Which Wish Master Slot is Best?

The Wish Master and The Wish Master Megaways share the same genie, feature inventory, Wild mechanics, and multiplier system, but the mathematics are very different. The 2014 original has the higher RTP and much higher hit frequency, while the 2023 Megaways sequel increases the maximum payout from 2,200x to 27,018x and replaces 20 paylines with up to 117,649 ways to win. We compared both versions to see which one offers the better balance of return, payout potential, and feature depth.

The Wish Master vs Megaways: Key Differences

Feature The Wish Master The Wish Master Megaways Advantage
Release 2014 2023 —
RTP 96.64% 96.07% Original
Hit Frequency 38% 20.48% Original
Max Win 2,200x 27,018x Megaways
Layout 5×3, 20 paylines 6×7, up to 117,649 ways Depends on preference
Feature Inventory 5 possible features 4 possible features Original

For other games in the NetEnt catalog, check out our best NetEnt slots list.

Our Pick: The Wish Master Megaways

The Wish Master Megaways is our overall pick because its 27,018x maximum payout is more than 12 times larger than the original’s 2,200x ceiling, while the core feature system remains recognizable.

The original is mathematically stronger on RTP and hit frequency, so this is not a clean sweep. Megaways wins because the increase in payout potential is enormous, while still preserving the feature-inventory mechanic that gives The Wish Master its identity.

Which Wish Master Slot Has the Higher RTP?

The original The Wish Master has the higher RTP at 96.64%, compared with 96.07% for the Megaways sequel.

That is a difference of 0.57 percentage points, giving the original a 3.36% house edge and Megaways a 3.93% house edge.

Game RTP House Edge
The Wish Master 96.64% 3.36%
The Wish Master Megaways 96.07% 3.93%

At $1,000 of theoretical wagering, that works out at approximately $33.60 of house edge in the original and $39.30 in Megaways. The theoretical difference is therefore $5.70 per $1,000 wagered.

Relative to the original’s 3.36% edge, the Megaways house edge is around 17% larger. For players prioritizing theoretical return, the original has the clear advantage.

How Much Bigger Is the Megaways Max Win?

The Wish Master Megaways reaches 27,018x stake, compared with 2,200x in the original.

That makes the Megaways ceiling approximately:

27,018 ÷ 2,200 = 12.28

So the sequel’s maximum payout is around 12.28 times larger than the original’s. Expressed as an increase, that is roughly 1,128% higher.

Game Max Win Relative Ceiling
The Wish Master Megaways 27,018x 12.28x original
The Wish Master 2,200x Baseline

This is the defining mathematical difference between the two games. The original wins RTP, but Megaways increases the payout ceiling by an order of magnitude.

Which Game Produces Winning Results More Often?

The original has a much higher hit frequency at 38%, compared with 20.48% for The Wish Master Megaways.

The gap is 17.52 percentage points. Relative to the Megaways figure, the original’s hit frequency is around 85.5% higher.

That does not mean the original is more profitable on any individual session. Hit frequency describes how often the mathematical model produces winning outcomes, while RTP measures theoretical return across a very large number of spins.

Still, this is a substantial difference. The original combines the higher RTP with much more frequent winning outcomes, while Megaways concentrates more of its appeal in a vastly larger payout ceiling.

What Changed From 20 Paylines to 117,649 Ways?

The Megaways sequel replaces the original 20-payline structure with a six-reel variable-row system capable of creating up to 117,649 ways to win.

The original The Wish Master uses a traditional 5×3 layout with 20 fixed paylines. Winning combinations therefore depend on symbols forming along those defined lines.

Megaways changes the architecture completely. The six reels can produce variable symbol counts, and the number of active ways changes with the reel configuration.

At maximum expansion, the game reaches 117,649 ways.

That gives Megaways a much denser reel structure, but the ways figure should not be mistaken for evidence that it wins more frequently. The hit-frequency numbers show the opposite: the original sits at 38%, while Megaways is 20.48%.

More ways to win and more frequent winning results are not the same thing.

What Surprised Us

Moving from 20 paylines to as many as 117,649 ways does not increase the hit frequency.

The original records winning outcomes at 38%, while The Wish Master Megaways sits at 20.48%. What the larger reel architecture does change dramatically is payout potential, with the maximum rising from 2,200x to 27,018x.

How Do the Wish Master Features Compare?

Both games let players build an inventory of up to three active Wish Master features, but the original has five possible feature types while Megaways has four.

The original can activate:

  • Extra Wild
  • Wild Reel
  • Expanding Wild
  • Multiplier
  • Random Wild

A Scatter activates one of these features for 10 spins. Additional Scatters can add another feature and extend the counter by five spins, with up to three features active at the same time.

The Megaways sequel preserves the inventory idea but trims the list to four:

  • Extra Wild
  • Wild Reel
  • Multiplier
  • Random Wild

Expanding Wild disappears from the Megaways version.

The structure also changes from 10 initial feature spins to five consecutive spins, with each new activation resetting the counter to five.

Which Version Has the Better Multiplier Feature?

Both games can combine 2x and 3x multipliers for a total 6x multiplier.

The original applies its multiplier to payline wins, while Megaways applies the multiplier to winning ways.

That means the headline multiplier has not increased despite the huge jump in maximum payout. The 27,018x ceiling comes from the wider Megaways architecture and how the feature system interacts with it, not from simply turning the old 6x multiplier into a much larger number.

That is an important distinction because it shows how radically the payout profile can change even while one of the franchise’s core feature limits stays the same.

Which Has the Better Wild Reel Feature?

The Megaways version gives the Wild Reel more persistence because the reel stays Wild throughout the active Wish Master Feature Spins.

In both versions, the feature converts a reel into Wild symbols. The difference is how that Wild reel interacts with the wider game architecture.

In the original, it operates inside a fixed 5×3, 20-payline structure.

In Megaways, it can interact with the variable-row reel configuration and thousands of potential winning ways, creating much more scope for the same basic concept to affect combinations across the screen.

The feature name stays familiar, but the reel system around it gives the modern version a different scale.

Does The Wish Master Megaways Improve Every Part of the Original?

No. It massively improves maximum payout potential, but the original retains the better RTP, higher hit frequency, and an extra Wish Master feature.

The original has:

  • 96.64% RTP
  • 38% hit frequency
  • 2,200x max win
  • 20 paylines
  • five Wish Master features
  • 10 initial feature spins

Megaways has:

  • 96.07% RTP
  • 20.48% hit frequency
  • 27,018x max win
  • up to 117,649 ways
  • four Wish Master features
  • five feature spins that reset with new activations

The sequel is therefore not simply a larger version of everything in the original. It gives up some of the original’s mathematical strength and feature breadth in exchange for a radically larger reel architecture and payout ceiling.

What Do You Give Up for the 27,018x Max Win?

You give up 0.57 percentage points of RTP and a large amount of hit frequency.

That is the central tradeoff between the two games.

The original gives you a 96.64% RTP and 38% hit frequency but stops at 2,200x.

Megaways drops to 96.07% RTP and 20.48% hit frequency but raises the maximum to 27,018x.

Put simply:

better return and more frequent wins vs much greater maximum payout potential.

This is one of those comparisons where the correct choice depends heavily on what the player actually values.

Which Wish Master Slot Is Better for Simple Gameplay?

The original The Wish Master is easier to follow because it uses a fixed 5×3 layout and 20 paylines.

Its complexity comes almost entirely from the Wish Master feature inventory. Once you understand the five possible features and how up to three can combine, the underlying reel game remains conventional.

Megaways adds another layer through variable reel heights and constantly changing ways to win.

The feature inventory itself is slightly simpler because one feature has been removed, but the reel architecture is more complex.

Players who prefer traditional slot structures will therefore find the original cleaner.

The Wish Master vs The Wish Master Megaways: Which Is Better?

The Wish Master Megaways is the stronger choice for payout potential, while the original is better for RTP, hit frequency, and traditional gameplay.

Choose the original The Wish Master if you want:

  • higher RTP: 96.64% vs 96.07%
  • higher hit frequency: 38% vs 20.48%
  • five different Wish Master features
  • 10 initial feature spins
  • a traditional 5×3, 20-payline layout

Choose The Wish Master Megaways if you want:

  • a 27,018x maximum payout
  • up to 117,649 ways to win
  • variable reel heights
  • a more modern reel system
  • the familiar feature-inventory mechanic on a much larger payout architecture

The original is mathematically kinder.

Megaways is dramatically more aggressive.

For most players choosing specifically between the two today, The Wish Master Megaways gets our overall vote because increasing the maximum payout from 2,200x to 27,018x changes the game much more dramatically than the 0.57-point reduction in RTP, while the recognizable Wish Master inventory system survives the transition.

Our Picks by Player Type

Best overall: The Wish Master Megaways

Its 27,018x ceiling and up to 117,649 ways make it the more ambitious version while retaining the core feature inventory.

Best for RTP: The Wish Master

The original’s 96.64% RTP beats Megaways at 96.07%.

Best for frequent wins: The Wish Master

Its 38% hit frequency is far above the 20.48% figure in Megaways.

Best for max win: The Wish Master Megaways

The 27,018x ceiling is around 12.28 times larger than the original’s 2,200x maximum.

Best for feature variety: The Wish Master

Five possible Wish Master features give it one more feature type than the Megaways sequel.

Best for modern reel mechanics: The Wish Master Megaways

The six-reel system can expand to as many as 117,649 ways to win.

Best for traditional slot gameplay: The Wish Master

Its fixed 5×3 layout and 20 paylines are easier to follow than a variable Megaways reel set.

The choice ultimately comes down to what matters more: the original’s stronger RTP and much higher hit frequency, or the Megaways sequel’s enormous increase in maximum payout potential.

Gavin Lucas – iGaming Expert and Chief Editor, Gamblerspro.com
Gavin has spent over a decade writing about online casinos across every major operator and market. He has hundreds of published articles about online casinos, games like slots, blackjack, and roulette, and has played at top sites across the world.