Bonanza

Bonanza Slot Review — Big Time Gaming

Bonanza, released by Big Time Gaming on 7 December 2016, runs on a Megaways grid that can expand to 117,649 ways to win across six reels, far beyond the fixed-line layout used in many slot machines. The game combines that expanding-ways format with a cascading reel mechanic: after a win, the paying symbols clear and new ones drop into the same spin, letting a single base-game spin pay out more than once before the reels reset.

Big Time Gaming has been active since its founding in 2011, and Bonanza remains among its core Megaways releases.

Core Gameplay Experience

The reel grid in Bonanza sits on six reels, and the number of symbols shown on each one changes from spin to spin, which is how the ways-to-win count shifts and can reach the listed maximum of 117,649. The visual theme sets the reels against a mine shaft background with diamonds, gold bars, crystals and sticks of TNT as the paying symbols, framed by stone textures.

That treasure-hunting setting places Bonanza within the Adventure & Treasure theme group, alongside other mining and excavation-themed titles.

Features and Mechanics

The base paytable in Bonanza is built on a Multiway structure that starts at 1,024 ways to win on a static grid, the figure printed as “Multiway (+1024)” in the game information. Big Time Gaming’s Megaways mechanic then sits on top of that base, reshuffling the symbol count on each reel every spin, so the live ways-to-win number moves well beyond 1,024 and can reach 117,649 on any given spin.

On top of the moving reel count, Bonanza uses a cascading symbol mechanic, a reel system Big Time Gaming describes as cascading in both directions: once a winning combination pays, those symbols clear and new ones fall into the vacated spaces, so a single spin can generate several consecutive wins before the reels settle.

Wild symbols substitute for the paying symbols elsewhere on the grid, and multiplier symbols can appear during a spin to scale up the value of a win on that cascade. The Free Spins round, part of the site’s slots with Free Spins, carries its own Free Spins Multiplier track, separate from the multiplier used in the base game, so wins collected during free spins scale under a different set of rules.

Big Time Gaming also lists Bonanza with an RTP Range rather than a single fixed figure, meaning more than one return-to-player configuration exists for this title; the version live at a given casino is set by that operator and shown in the game information panel there.

RTP, Volatility and Payout Model

Bonanza carries a theoretical return to player of 96% and a high volatility rating, the combination Big Time Gaming assigns to this title’s core version. A 96% RTP means that, over a very large number of spins, the theoretical return applies across that same long run.

High volatility in practice means wins arrive less often than in a low-volatility game, and a stretch of many spins with no return, or only small returns, is a normal part of this payout model rather than a sign that something is wrong. Stakes in Bonanza range from a minimum bet of 0.2 to a maximum bet of 500.0 per spin, a spread wide enough to size wagers from small-balance play up to higher-stake sessions within the same title.

Similar Slots — Comparison

Bonanza’s theoretical return sits level with Christmas Bonanza at 96%. Against Max Megaways 2, Tiki Treasures Megaways and Rick and Morty Megaways the gap is small but real — roughly $0.64, $0.50 and $0.55 less per $100 wagered respectively, in theory, not a difference that changes which game to pick on return alone. Volatility is where Holy Diver actually breaks from the group: it runs low-medium volatility while Bonanza, Christmas Bonanza, Max Megaways 2, Tiki Treasures Megaways and Rick and Morty Megaways are all high volatility, so Holy Diver is likely to pay more often in smaller amounts for a similar return. The ceiling adds another difference: Max Megaways 2 pays up to 147,620x the stake against Bonanza’s 26,000x, which matters to players chasing one large multiplier rather than average return, and Tiki Treasures Megaways layers a jackpot onto its Megaways reels, a different mechanic from Bonanza’s cascade-only model that limits how directly the two can be compared on paytable structure.

How to Play Bonanza Online

Bonanza is available in demo mode, which lets the cascading reel and Megaways mechanic be tested without staking real funds. As of 2 November 2026, Big Time Gaming’s catalogue of slots is carried by 121 casinos, including Mond Casino, Betroom24 and CasinoStars among the operators listing the studio’s titles.

A valid gambling licence and a working demo button are worth checking before funding an account. The Big Time Gaming slots hub lists other titles from the same studio, and the broader Slots category covers Megaways and non-Megaways titles alike for side-by-side comparison.

Verdict on Bonanza

Bonanza suits players comfortable with high volatility and the swings that come with a Megaways-plus-cascade payout model: wins can compound within a single spin through tumbling symbols, and the 26,000x maximum win gives the format real upside relative to its stake. It is a weaker fit for anyone working with a small bankroll or looking for frequent, steady returns, since the 96% RTP plays out over a long run of spins that can include extended stretches without a payout.