Megaways vs Megapots vs Megaclusters in Video Slots – the Real Difference
Three video slot mechanics, three similar names, and only two of them do the same job. While Megaways and Megaclusters change how the reels generate wins, Megapots is a jackpot feature that sits on top of any engine. This blog post explains what separates them and how often you can meet each one in an online casino lobby.
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Two Are Engines, One Is a Prize Layer
If you keep playing slots with these mechanics, you will quickly notice that Megaways and Megaclusters do the same type of job. Both decide how the reels generate and count wins. In contrast, Megapots does something else entirely. It is a jackpot layer or mechanic that sits on top of whatever engine the slot already runs, and it has nothing to do with the reels.
Megaways and Megapots solve a different problem and, depending on the different types of video slots, a game can carry one, the other, or both mechanics at the same time. The only genuine head-to-head comparison is Megaways against Megaclusters, as both come from the same Australian studio, Big Time Gaming (BTG). If this still sounds complicated, take a look at the following quick-comparison table.
| Megaways | Megaclusters | Megapots | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layout | Six reels, two to seven symbols | 4×4 on debut | Three tiers shown above the reels |
| What It Changes | Reel height, randomised every spin | The grid itself, mid-win | Nothing on the reels |
| How a Win Forms | Symbol counts per reel, multiplied | Symbols combine, then split into four | Three matching icons in Hold and Spin |
| Fixed Paylines | Usually no | No | May be included |
| Cascades | Common | Common | Game-dependent |
| Licensed to Other Studios | Yes, widely | Yes, Relax Gaming first | Currently BTG titles only |
| Example Title | Big Bucks Deluxe, 117,649 ways | Star Clusters, 23,000x top payout | Millionaire Megapots |
Key Characteristics of Megaclusters
Megaclusters changes the grid itself and it can do so even in the middle of a win. For instance, the famous slot Star Clusters runs on a four by four grid and a win forms when matching adjacent symbols combine. That winning symbol then splits into four new, smaller symbols in its place.
Nik Robinson, BTG’s founder and chief executive, described the mechanic as one that ‘starts from a symbol that appears on the screen and combines with those symbols around it and, when it does, splits into four new smaller ones.’ The colours of the newly created smaller symbols are not fixed either. He states that ‘these random four smaller symbols could be any colour, or the same colour, when they hatch.’
Once the bigger symbols are exhausted, ordinary cascading reels take over and drop fresh symbols into the cleared spaces. A chain reaction like this can clear the whole grid. Also, Star Clusters itself has a very high RTP of 96.54% and a top payout of 23,000x the stake. Keep in mind that those are the debut title’s figures rather than a property of the mechanic. A sequel, Star Clusters 2, has followed since.
What Megapots Actually Does
Megapots shows three jackpot tiers, Mini, Midi and Mega, above the reels. The displayed prize values can change from spin to spin, so what you see is not one total building steadily over time. None of it alters how the base game produces wins.
The tiers can only be awarded when the Hold and Spin feature triggers, and a jackpot tier is awarded by collecting three matching Megapots icons during that feature. In the example slot Big Bucks Deluxe, Hold and Spin starts when you land six or more Coins.
That feature does the heavy lifting. On Millionaire Megapots, every symbol position transforms into its own reel, revealing additional coins that can hold prize amounts, multipliers or those coveted Megapots icons. The engine underneath simply carries it, which is why the same jackpot system can be dropped onto different games.
Megapots Is Not Megapays
To make the comparison more complete, we should also cover another closely related mechanic: Megapays. It is an older BTG jackpot system, and the two names get swapped constantly. However, Megapays runs four tiers, Mini, Midi, Major and Mega jackpots, while Megapots runs three. That is the quickest way to tell which of them a game is actually showing you.
Another real difference is that Megapays jackpots are progressive, as every time a bet is made, a portion of the bet is added to each jackpot. Megapots prizes change with every spin instead, so they are not a pool accumulating across bets and players.
Triggers differ too. The Megapays feature can be triggered from any bet, and BTG notes that ‘High stakes increase the chances of triggering.’ Megapots prizes are awarded only within the Hold and Spin feature, on three matching icons. For example, Millionaire Megapays, a six reel slot with 117,649 ways to win, sits in the catalogue alongside Millionaire Megapots, which does nothing to help the confusion.
Megapays has four tiers and is progressive, with a portion of every bet added to each jackpot, and it pays through the Megapays Feature. Megapots has three tiers, refreshes its displayed prizes every spin, and pays only when you collect three matching icons inside Hold and Spin.
When One Game Uses Two of Them
Because Megapots is a jackpot layer, it can stack with either of the two reel engines reviewed in this blog post. For instance, Big Bucks Deluxe is a Megaways game with Megapots on top. Millionaire Megapots is the same pairing at a larger scale, with up to 200,704 ways to win, high volatility and a maximum win of 91,000x the stake.
This layer is system-independent. There are slots like Fruit Merge Megapots that carry Megapots and Hold and Spin, but no Megaways at all. So, a Megapots game does not have to be a Megaways game, which is what you would expect from a prize system that never touches the reels.
Six BTG titles currently carry the Megapots system: Big Bucks Deluxe, Millionaire Megapots, Monopoly Megapots, Christmas Megapots, White Rabbit 2 and Fruit Merge Megapots. Building a mechanic and then reusing it across other slots is a long-standing BTG pattern. It is one of the ways Big Time Gaming changed online slots.
What You Actually Find Online
Every online casino is different, and whether you can find video slots with these features depends mainly on which providers a casino carries. Let’s face it – Megaways is the one you meet constantly. This is because BTG licences the patented mechanic out to competing studios rather than keeping it in-house.
Megaclusters turns up much less often. Relax Gaming was the first third-party granted rights to it, announced on 10 November 2020 with twelve months of exclusivity. That is a narrower rollout than the one Megaways has had. If you play at an online casino that does not feature games by Relax Gaming at all, you are unlikely to find a slot using Megaclusters.
Megapots is also newer. No licensing deal has been announced with any outside studio, and it currently appears on BTG titles alone. In practice that means you will scroll past plenty of Megaways slots before a Megaclusters title appears, and a Megapots game is rarer still.
RTP, Volatility, and Responsible Play
The theoretical mechanics matter, but players should also consider several practical factors when playing online casino slots for real money. The following points cover three things worth checking when playing slots with any of these mechanics.
- RTP is Not a Short-Term Prediction. It is a long-term theoretical return measured across millions of spins, not a forecast for one session, and the same slot title may be released in multiple RTP configuration, so check the game information panel at the casino you use.
- Volatility Matters. Megaways and Megaclusters titles are often high variance, which can involve longer losing stretches and may offer larger maximum-win potential, which is the main pattern explained in the guide to high variance vs low variance slots. Jackpot-led games vary too, depending on how prizes are funded and what triggers them. So, check the RTP, volatility label, maximum win, maximum bet, and every bonus-round rule before betting for real.
- Play within a Budget. Set a spending limit before you start, and do not raise stakes to chase losses or to force a jackpot trigger. British casino sites offer deposit limits, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion, among other responsible gambling tools.
Which Feature Is Best for You
When playing at an online casino, you may also wonder which slot to choose based on whether it features Megaways, Megapots, or Megaclusters. The truth is that none of these mechanics is inherently better than the others. The right one depends on how you like your gaming session to feel.
- Megaways suits you if you enjoy changing reel layouts, cascades and feature-rich bonus rounds.
- Megapots is the one to look for if jackpot prizes are the main draw, though read the trigger rules first, because the tiers only pay inside Hold and Spin.
- Megaclusters fits if you prefer grid-based play and chain-reaction wins from splitting symbols.
Those are preferences about gameplay, budget and tolerance for volatility, not a promise of better returns. The name on the game tells you nothing about what a single session will do. That is why it is important to gamble responsibly, regardless of which slot or casino game you choose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Finally, here is a short but important Q&A section. It features common questions about the three mechanics, and about the jackpot system they get mistaken for.
Sources and Further Reading
- Big Bucks Deluxe (2025) Big Time Gaming
- Millionaire Megapots (2026) Big Time Gaming
- Millionaire Megapays Big Time Gaming
- Big Time Gaming’s Star Clusters, a genuine hybrid with mass appeal (24 June 2020) CasinoBeats
- Relax Gaming first to gain rights to Megaclusters (10 November 2020) European Gaming
- Types of Slots Games – BestCasino.co.uk
- Cascading Reels Explained – BestCasino.co.uk
- How Big Time Gaming Changed Online Slots – BestCasino.co.uk
- Megaways Slots – BestCasino.co.uk