Megaways slot machines covers the category as a whole, including licensed titles; this page sticks to the games BTG itself publishes.

Beyond Megaways: Megaclusters and fixed-grid BTG games

Not every Big Time Gaming slot uses Megaways. Star Clusters Megaclusters, released in 2020, starts on a 4x4 grid and pays on clusters of matching symbols. When symbols win, they can split into smaller pieces, expanding the grid as the feature continues. It is listed at 96.54% RTP with medium-high volatility.

BTG has also released fixed-grid games. Lil Devil (2019) and Danger High Voltage both use a 6x4 layout with a constant 4,096 ways, closer to a conventional ways slot. The sequel, Danger! High Voltage 2, released in 2024, moves to Megaways; its published game specification (opens in a new tab) describes a choice of Fire in the Disco or Danger Danger free spins, with Megadozer bonus coins, and a max win of 52,980 times the stake.

BTG's own website lists newer titles, including White Rabbit 2 and several Megapots games, but we have no verified RTP or max win figures for them, so they are not in our tables. Check each game's help screen.

Best-known Big Time Gaming slots compared

Here are the BTG titles we hold checked figures for. Figures that sources disagree on are left out rather than guessed.

White Rabbit Megaways shows the highest published RTP, though, as with Extra Chilli, international RTP figures for BTG games can include the Feature Drop option, so read the UK help screen before relying on it. Millionaire Megaways and Holy Diver carry the largest listed caps of the original Megaways games. Our Bonanza vs Extra Chilli comparison is the place to start if you are choosing between the two most famous titles.

RTP and volatility of Big Time Gaming slots: the cost in pounds

A £1 stake is a convenient round number for comparing games. One hundred spins at £1 is £100 staked, and the long-run average cost is £100 × (100% − RTP). These averages describe millions of spins; a single session on a high-volatility BTG game will almost never land close to them.

The spread between the cheapest and dearest game is just £1.24 per £100 staked. Volatility matters far more to how a session feels. Most BTG games are listed as medium-high or high, so the base game often returns small amounts or nothing for long stretches, with most of the value concentrated in the free spins. That is why a £20 budget can run out on Bonanza before a bonus arrives, even though its long-run cost per 100 spins at 20p is only 80p. Our high-volatility slots guide explains how to size a budget for this kind of game.

Why the free spins carry so much of the return

Many BTG games use an unlimited multiplier during free spins that goes up by one with each cascade and does not reset between spins. A win of £2 with a multiplier of 12 pays £24. Because those large multipliers only build up inside the bonus, a big share of the game's RTP is paid there, and the base game's own return is correspondingly lower. Our page on increasing multipliers in free spins shows the arithmetic in detail.

Max wins on Big Time Gaming slots at the £2 and £5 UK limits

BTG games carry some of the highest max win caps among mainstream online slots. In pounds, though, the cap depends on your stake, and UK rules limit online slot stakes to £5 a spin for players aged 25 and over and £2 for those aged 18 to 24. The table assumes the game accepts each stake shown.

Bonanza Megaways is missing because published max win figures for it conflict, ranging from 10,000x upwards, so we don't state one. A cap of this size is reached in a tiny fraction of games, if at all, and it should be read as the limit of the paytable rather than a realistic outcome. The max win caps page explains how caps end a feature early once the limit is hit, and the 18–24 stake limit page covers the lower ceiling for younger adults.

Feature Drop, bonus buys and UK versions of BTG slots

Outside Great Britain, several BTG games include Feature Drop, an option to pay a set price for immediate entry to the free spins. Slots supplied to UK-licensed casinos don't offer it, as explained on our bonus buy in the UK page. This affects the numbers you see quoted. For Extra Chilli, the widely quoted 96.82% RTP includes Feature Drop; the figure relevant in Great Britain, without it, is up to 96.41%, with versions ranging from 96.15% to 96.41%.

UK versions also follow the Gambling Commission's online game design rules in force since 31 October 2021: no autoplay, at least 2.5 seconds per spin, no turbo or slam-stop, no win celebrations for returns that don't exceed the stake, and a constant display of your balance and net position. These are set out in the remote technical standard on responsible product design (opens in a new tab). For a fast cascading game such as Bonanza, the 2.5-second minimum noticeably slows the pace of play compared with versions you may see in videos recorded elsewhere.

Who owns Big Time Gaming? The Evolution deal

In April 2021, Evolution (opens in a new tab), the live casino supplier, announced a deal to acquire Big Time Gaming. BTG continues to publish under its own brand, and its website refers to games launching on the Evolution network. Our checked data does not include the deal value or BTG's own UK licence details, so we don't state them. To confirm which company supplies a game to UK casinos, look up the name shown in the help screen on the Gambling Commission's public register of businesses (opens in a new tab).

Ownership doesn't change a game's maths. Bonanza Megaways was released in December 2016, years before the deal, and the RTP in its rules is a property of the game model, not of the parent company.

How to play a Big Time Gaming Megaways slot step by step

The core routine is the same across BTG's Megaways range. These steps use Bonanza as the example, but the order applies to Extra Chilli, White Rabbit and the rest.

1. Open the game's information screen and read the RTP, the bet range and the max win cap.
2. Choose a stake within your age band's limit (£2 if you are 18 to 24, £5 if 25 or over) and within the budget you set before starting.
3. Press spin. The game decides how many symbols each reel shows and displays the ways count for that spin.
4. Winning symbols are removed and new ones drop in; this cascade repeats until no new win forms.
5. Collect scatter symbols to trigger free spins; the number of scatters usually sets the starting number of spins.
6. In free spins, watch the multiplier rise with each cascade; it typically doesn't reset between free spins on the classic BTG games.
7. Check your net position on screen and stop at the limit you set.

Cascades go by several names, including tumbles and avalanches, but the mechanism is the same, and our general guide to how to play online slots covers account set-up and safer gambling tools.

Megaways myths: do more ways on BTG slots mean more money?

• Myth: 117,649 ways means a better chance of winning. The paytable is scaled to the ways count, so the long-run return doesn't change.
• Myth: the multiplier carries over between sessions. It resets when the free spins end; nothing is stored for your next visit.
• Myth: a long run without free spins means a bonus is due. Each spin is independent, so the trigger chance is the same every time.
• Myth: the Megaways name guarantees BTG maths. Licensed Megaways games are built by other studios with their own RTP and volatility.
• Myth: the international RTP applies in the UK. Quoted figures can include Feature Drop, which isn't offered in Great Britain.

These ideas show up on pub fruit machines too, in a different form. A pub machine's nudges and holds offer a small choice, but no technique beats the payout percentage the machine is built around, just as no pattern of play changes an online slot's RTP.

Where to play Big Time Gaming slots in the UK

Our partner casinos have Megaways sections in their lobbies, and Coral's casino app listing mentions Megaways slots. That doesn't confirm any particular BTG title, because many Megaways games come from licensees, so search the lobby for the game name; availability changes. Our Coral Megaways slots and Ladbrokes Megaways slots pages explain how those lobbies list them.

All offers are for new customers aged 18+, and terms apply. Coral: deposit and bet £10 or more on slots to receive 100 free spins, 10p each on selected games, which must be accepted within 48 hours and used within 7 days; winnings from the spins have no wagering, and some payment methods such as PayPal, Skrill, Neteller and prepaid cards don't qualify. Ladbrokes: deposit and spend £10 or more on slots for 50 free spins a day for the first 10 days, up to 500 in total, 10p each on selected games, claimed by 23:59 each day and valid for 7 days, no wagering. PlayOJO: a first deposit of £10 or more brings 80 no-wagering free spins at 10p each on Big Bass Bonanza, which is a Reel Kingdom game rather than a BTG one. Because Coral and Ladbrokes are run by the same company, check the terms before opening accounts with both.

High-volatility games can use up a budget quickly, and losses are the likely outcome over time. Set a deposit limit or time-out in your casino account first. For free, confidential support, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or register with GAMSTOP to block UK gambling sites.

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.