BIG TIME GAMING

Big Time Gaming was founded approximately 2011 in Sydney, Australia — an unusual origin for a European-focused slot developer. Early BTG titles showed the team's appetite for innovation, but the Megaways mechanic (first deployed in 2016 on Dragon Born) changed everything.

BTG applied for and received patents on the Megaways system in key jurisdictions. The licensing model that followed was highly lucrative: any developer wanting to use Megaways pays BTG a royalty on net gaming revenue from those titles. Over 500 Megaways games by 30+ developers now exist, all paying BTG.

Evolution AB acquired BTG in 2022 for approximately £450 million. BTG continues developing original titles under the same team; Evolution's acquisition secured the Megaways IP royalty stream as part of the group.

The Megaways mechanic modifies the standard reel system by randomising the number of symbols on each reel per spin. A 6-reel Megaways game typically generates between 2 and 7 symbols per reel — meaning the number of active ways to win changes every spin, ranging from a few hundred to a maximum of 117,649 ways (7×7×7×7×7×7).

This creates variance within variance: not only do wins vary by symbol combination, but the game structure itself varies per spin. High-symbol-count spins generate dramatically more win combinations than low-count spins. Most Megaways games also include:

• Cascades — winning symbols are removed, new ones fall, potentially triggering consecutive wins
• Increasing multipliers — each cascade in a sequence adds to a multiplier (×2, ×3… up to ×unlimited in some games)
• Free spins — triggered by Scatter symbols, typically with progressive multiplier starting from ×1

BTG's own Megaways catalogue includes the mechanic's most iconic games:

• Bonanza Megaways — Gold mine theme. The title that popularised Megaways commercially (2016). Up to 117,649 ways. Free spins with cascades and unlimited multiplier. Max win: 50,000x. RTP: 96%.
• Extra Chilli Megaways — Kitchen/food theme. Feature Buy option. 114,244 ways. Progressive free spins multiplier. RTP: 96.17%.
• White Rabbit Megaways — Alice in Wonderland. Reel extensions — reels grow taller during free spins, increasing max ways beyond 248,832. BTG's most elaborate visual production.
• Lil' Devil Megaways — Dark gothic theme. 1 million+ ways possible via oversized Devil symbols spanning the horizontal reel band.
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Megaways — ITV licensed IP. Free spins with Lifeline mechanics (Ask the Audience, Phone a Friend).
• Holy Diver — Heavy metal aesthetics (Dio). No Megaways — grid slot with locking Wilds in free spins.

Over 30 developers have licensed Megaways from BTG, producing 500+ Megaways titles across all volatility levels and themes. Major licensees include:

• Pragmatic Play — Gates of Olympus Megaways, Sweet Bonanza Xmas, Great Rhino Megaways, Wolf Gold Megaways
• Blueprint Gaming — Eye of Horus Megaways, Fishin' Frenzy Megaways, Ted Megaways, Rick and Morty Megaways
• Red Tiger — Gonzo's Quest Megaways (NetEnt IP), Dragon's Fire Megaways, Mystery Reels Megaways
• Play'n GO — Legacy of Dead Megaways
• iSoftBet/IGT — Reel King Megaways, Fishin' Bigger Pots of Gold Megaways

Each of these titles earns BTG a licensing royalty on net gaming revenue. The Megaways IP represents an ongoing income stream independent of BTG's own title performance.