Who Is Big Time Gaming?
Big Time Gaming was founded in 2011 by CEO Nik Robinson and Chief Technology Officer Huw McIntosh. Robinson has been part of the online gambling industry since 1996 when he founded New Tech Media which was sold to News Ciro and eventually merged with Orbis to become what’s now known as Openbet.
The firm was officially founded in Sydney, Australia, and, despite being a relatively small company, managed to grow quickly by launching games with a large number of paylines. In fact, slots with paylines over 20,000 were unheard of back then and Big Time Gaming’s slot releases completely revolutionised the industry by launching their MegaWays game engine with Dragon Born, a slot which allowed for even more paylines.
These new games, which included Bonanza MegaWays, Dragon Born, Queen of Riches and Danger High Voltage, became hugely popular due to the paylines, the ever-changing number of symbols and paylines and special features. All of this established Big Time Gaming as a key player in the gambling industry.
Their success has continued to this day as the firm continues to release new MegaWays slots and have even begun establishing deals to allow other game providers to use their engine, but more on that later.
The Best BTG Megaways Slots
Big Time Gaming’s Achievements
While the firm has been praised by gamers continuously since launching its MegaWays engine, it hasn’t been recognised for its contribution to the online gambling industry. However, in 2017, Big Time Gaming or BTG won iGaming’s award for Best iGaming Software Experience Award 2017 for its Bonanza and Danger High Voltage slots.
It’d be great to see the firm pick up more awards over the next few years to reward them for their great contribution to the online slot industry.
Game Selection
Before launching their MegaWays game engine, Big Time Gaming developed and released several ordinary slot games featuring a basic number of paylines. This small collection of games includes Diamonds, Feathered Frenzy, Gold, Fruit Cake, Joker Jackpot, Tumblin’ Treasures, Haunted House and Temple of Fortunes. These slots were well-liked and enjoyable, but they didn’t add anything new to the industry.
BGT’s MegaWays slots, however, was what really put the firm on the map. Their first release was Dragon Born which proved to be popular but failed to make the company big. The following MegaWays slots included Queen of Riches and StarQuest before Bonanza and Danger High Voltage. These slots, as well as White Rabbit, Temple Quest Spinfinity, Holy Diver and Extra Chilli are what made the company what it is today.
However, Big Time Gaming is still developing and launching small slots for players who enjoy simpler games. More recent releases include Book of Gods and Donuts.
Extra Chilli
Extra Chilli is arguably Big Time Gaming’s most famous MegaWays slot. It features 117,649 paylines, an extra reel as well as a reactional winnings, which means whenever you land winnings, the symbols will explode and new symbols will fall from the top of the screen and replace them.
The game also boasts from several features including the Free Spins where you can collect an extra multiplier for every winning combination. There’s also an option to gamble your free spins after spinning the Free Spins Gamble Wheel, allowing you to collect even more spins or lose some of them.
Lastly, the game benefits from a feature drop where you collect coins as they land on the reels. These coins are credited to your winnings and can then be exchanged for the Free Spins feature, allowing you to gamble your spins for more.
Bonanza
Bonanza was one of the first popular MegaWays games. Released back in 2016, the game benefits from 117,649 paylines and several special features. Set against a cliff, the slot features reactional winnings and an extra reel of symbols which are carried onto the screen via four mine carts.
There are a number of special features here too including the Free Spins which occurs on a completely different reel. In addition, you receive an extra multiplier for every winning combination. Compared to later MegaWays game, Bonanza lacks some special features but is well-loved for its high-quality graphics and sound effects.
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
The Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is a slot game based on the reality television game show of the same name. The slot, which was released in 2018, has an RTP of 96.24% and has 117,649 different paylines. Like most other MegaWays games, the slot has an additional reel at the bottom of the screen and feature reactionary winnings.
The slot also features a sun Free Spins Gamble feature where you can win up to 50 free spins by climbing a ladder of prizes. To climb the ladder, you must select the correct symbol out of four. As you move up each rung, the number of spins you win grows but guessing incorrectly will cause you to lose all of your spins. However, rungs two and seven are safety nets and always guarantee wins regardless of losing the gamble.
There are also lifelines you can use during the gamble feature, all based off the show. The 50:50 option will remove two incorrect answers, the Phone A Friend option will reveal the most likely answer and the Ask The Audience option will reveal the odds to each answer.
Instant Win Games
In addition to developing some hugely popular online slots, Big Time Gaming has also launched a collection of instant-win cards where all you need to do is tap different symbols and make them match up. Some of these instant games feature progressive jackpots which give you an opportunity to land higher-paying winning combinations.
Table Games
On top of all that, Big Time Gaming has also released several table games. Their collection includes Auto Blackjack, Finest Roulette, Auto Roulette and VIP Roulette. However, these table games can actually be quite hard to find at online casinos so if you do happen to stumble upon one, good luck!
Studios, Subsidiaries and Partners
Quickfire and Openbet
Shortly after Big Time Gaming first launched, the firm announced a distribution deal with Quickfire that allowed the firm to release their slots onto Quickfire’s network and platforms including Bet365, Victor Chandler and Betsson. The firm also announced a partnership with Openbet, supplying the operator with their slots including Feathered Frenzy, Diamonds and Mr Multiplier.
MegaWays
MegaWays basically scraps the traditional paylines for something much more fun. In MegaWays games, the number of paylines and symbols present on the reels changes with each spin. Symbols in the game can vary in height and can take up between two to seven spaces per reel. In addition to this, matching symbols that run left to right form winning combinations, even if they’re not directly beside each other.
Blueprint Gaming
Back in May 2018, it was announced that Big Time Gaming had signed a deal with Blueprint Gaming, allowing the firm to use its MegaWays game engine to develop new slots. The first game Blueprint released under the agreement was Diamond Mine, soon followed by Irish Riches Progressive, Genie Jackpots, Buffalo Rising and Primal Megaways.
More recent releases include Vikings Unleashed and Lightning Strike. The firm has also announced the launch of a new MegaWays online slot titled Legacy of Ra which is based on Egyptian mythology.
Red Tiger Gaming and Storm Gaming
Big Time Gaming struck similar deals in 2018 with providers Red Tiger Gaming and Storm Gaming, allowing the companies to develop and eventually launch games built using the MegaWays game engine. While Red Tiger Gaming hasn’t yet released a slot through the service, Storm Gaming have planned to release their Magic Merlin MegaWays slot in late March.
Big Time Gaming’s Future
While Big Time Gaming hasn’t completely been public about their plans for the future, we believe the firm will continue to release new and exciting slot games while forming additional partnerships with smaller game providers, allowing them to built and launch games through the MegaWays engine.
Meanwhile, the firm has already begun teasing a sequel to its critically acclaimed online slot Extra Chilli which is set to celebrate its upcoming birthday within the next few days. It’s thought that Big Time Gaming will announce a follow-up to the game just as NetEnt has done with Dead Or Alive.
Summary
Big Time Gaming is a great provider and is perfect for someone who enjoys playing games with extra features or for someone who gets bored quickly with the traditional slot games. BTG’s collection of slots all include extra (Or fewer) paylines, as well as high-quality graphics and sound effects.
In fact, it’s obvious to see just how much the firm has changed the gambling industry. More and more providers are now starting to work alongside the firm, producing slots for them using their ground-breaking technology. Big Time Gaming’s slot are exceptionally fun to play and the sheer number of games built using the MegaWays game engine means fans of the service will have a wide range of slot titles.