Big Time Gaming in South Africa: The Studio That Invented Megaways and Licensed It to Everyone Else

🎰 Software Provider

Big Time Gaming in South Africa

Founded 2011 | Megaways Inventor | 117,649 Ways | 7 of 26 SA Sites

The studio whose one mechanic reshaped the entire slots industry, and which then licensed it to its competitors.

🎰 See the 7 SA Sites With BTG →

⚙️ Where 117,649 comes from

Six reels, each showing up to seven symbols, gives 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7, which is 7 to the power of 6, or 117,649. That is the ceiling rather than the norm: most spins land well below it because the reels rarely all show seven symbols at once. When a Megaways game advertises 117,649 ways, it is quoting the maximum, not the average.

⚙️ What this means when you play

• Ways, not lines. You are not betting per line. A Megaways stake covers every active way that spin, which is why the ways count fluctuating does not change your cost.
• Symbols must be adjacent from the left. Matching symbols count only if they run consecutively from reel one, exactly as in other ways-based slots.
• Cascades are usually attached. Winning symbols disappear and new ones drop in, so one spin can produce several consecutive wins.
• Volatility runs high. The huge ways counts come with large dead stretches. Megaways titles generally sit at the higher end of the variance scale.

🔁 The other Mega mechanics

BTG also builds Megaclusters, Megadozer, Megapays and Megapots. Megaclusters replaces reels with a cluster grid that splits symbols as you win. Megapays is a jackpot layer. These are far less widely licensed than Megaways, so a game carrying one of them is much more likely to be a genuine Big Time Gaming title.

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✅ What protects you in South Africa

Your protection comes from the operator provincial licence, issued by a board such as the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board or the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator. All seven sites listed above hold one. Supplier licensing tells you the games are certified; it is not what secures your deposit.

What is Big Time Gaming?

Big Time Gaming is an Australian slots studio founded in 2011, now part of the Evolution group. It invented the Megaways mechanic and licensed it to other studios, which is why the Megaways badge appears far more widely than BTG games themselves.

How does Megaways work?

Each reel shows a variable number of symbols on every spin, so the number of winning ways changes constantly instead of using fixed paylines. Six reels showing up to seven symbols each gives 7 to the power of 6, or 117,649 ways at maximum. That figure is the ceiling, not the average.

Why do other studios have Megaways games?

Megaways is trademarked and licensed out. Studios including Pragmatic Play and Red Tiger pay to build titles using it. The ways mechanic is shared, but volatility, bonus rounds, maximum win and return are set by whoever built the individual game.

Which South African casinos have Big Time Gaming?

Seven of the 26 SA sites we review carry BTG titles directly as of 29 July 2026. Many more carry licensed Megaways games built by other studios. The full list is in the table above.

Are Megaways slots high volatility?

Generally yes. The very large ways counts come with long stretches of nothing, and most Megaways titles sit at the higher end of the variance scale. Stake with the expectation of dead spins between features.

What are Megaclusters and Megapays?

Other Big Time Gaming mechanics. Megaclusters replaces reels with a cluster grid where symbols split as you win. Megapays is a jackpot layer. Both are far less widely licensed than Megaways, so a game using them is much more likely to be a genuine BTG title.

Ready to Play Megaways Slots?

✅ 7 licensed SA sites for BTG | ✅ 117,649 ways at maximum | ✅ Licensed Megaways much more widely | ✅ Demos available

🎰 Compare SA Sites With BTG →

18+ Only. Big Time Gaming is a licensed game supplier owned by Evolution, not an operator. The South African sites listed here hold their own provincial licences. Gambling can be addictive and harmful if not controlled. Winners know when to stop. For help, contact South African Responsible Gambling Foundation: 0800 006 008 or WhatsApp 076 675 0710.