Megaways explained

On a classic machine each reel has a fixed number of symbols. On Megaways slots it varies from spin to spin, and the number of possible combinations varies with it — hence the large numbers on the front of these titles.

How the headline number comes about

It is the product of the symbol counts of all reels in the most favourable case. Six reels with up to seven symbols each give roughly 117,000 combinations. That is the ceiling, not the normal case — on average the number sits well below it.

What follows from that

• High volatility. Many ways mean many small hits and rare large ones — and long stretches with neither.
• Cascades. Winning symbols disappear and are replaced, which makes chains possible.
• Multipliers in the bonus round. On many titles they carry the bulk of the return.

What this means for the stake

At high volatility a balance lasts a shorter time at the same stake, because longer stretches without a hit are normal. Anyone who wants to play these titles stakes less per round than on a machine with a flat distribution — that is the only adjustment there is.

More on slot machines

The remaining pages of this section, each on a question of its own. Online slots pulls them together.