Bonanza Megapays

Bonanza Megapays takes Big Time Gaming's genre-defining Bonanza Megaways and bolts on a progressive jackpot system under the trademarked Megapays banner — the studio's answer to the question of how you improve on one of the most influential slots ever released.

What's actually changed

Visually, very little has moved. The graphics carry a touch more polish — sharper rocks, clearer grass, more vibrant flowers — but the core gold mine scene, complete with its banjo-heavy soundtrack, remains instantly recognisable to anyone who's played the original. The most obvious addition is the MEGAPAYS branding replacing the waterfall on the logo, alongside four jackpot displays sitting along the top of the screen advertising the live prize pools.

How the jackpot system works

A portion of every stake feeds into four jackpot tiers, and crucially, higher bets improve your odds of triggering the jackpot feature — though the actual jackpot amounts themselves stay fixed regardless of stake size, so any bet level can land any tier. The bet range has been widened for this version, running from 20p/c up to $/€30 per spin.

Core Megaways mechanics carry over

Underneath the jackpot layer, this is still classic Bonanza: cascading reels, an escalating win multiplier, and Big Time Gaming's Megaways engine generating up to 117,649 ways to win across the 6-reel grid. The gold mine setting, complete with hills, waterfalls, and the iconic little mining hut, remains exactly as recognisable as ever.

RTP and volatility

To make room for the added jackpot funding, RTP has shifted from the original's 96% up to 96.4% in this Megapays build — a genuinely player-friendly adjustment given the extra jackpot chances on offer. Volatility is rated high (4 out of 5), keeping the swingy, cascade-driven feel players expect from this family of games.

Max win

Excluding the jackpot, the base game max win sits at 17,926x the bet — already a strong ceiling before factoring in the potential for one of the four progressive jackpots to land on top.

Verdict

Bonanza Megapays is a smart evolution rather than a reinvention, layering genuine jackpot upside onto a maths model players already trust. If you've enjoyed the original Bonanza Megaways, this version gives you every reason to switch. Spin the free demo at johnessyslots to see the jackpot displays in action before playing for real.