Wild West Gold Megaways

Wild West Gold Megaways Slot Review

Pragmatic Play continue their Megaways licensing partnership with Big Time Gaming, now turning their attention to the Wild West Gold franchise. The original Wild West Gold was a smash hit when it launched, earning a reputation for being somewhat brutal with its high volatility gameplay. This Megaways remake brings the licensed mechanic to the familiar Western setting, expanding the reel structure to offer up to 117,649 ways to win across 6 reels. Where the original delivered solid wins with standard paylines, this version adopts the dynamic Megaways format, though the 5,000x maximum win represents a notable reduction from the original’s potential. Pragmatic Play have kept the core visual identity intact while adding modern polish, positioning this as an accessible Megaways entry point for players familiar with the original Wild West Gold experience.

Base Game & Features

Wild West Gold Megaways operates on a 6 reel grid with each reel displaying between 2 and 7 symbols per spin. This dynamic structure creates the Megaways mechanic, generating anywhere from a handful of ways up to 117,649 combinations depending on how many symbols land. Winning combinations form when you land 3 or more matching symbols from left to right on adjacent reels, a standard Megaways setup.

The symbol set includes a Sheriff badge as the premium high-pay symbol, alongside 3 Cowboy and Cowgirl character variants. Lower-paying symbols use the standard A, K, Q, J, and 10 card ranks. Wild symbols appear throughout the game, substituting for all symbols except Scatters and carrying multipliers of x2, x3, or x5. When multiple wilds contribute to the same win, their multipliers multiply together rather than add, which can generate significant uplifts on winning spins.

Unlike many Megaways slots that feature cascading wins or sliding reels, Wild West Gold Megaways sticks to a more traditional spin structure. Each spin resolves independently without cascades, placing greater emphasis on the wild multipliers and bonus features to drive excitement. The base game relies primarily on the Megaways mechanic itself and the occasional appearance of multiplier wilds to deliver decent payouts, though the action remains relatively straightforward between bonus triggers.

Bet Range: £0.20 to £100 per spin (£0.25 to £125 with Ante Bet active)

Ante Bet

The Ante Bet feature increases your current stake by 25% in exchange for adding more scatter symbols to the reels, improving the frequency of Free Spins triggers. This makes bonus rounds more accessible but comes with a slight cost, reducing RTP from 96.44% to 96.41%. Activating Ante Bet automatically disables the Bonus Buy option, so you’ll need to choose between the two features. For players who want more frequent bonus action without paying the full Bonus Buy premium, Ante Bet offers a middle ground, though the minor RTP reduction and increased cost per spin should be factored into bankroll management.

Wild West Gold Megaways Free Spins

Landing 3 to 6 Scatter symbols triggers the Free Spins feature and awards an instant cash prize based on the scatter count: 3 Scatters pay 4x, 4 Scatters pay 20x, 5 Scatters pay 100x, and 6 Scatters pay 500x. All scatter counts award 7 Free Spins to begin the bonus round, regardless of how many scatters triggered it.

During Free Spins, wild symbols become sticky, locking in position for the duration of the feature with their multipliers preserved. This is where the game’s potential concentrates, as each additional wild that lands stays on the reels and contributes its multiplier to subsequent wins. Multiple wilds on screen means their multipliers continue multiplying together, creating escalating win values as the feature progresses.

You can retrigger additional spins by landing 2 to 6 extra Scatters during the feature, awarding 2 to 6 additional Free Spins respectively. The retrigger system allows the feature to extend beyond the base 7 spins, though you’ll need favourable reel configurations to land scatters consistently given the Megaways variability.

Bonus Buy & Ante Bet

For players outside the UK, the Bonus Buy feature allows you to purchase direct entry to Free Spins for 100x your current stake. The feature randomly awards between 3 and 6 scatters (along with their corresponding cash prizes), then launches the bonus round with 7 Free Spins. Using Bonus Buy slightly increases RTP from 96.44% to 96.45%, though the upfront cost means you’ll need strong bonus performance to justify the investment. Note that Bonus Buy is unavailable when Ante Bet is active, requiring you to disable Ante Bet before accessing the purchase option.

Our Honest Verdict

Wild West Gold Megaways delivers a straightforward Megaways adaptation of the original game, though the execution feels more like a surface-level rebrand than a meaningful evolution. The 5,000x maximum win is a significant reduction from the original Wild West Gold (which offered between 6,750x and 10,000x depending on sources), and this downgrade is particularly disappointing given that Megaways branding typically signals higher potential. The game lacks advanced Megaways features such as cascading reels or sliding mechanics, relying instead on the basic dynamic reel structure and sticky multiplier wilds during Free Spins.

As a sequel, you’d expect visual evolution, refined statistics, or expanded features, but Wild West Gold Megaways keeps the same symbol set and theme virtually unchanged. The graphics receive a modern polish with improved visual quality and crisp sound effects, but these are incremental improvements rather than transformative changes. The Multiplier Wilds remain a valued feature, with their x2, x3, and x5 values stacking multiplicatively to create genuine excitement when multiple wilds land, particularly during the sticky Free Spins rounds where they accumulate across spins.

The 96.44% RTP is above average, and the high volatility (5/5) suits players who can weather dry spells for larger hits. The bet range from £0.20 to £100 (or £0.25 to £125 with Ante Bet) accommodates both modest and high-rolling budgets. Bonus features trigger with reasonable frequency, more accessible than many competing high-volatility Megaways slots, which will appeal to players seeking consistent feature action rather than marathon waits.

Where Wild West Gold Megaways falls short is in justifying the Megaways label. The implementation feels superficial, lacking the cascading mechanics and advanced features that define the best examples of the format. Combined with the reduced maximum win and minimal design evolution from the original, this positions the game as a safe but uninspired sequel. It will more than suffice for players who enjoyed the original and want a slightly expanded reel structure, but those expecting Pragmatic Play to push boundaries or deliver a genuine Megaways showcase will find the execution disappointing. High rollers chasing big multipliers should look elsewhere, as competitors offer far more ambitious win potential.

Wild West Gold Megaways FAQs

• What is the RTP of Wild West Gold Megaways?

  Wild West Gold Megaways has an RTP of 96.44%, which is above average. However, casinos can select alternative RTPs of 95.35% or 94.32%, so check your casino’s settings. The RTP changes slightly based on features: using Ante Bet reduces it to 96.41%, while Bonus Buy increases it marginally to 96.45%.
• What is the maximum win on Wild West Gold Megaways?

  The maximum win potential is 5,000x your stake. However, this is considerably lower than the original Wild West Gold slot (which offered up to 10,000x) and is often cited as a disappointing aspect, as players typically expect higher win potential from Megaways-branded games.
• Does Wild West Gold Megaways have free spins?

  Yes, Free Spins trigger when you land 3 or more scatter symbols. You receive 7 free spins plus an instant cash prize (4x, 20x, 100x, or 500x depending on scatter count). During Free Spins, wild symbols become sticky with multipliers of 2x, 3x, or 5x that multiply together, and you can retrigger additional spins.
• Can I play Wild West Gold Megaways on mobile?

  Yes, Wild West Gold Megaways is fully mobile-optimised and works seamlessly on both iOS and Android devices. The game is HTML5-based and plays directly in your mobile browser without requiring any app download, maintaining high-quality graphics and smooth gameplay across all screen sizes.
• Does Wild West Gold Megaways have a bonus buy feature?

  Yes, Bonus Buy is available for players outside the UK, allowing you to purchase Free Spins for 100x your current stake. This slightly increases RTP from 96.44% to 96.45%. However, Bonus Buy is disabled when the Ante Bet feature is active.
• What is the Ante Bet feature in Wild West Gold Megaways?

  The Ante Bet feature increases your current bet by 25% and makes more scatter symbols appear on the reels, improving the chance of triggering Free Spins. However, using Ante Bet slightly reduces RTP from 96.44% to 96.41% and automatically disables the Bonus Buy option.
• How many ways to win does Wild West Gold Megaways have?

  Wild West Gold Megaways features the Megaways mechanic with up to 117,649 ways to win. The game has 6 reels that can display 2 to 7 symbols each, creating dynamic win combinations on every spin. This is significantly more than traditional payline-based slots.