What does 117,649 ways to win mean?

It is 7⁶ — six reels each showing up to seven symbols, multiplied together. It represents the maximum number of symbol paths on a single spin, reached only when every reel lands at full height. It is a count of paths, not a probability of winning.

Do Megaways slots have better RTP?

No. Megaways titles sit in the same 95% to 96.5% band as conventional slots. Payouts per winning way are scaled down in proportion to the number of ways, so the total expected return is unchanged.

Are Megaways slots more volatile?

Generally yes. Hit frequency rises because there are more possible paths, but the large outcomes require several reels at maximum height at once, which is rare. The result is more frequent small returns and a longer tail — a wider distribution around the same RTP.

Megaways: Why 117,649 Ways to Win Isn't Better Odds

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The short version: 117,649 is 7⁶ — six reels, each showing up to seven symbols. It is the maximum number of symbol paths, reached only on the rare spin where every reel is full. RTP on Megaways titles sits in the ordinary 95–96.5% band.

Where 117,649 Comes From

A standard slot has fixed reel heights — three symbols per reel, say — and fixed paylines drawn across them. Megaways makes reel height variable: each spin, every reel independently shows between 2 and 7 symbols.

Maximum ways

ways = height₁ × height₂ × … × height₆ All reels at maximum: 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 = 7⁶ = 117,649

A multiplication, not a probability

That figure is the ceiling, not the norm. A spin where every reel lands on seven symbols is uncommon. A typical spin might read 4 × 3 × 5 × 4 × 3 × 6, which gives 4,320 ways — still a large number, and still not a statement about your odds.

What a "Way to Win" Is

A way is a path of matching symbols on consecutive reels starting from the left. More ways means more distinct paths that could match — but each individual path is correspondingly less likely to be the one that pays, and the payout per matched way is scaled down accordingly.

This is the part the number obscures. If a game offered 117,649 ways and paid each one like a conventional payline, it would be catastrophically profitable for players. It does not. The payouts are calibrated so that the total expected return lands where the studio wants it — the same place every other slot lands.

What It Does to RTP

Format	Typical RTP	Ways
Classic 5-reel, 20 lines	95–96.5%	20
243 ways	95–96.5%	243
Megaways	95–96.5%	up to 117,649

The ways count moves by four orders of magnitude and the RTP does not move at all. That is the whole answer to whether Megaways gives better odds, and it is checkable in any game's information panel.

What It Actually Changes

The mechanic is not pointless — it changes the shape of the outcomes, which is a real difference even though it is not an odds difference.

Hit frequency goes up. More paths means more spins return something. Many of those returns are below the stake — the losses disguised as wins effect, amplified.

Volatility goes up too. The big outcomes require many reels at maximum height simultaneously, which is rare. The distribution gets both busier at the bottom and longer at the top.

The variance between sessions widens. Same RTP, wider spread — which means a Megaways bankroll needs to be larger to survive the same number of spins.

Cascades and the Multiplier

Most Megaways games pair the mechanic with cascading reels: winning symbols disappear, new ones drop in, and a single spin can chain several wins with a rising multiplier. The chains are where the large outcomes come from, and they are also why the base game feels generous while the balance drifts down.

None of it changes the arithmetic in our slot strategy guide: expected loss is total wagered × house edge. A cascade sequence is one spin's worth of stake producing several events. It does not add turnover, and it does not reduce the edge.

Choosing a Megaways Game

Ignore the ways number entirely — it is the same marketing figure on every title in the format. Read the two numbers that differ between games: RTP and volatility, both published in the info panel.

Then size your session for the volatility rather than the theme. A high-volatility Megaways title at 96% RTP will empty a small bankroll faster than a low-volatility classic at the same RTP, and the ways count will not have been the reason.

Play with the math on your side

SlotDrop's free tools show you the real house edge, EV and variance behind every bet — before you place it.

Open the Black Box →

Reality check: no strategy on this page turns a negative-expectation game into a positive one. Strategy reduces how much the house takes and how fast your bankroll disappears — it does not guarantee profit. Only ever bet money you can afford to lose entirely.