Power of Merlin Megaways Slot Review
Introduction
Power of Merlin Megaways is a high-volatility Megaways video slot from Pragmatic Play with a 96.08% RTP, a 6-reel layout offering up to 117,649 ways to win, and a maximum win of 40,000x the stake, available to play at Chips.gg. The game casts the Arthurian wizard over an enchanted forest backdrop, with fireflies drifting behind the reels and a horizontal top reel completing the Megaways setup. The headline number is the ceiling: Pragmatic Play usually caps its slots between 5,000x and 10,000x, and this one reaches 40,000x through tumbling wins, a persistent bonus multiplier, and a wild-spawning Lightning Bolt.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Game Type | Megaways Video Slot |
| Provider | Pragmatic Play |
| RTP | 96.08% (as deployed at Chips.gg) |
| Volatility | High |
| Layout | 6 reels plus a horizontal top reel, 2 to 7 rows |
| Ways to Win | Up to 117,649 |
| Maximum Win | 40,000x the stake |
| Hit Frequency | 20% |
| Bonus Frequency | Roughly 1 in 418 spins |
| Bet Range | 0.20 to 100 |
| Free Spins | Yes, 4 or more scatters award 10 to 30 spins |
| Feature Buy | Yes, 150x the stake |
| Release Date | July 2023 |
Facts verified July 2026 against the live Chips.gg game configuration.
Game Features and Bonuses
Power of Merlin Megaways runs a tumble engine underneath four core features.
Layout: 6 main reels showing 2 to 7 symbols each, plus a top horizontal reel, for up to 117,649 ways to win.
Special Symbols: A red orb wild lands on reels 2 through 6 and substitutes for all paying symbols. A burning book is the scatter, and Lightning Bolt symbols land on the top reel only.
Free Spins: Landing 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 scatters awards 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, or 30 free spins. Four or more scatters during the bonus add 4 extra spins.
Bonus Rounds: Free spins start at a 1x multiplier that rises by 1x with every tumble and never resets during the round. Before spinning, a gamble wheel offers to upgrade the spin count, with published odds from 63.10% up to 78.92% per step; landing on red forfeits the bonus entirely.
Unique Features: The Lightning Bolt picks a random symbol type and converts every instance of it on reels 2 to 5 into wilds; if it arrives during a tumble, it moves and fires again. A bonus buy costs 150x the stake.
Gameplay Mechanics and Strategies
The math profile is a long-odds chase dressed in familiar Megaways clothing.
Unique Mechanics: Every win triggers a tumble, removing winning symbols and dropping new ones until no fresh win lands. The Megaways engine redraws reel heights each spin, so the ways count fluctuates constantly.
In-Game Dynamics: The 20% hit frequency means roughly one spin in five connects, but AboutSlots puts the bonus at about 1 in 418 spins and the 40,000x top prize near 1 in 21.3 million, so most of the potential is concentrated in rare events.
Player Strategy: No bet size or timing changes the 96.08% RTP; the house edge stays 3.92% on every spin. The one genuine decision is the gamble wheel, where published step odds let you weigh a guaranteed spin count against losing the bonus. Size bets so a few hundred dead spins do not end the session.
Comparison with Similar Slots
Pragmatic Play's own Megaways catalog gives the clearest benchmarks. [
Megaways](/catalog/pragmaticplay-the-dog-house-megaways) runs the same up-to-117,649-ways engine at a 96.55% RTP with a 12,305x maximum win and a choice of two free spins modes. stretches to 200,704 ways with a 96.56% RTP and a 5,000x cap, backed by a wheel-set multiplier of up to 25x. Power of Merlin Megaways gives up a little RTP against both but more than triples their ceilings at 40,000x.Frequently Asked Questions
What is the RTP of Power of Merlin Megaways?
Power of Merlin Megaways returns 96.08% as deployed at Chips.gg, the default build. Pragmatic Play also produces 95.07% and 94.08% configurations of this game, so other casinos may run lower-paying builds; check the paytable wherever you play.
What is the maximum win in Power of Merlin Megaways?
The maximum win is 40,000x the stake, far above Pragmatic Play's usual 5,000x to 10,000x range. AboutSlots estimates the odds of hitting it at roughly 1 in 21.3 million spins.
How do you trigger free spins in Power of Merlin Megaways?
Landing 4 to 9 burning book scatters awards 10 to 30 free spins. During the bonus, 4 or more scatters add 4 extra spins, and the tumble multiplier climbs by 1x per tumble without resetting.
How does the free spins gamble wheel work?
Before the bonus starts, you can spin a wheel to upgrade your spin count, with odds of 63.10% to 78.92% per step depending on the level. Landing on red loses the free spins and returns you to the base game, so it is a genuine gamble, not a free upgrade.
What does the Lightning Bolt symbol do?
The Lightning Bolt lands on the top horizontal reel, selects a random symbol type, and turns every copy of it on reels 2 to 5 wild. If it lands mid-tumble, it relocates and converts a new symbol type.
Is Power of Merlin Megaways a high volatility slot?
Yes. The catalog rates it high volatility, and the numbers agree: a 20% hit frequency, a bonus about every 418 spins, and a prize structure weighted toward the 40,000x tail.
Conclusion
Power of Merlin Megaways is a well-built entry in a crowded genre. Its strengths are the 40,000x ceiling, the persistent bonus multiplier, published gamble wheel odds, and a Lightning Bolt that can wild out whole symbol types mid-tumble. The honest drawbacks: base game wins are modest, the 96.08% RTP sits slightly under Pragmatic Play's own Megaways siblings, and the headline prize is a statistical rarity. It suits players who want maximum ceiling from the Megaways format and accept long droughts; anyone chasing frequent features should look at lower-variance titles.
