Bandit Megaways (Pragmatic Play) Slot Review

Bandit Megaways: Slot Overview 

Saddle up and ride into the dust-blown streets of the Wild West in Bandit Megaways, a gritty, high-volatility online slot from Pragmatic Play, released on April 3, 2025. This title rides on the coattails of popular Megaways mechanics, and it does so with a familiar cast of rugged outlaws, saloon backdrops, and a heavy-hitting multiplier system reminiscent of the developer’s smash hit Gates of Olympus. But instead of gods and temples, here we’ve got revolvers, bandanas, and a gang of gun-slinging rogues. 

At its core, Bandit Megaways is a 6-reel, up to 7-row slot offering up to 117,649 ways to win. Built on Big Time Gaming’s renowned Megaways engine, it delivers a 96.55% RTP, a high volatility math model, and a top prize of 5,000x your bet — albeit with a low hit frequency of just 1 in 992,851 for the max win. It’s not a game that tries to break new ground in terms of theme or layout, but it combines known elements in a tight, rewarding package for players who enjoy multiplier mechanics and tense tumble chains.

Design and Graphics 

From the first spin, Bandit Megaways immerses you in a dusty frontier town. The base game takes place on the main street, framed by wooden buildings and weathered signs. It’s a classic Western aesthetic — muted colors, wooden textures, and the odd tumbleweed drifting across the screen. When free spins are triggered, the action moves inside a saloon, swapping the outdoor sun for oil lamps and poker tables, adding just a touch of variety to the setting. Symbol design is crisp and character-driven. You’ll find: 

• Low-paying symbols: Standard 10–A card royals carved into wood. 

• High-paying symbols: Gunslingers, cowgirls, grizzled outlaws, and sheriffs. 

• Multipliers: Bright gold chips with values ranging from 2x to 500x. 

• Scatters: Trigger free spins. 

• Bonus tracker reel: A horizontally-scrolling 4-cell reel adds action above the central reels. 

While nothing about the visuals is groundbreaking, it all feels cohesive and thematically on point. You’re not going to be wowed by cinematic cutscenes here, but for a fast-paced Megaways slot, it gets the job done.

Gameplay Mechanics 

This is a standard Megaways engine setup, with a dynamic reel system: 

• Each of the 6 reels can show up to 7 symbols, creating a potential 117,649 ways to win. 

• There’s a 4-symbol tracker reel above the central reels, adding extra symbols per spin. 

• Winning combinations form left to right from the first reel. 

• After each win, the tumble mechanic kicks in — symbols explode, new ones fall into place, and the process repeats until no new wins land. 

Symbol Payouts 

• 6 of a kind royals: Pay 0.5x to 0.8x the bet. 

• 6 high-paying symbols: Pay 1x to 7.5x your stake. 

It’s all fairly typical for Megaways titles, but the magic happens when the multipliers and tumbles start to work in tandem — especially during free spins.

Sound and Music 

The soundtrack leans heavily into the spaghetti Western vibe. Expect twangy guitars, moody whistles, and the occasional whipcrack or revolver spin. It’s atmospheric and blends seamlessly with the setting, though it won’t stand out as particularly memorable. 

During free spins and multiplier drops, the music intensifies, layering in suspense-building tones and more pronounced sound cues. The audio design won’t win awards, but it’s well-integrated and enhances the immersion without becoming intrusive.

Bonus Features 

Here’s where Bandit Megaways gets interesting. While the base game keeps it simple, the features stack up in a way that can deliver thrilling sequences and large wins. Multiplier Feature 

• Multiplier symbols can land at any time, both in the base game and during free spins. 

• They range from x2 to x500. 

• When the reels tumble, multipliers stay in place until the end of the tumble sequence. 

• Then, all visible multipliers are added together and applied to the total win from that tumble chain. 

This mechanic is the beating heart of the game. It creates tension during tumbles and can turn a modest win into something spectacular — especially when several multipliers land together. 

Free Spins 

Triggered by landing 4, 5, or 6 scatter symbols, awarding: 

• 15, 20, or 25 free spins, respectively. 

In the bonus round: 

• Multiplier symbols contribute to a global multiplier. 

• Every time a multiplier lands and a win occurs, it’s added to the total multiplier, which carries forward throughout the round. 

• Each subsequent win gets multiplied by the cumulative value. 

• Landing 3 to 6 scatters during free spins awards 15 to 30 additional spins. 

The potential here is huge, especially if you can build up that global multiplier early in the round. 

Feature Buy Options 

For players who want to skip the grind: 100x the bet: Buys entry to the free spins with a standard 4–6 scatter trigger. 

500x the bet: Guarantees entry with 4–6 scatters, but with a twist — the minimum multiplier symbol value is x10 during the round. 

It’s a steep price, but for those chasing huge wins, the 500x buy-in with guaranteed high multipliers can be a tempting gamble.

Betting Options and Payouts 

Whether you’re a casual spinner or a high roller, Bandit Megaways has your stake covered: 

• Min Bet: €0.20 

• Max Bet: €240 

Core stats: 

• RTP: 96.55% 

• Hit Frequency: 1 in 3.88 

• Free Spins Frequency: 1 in 426.21 

• Volatility: High 

• Max Win: 5,000x your stake 

• Max Win Frequency: 1 in 992,851 

For a Megaways game, the 5,000x max win is slightly underwhelming — many similar titles shoot for 10,000x or more. But considering the pace of play and the multiplier mechanics, it still offers solid win potential when things line up.

Conclusion 

Bandit Megaways doesn’t rewrite the Megaways formula — it sticks closely to the proven model, adds a Western twist, and sprinkles in a healthy dose of multiplier action. While it’s easy to dismiss it as a reskinned Gates of Olympus clone (just swap gods for gunslingers), the execution here is tight, and the gameplay flow feels satisfying. 

The tumble wins, stacking multipliers, and global multiplier system during free spins are its biggest strengths. Feature buys offer an optional shortcut to the action, though the 500x cost is only for the bold. The graphics are serviceable, and while the theme doesn’t break new ground, it plays well with the mechanics. 

On the downside, the 5,000x win cap might feel low for a high-volatility Megaways game, especially when you consider how much potential these mechanics could deliver in theory. Still, if you’re a fan of high-risk, high-reward slots with persistent multipliers and tumble chains, there’s more than enough firepower here to keep your revolver spinning.