MegaSpin slots are a unique game developed by Microgaming. Where regular online casino slots usually include a single game with three to five reels (although this can vary), every MegaSpin game allows you to play up to nine three-reel, single-payline  games at once, with just one spin. That means every single bet has nine separate chances to make you a winner.

MegaSpin slots are similar to regular slots in gameplay: you select your bet, spin the reels, and win. The major difference is that you have the opportunity to maximise your play by choosing how many games you want to play at the same time. You can select whether to play 4, 6, or 9 games per spin.

At the moment, Microgaming has four MegaSpin offerings available: MegaSpin Double Magic; Progressive – Major Millions; Fantastic 7s; and High 5s. Their design harks back to classic fruit machine games, with classic symbols that any online casino player will recognise immediately. Let’s take a closer look at each game.

This little quartet of old-school games is so in harmony, we wouldn’t be surprised if they donned barbershop outfits and started singing “Good Night, Sweetheart”. Three of the four games offer you the choice between 4, 6, or 9 games per spin, each individual game comprising a 3-reel, single payline fruit machine game. There are some variations between the games, such as MegaSpin Progressive – Major Millions’ progressive jackpot, Double Magic’s and High 5s Wild symbols, and Fantastic 7s’ fixed jackpot, but their designs are all similar and inspired by classic Vegas fruit machines.

It’s important to note that each game played per spin attracts its own bet. In other words, a bet of $1 on a board of 4 games will equal a stake of $4, while a $10 bet on all 9 games will equal $90 per spin. High 5s and Fantastic 7s both offer the chance to win a jackpot prize for maximum bets.

MegaSpins Double Magic symbols include cherries, single bar, double bar, triple bar, 7, and the game-specific blue star, which is also the game’s wild symbol. A single cherries symbol in combination with any other symbols pays out at 2x your bet, while 2 cherries pays out 5x. Three-of-a-kind single, double, or triple bars pay out 10x, 25x, and 50x your bet, respectively, while any combination of bars pays out 3x. Landing three 7s will get you 100x your bet. The game’s blue star wild can serve as a substitute for any symbol in the game, and will also double or quadruple your win, depending on whether you land one star or two. Three stars on one line wins you a whopping 800x of your bet on that game.

To place a bet, choose the number of games you want to play from 4, 6, or 9, then select your coin value between $0.10 and $5. You can also choose whether to wager 1 or 2 coins per game, which means your lowest stake per spin is $0.40, and your highest stake is $90.

Players familiar with Microgaming’s games will no doubt recognise that this MegaSpin game is based on their wildly popular Major Millions progressive slot game, just amped up to 9. This game includes a progressive jackpot that starts at $250,000, and six times the chances to win it.

The symbols include cherries, single bar, double bar, triple bar, red 7, and blue 7. A single cherries symbol in combination with any other symbols pays out at 2x your bet, while 2 cherries pays out 4x. Three matching single, double, or triple bars pay out 10x, 20x, and 30x your bet, respectively, while any combination of bars pays out 10x. 7s function the same way as bars, with the maximum payout for mixed 7s being 50x. Three red 7s pay out 4x. The game’s wild symbol is the Major Millions logo. This wild can take the place of any symbol, and also acts as a 2x multiplier (4x if you land 2 wilds). Landing 3 wilds triggers a mega win, depending on which payline they land on: payline 1 in the center pays out at 25,000x; payline 2 at the top pays out 50,000x; payline 3 at the bottom triggers a progressive jackpot win, as long as you have bet the maximum stakes.

To play this progressive slot game, first choose your coin value between $0.10 and $1. Unlike the other MegaSpins games, this board is fixed at 6 games; however, you do get to choose how many paylines you want to play per game, up to 3. To qualify for the progressive jackpot, you have to play all three paylines per game, and also place the max bet of $1 per game, per payline, i.e. $18 per spin.

MegaSpin Fantastic 7s is a truly old-school slots game, and doesn’t include scatters or wilds. Don’t let that dissuade you, however, as this game still has plenty to offer.

This game combines the best of the two previous games: you can choose between 4, 6, and 9 games, as well as 1, 2, or 3 paylines per game. Paylines 2 and 3 increase your payout by 2x and 3x, respectively.

A single cherries symbols nets you a 2x/4x/6x (payline 1/payline 2/payline 3) return on your bet, two cherries yield 5x/10x/15x, and three cherries pay out 10x/20x/30x. Any combination of bars will give you 5x/10x/15x, while three matching single bars yield 10x/20x/30x, double bars 20x/40x/60x, and triple bars 30x/60x/90x. Combined 7s win 40x/80x/120x, while three red 7s give you 80x/160x/240x, and rainbow 7s yield an astonishing 500x/1000x/2500x. Remember that, in order to qualify for the maximum win of 2500x on three rainbow 7s, you need to bet on all three paylines. Bets range from $0.10 to $5 per game, per payline, making your max stake per spin $135.

MegaSpin High 5s features the highest potential payout multiplier of all the non-progressive games here, at a truly spectacular 15,000x payout for a three-coin bet that lands three wilds. In this game, you can select the usual 4, 6, or 9 games, and you have an option to bet 1, 2, or 3 coins per game. Each of the 3-reel games has only one payline, but your potential payout increases by 2x for a 2-coin bet, and 3x for a 3-coin wager. Coin values range from $0.10 to $5, making your maximum bet at 9 games 3x cons per game = $135.

Single cherries in combination with any two bars pays out 2x/4x/6x, double cherries with any bar 5x/10x/15x, three cherries or three single bars yield 10x/20x/30x, three double bars 20x/40x/60x, and three double bars 30x/60x/90x. Any combination of three red or blue 7s will pay out 40x/80x/120x, three blue 7s 50x/100x/150x, and three red 7s 60x/120x/180x. The High 5 logo acts as the wild and can take the place of any other symbol, giving you an additional 5x multiplier on your win, whether you hit one or two wilds. Three wilds in a row give you a whopper of a jackpot, with the payouts at 2000x, 5000x, and 15,000x for 1, 2, or 3-coin bets, respectively.

Microgaming MegaSpin games can be found at various online casinos that support Microgaming, including Jackpot City, Ruby Fortune, and Cherry Casino

There’s plenty of positive stuff to be said for games with fun themes, wild soundtracks, and engaging storylines. However, there is also something really appealing about playing stripped-down, classic games that are all about testing your wagering mettle. With each of these games, you are offered options that could massively increase your wins, but ask you to make bold, decisive choices. You get to vary your levels of excitement and tension by decreasing or increasing the number of games you play, and how they pay out. You can choose to play it safe on one side, while risking it big on the other. Fewer games with more paylines or coins, more maxed-out games with lower coin-value bets, or taking it all the way to the maximum and letting the spinning reels create chaos before your eyes, waiting for that perfect combination to click into place. These games offer the slot games aficionado something that all the clever design and life-like animations in the world can’t replace: the power to choose.