We spent several sessions testing Wild Wild Riches Megaways, and the moment that stands out was a base game spin where wilds landed on both reel 1 and reel 2 while three money symbols sat on reels 4, 5, and 6 — one of them carrying the 250x jackpot value with a 5x multiplier on reel 6. That single Money Collect trigger paid more than any free spins round we hit across the entire session. It is a useful reminder that this February 2023 Megaways remake of the 2020 original is not purely bonus-dependent. The base game collect mechanic can deliver meaningful wins on its own, though high volatility means long dry stretches between those moments.
Theme and Design
The Irish luck theme here will feel familiar to anyone who has played slot games in the last decade — green rolling hills, a leprechaun character, shamrocks, horseshoes, four-leaf clovers, beer mugs, harps, pipes, and mushrooms fill the symbol set. The visual upgrade from the original Wild Wild Riches is noticeable but not dramatic. The Megaways grid with its variable row heights adds visual movement that the fixed 5-reel layout lacked, and a Celtic folk soundtrack loops in the background without becoming grating. It is a polished production, though the Irish slot market is crowded enough that theme alone will not differentiate this title from the competition.
How the Money Collect Feature Works
The defining mechanic in this Pragmatic Play title is the Money Collect feature. Wild symbols appear exclusively on reels 1 and 2. Money symbols — carrying cash values from 1x to 20x your bet — can land on reels 3, 4, 5, and 6. When wilds appear on both reel 1 and reel 2 simultaneously, every visible money symbol in a valid left-to-right way is collected and its value paid out immediately.
Reel 6 is where the real potential sits. Instead of standard 1x–20x values, money symbols on this reel can reveal one of four jackpot prizes: 25x, 50x, 100x, or 250x your bet. Reel 6 can also show multiplier values of 2x, 3x, or 5x. These multipliers apply to the total collect payout — not to individual symbols — which means a reel 6 multiplier on a spin with several money symbols across reels 3 through 5 compounds the win significantly.
Landing wilds on reels 1 and 2 plus a bonus symbol on reel 3 triggers free spins instead. The game randomly awards between 6 and 20 spins, but if you receive fewer than 20, a gamble wheel appears. The wheel is divided into red and green segments — green increases your awarded spins, red takes them all away. Successful gambles can push you to the 20-spin maximum, but a failed gamble means returning to the base game with nothing. During free spins, more wild and money symbols are loaded onto the reels, making Money Collect triggers considerably more frequent. Retriggers add 6 extra spins each time wilds plus a bonus symbol appear again, with no cap on how many times this can occur.
Strategy Tips for This Slot
The gamble wheel after the free spins trigger is the biggest decision point in Wild Wild Riches Megaways. If you are awarded 15 or more spins, the risk of losing everything on the wheel rarely justifies the potential gain of a few extra spins. With fewer than 10 awarded spins, the gamble becomes more tempting since the free spins round needs length to build up multiple Money Collect triggers. There is no mathematically correct answer — all outcomes depend on a random number generator — but understanding your own risk tolerance before the wheel appears helps avoid impulsive decisions.
The bonus buy option in Wild Wild Riches Megaways costs 100x your bet and drops you directly into free spins at the same 96.02% RTP as the base game, translating to a house edge of roughly 3.98%. It skips the base game grind entirely, but 100x is a substantial outlay for a high-volatility slot where even free spins rounds can return under 50x. Before using either the gamble wheel or the bonus buy, consider setting a session budget that accounts for multiple attempts rather than staking everything on a single trigger.
One detail worth noting: the Money Collect feature fires in both the base game and free spins. Unlike bonus-only mechanics, this means the base game is not purely dead spins. Any time wilds align on the first two reels with money symbols adjacent, you collect — no bonus round required. This makes the base game more engaging than many high-volatility Megaways slots where non-bonus spins feel like empty cycles.
Our Verdict
Wild Wild Riches Megaways is a solid Megaways upgrade of the 2020 original. The Money Collect feature gives the base game a purpose that most high-volatility slots lack, and the gamble wheel on the free spins trigger adds a layer of player agency that feels meaningful even though outcomes are random. The 96.02% default RTP sits in the middle of the pack — not a standout, but fair. On the downside, the Irish theme is one of the most oversaturated in online slots, and the Megaways engine here does not introduce any novel twist beyond applying it to the existing collect mechanic.
This slot works best for players who want collect-style wins in the base game rather than slots where everything depends on triggering a bonus round. If you are looking for the original 576-way version, that is a separate title — this Megaways edition runs on 117,649 ways with higher volatility and a higher ceiling. The gamble wheel can tempt chasing behavior after near-miss triggers, so review our gambling safety guide and set firm limits before extended sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I gamble for more free spins or keep the awarded amount?
There is no optimal answer since the gamble wheel is purely random. If you receive a low number of spins — under 10 — the gamble is more tempting because short free spins rounds often do not generate enough Money Collect triggers. With 15 or more spins, keeping what you have is the lower-risk choice. Losing on the wheel means returning to the base game with nothing from that trigger.
What triggers the biggest wins in Wild Wild Riches Megaways?
The largest payouts come from the Money Collect feature during free spins, especially when reel 6 lands a jackpot value (up to 250x) combined with a multiplier (up to 5x) while multiple money symbols sit on reels 3 through 5. Extended free spins rounds via retriggers increase the chance of hitting these combinations. The maximum win is capped at 10,000x your bet.
How does Wild Wild Riches Megaways compare to the original Wild Wild Riches?
The original 2020 version uses 5 reels with a fixed 576 ways to win. The Megaways remake expands to 6 reels with up to 117,649 ways, adds the gamble wheel on free spins triggers, and includes a bonus buy option at 100x. The core Money Collect mechanic is the same in both, but the Megaways version has higher volatility and a higher maximum win. Players who prefer more predictable sessions may find the original a better fit among Megaways games.
