The CasinoWizard is buzzing with excitement as this is a theme right up his alley, but don't expect anything out of the ordinary apart from a classic Megaways slot.
Nothing new and ordinary here (although we love the theme)
The free spins don’t trigger very often on average
Power of Merlin Megaways slot overview
Here’s an interesting tidbit of information for you: good old Merlin and CasinoWizard were best buddies a long time ago.
While Merlin was busy helping out King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, CasinoWizard was thoroughly searching for the best-paying slots in online casinos. Now, while the Wizard loves his job, Merlin was always the cooler one.
Every time Merlin is featured in an online slot, CasinoWizard thinks about his old pal and the good times they once had.
Pragmatic Play has been a strong contender in the Megaways space in recent years with popular releases such as Madame Destiny Megaways, 5 Lions Megaways, and Muertos Multiplier Megaways. While their Megaways releases perhaps do not always have the most innovative features, they always seem to strike a chord with fans of the genre.
Power of Merlin Megaways is another great release. Feature-wise, slots such as Power of Thor Megaways and Wild Hammer Megaways spring to mind. Another eye-catching characteristic is the 40,000x max win, which is considerably higher than most of their other offerings, often topping out at 5,000x the stake.
Best UK Casinos to play Power of Merlin Megaways
We have selected some popular UKGC-licensed online casinos for you where you can play Power of Merlin Megaways with real money.
The good news is that you can also enjoy a welcome bonus at these casinos if you are a new player!
Welcome Offer: 200 Cash Spins on Fishin’ BIGGER Pots of Gold
Fun and pleasant atmosphere
Over 4,200 slots with the highest RTPs
Slots, bingo, and live casino games
New customers only. Up to 200 spins over 4 day period from first deposit & spend of £10. Max 50 spins each day on Fishin’ BIGGER Pots of Gold at 10p per spin for 4 consecutive days. Deposit & spend £10 each day for 50 spins. Spins credited upon spend of £10 each day. 18+ Full T&Cs apply.
Ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New players. Opt in & deposit £10 in 7 days & wager 1x in 7 days on any casino game (excluding live casino and table games) for 100 Free Spins. Wagering contributions vary. Free Spins worth 10p each on Big Bass Splash. 3 day expiry. 18+. Full bonus terms and conditions apply.
Good RTPs on NetEnt, Nolimit City and Thunderkick slots
18+ New UK players only | 23 No Deposit Spins Winnings Have 10x Wagering Requirements | Max Cashout on No Deposit Spins is £100 | Cash Spins Winnings Are Wager-Free | No max cash out on Cash Spins | Eligibility is Restricted for Suspected Abuse | Skrill Deposits Excluded | Spins Values Are £0.10 Per Spin | All Spins Expire in 48 hours |
You can try Power of Merlin Megaways for free right here and test if you enjoy this type of game before deciding whether to play it in a real-money version.
Power of Merlin Megaways comes in three possible Return to Player configurations: 94.08%, 95.07%, and 96.09%.
RTP comparison for Power of Merlin Megaways
When choosing the best online casino to play Power of Merlin Megaways, no magic is involved, just common sense.
If you don’t want to give away a higher margin than is strictly needed, choose an online casino that offers this slot in the 96.09% setting. You will conveniently find several of those at the top of this review.
Why RTP is important when playing slots
Whether we like it or not, the Return to Player, or RTP, of a slot significantly impacts a lot of crucial elements that come with playing slots.
The RTP is another term for the average percentage that a slot pays back for each stake. So, when a slot has a 96% RTP, it will pay back, on average, 96p for each pound staked. As you can imagine, the higher the RTP, the better it is for you, the player, as this will result in:
More spins before your money runs out
More spins = more chances to win
Increased playing time for the player
More value for money for the player
A lower profit margin for the casino
History of RTP and online slots
In the “old days”, all online slots had a default RTP, meaning the Return to Player was the same for each slot, no matter which online casino you played it in. However, since around 2020, due to regulations, increased Gambling Taxes and rising costs, online casinos started pressuring slot providers to release slots with different RTP configurations.
In effect, the online casino now had a choice: it was now able to offer its players a lower-paying RTP version. You could be playing a specific slot with a 96% RTP at casino A, and play the same slot with a 94% RTP at casino B, without even knowing it. The slot may look and feel the same, but the maths model underneath, which is the heart and soul of a slot, may be different, with all the negative consequences that come with it.
An example in real numbers
To illustrate the difference between playing a high-RTP slot versus playing the same slot but with a lower RTP, we have done some calculations.
Let’s take, as an example, one of the most popular online slots ever made: Book of Dead by Play’n GO. It has five possible RTP configurations: 84.18%, 87.25%, 91.25%, 94.25%, and 96.21%. Of course, other slots have different payout percentages, so results will vary.
We have calculated for Book of Dead, per RTP configuration, how many spins it takes to run out of money, based on theoretical losses (house edge) per spin, a starting balance of £100 and a stake of £1 per spin.
Book of Dead RTP
Theoretical Playtime
House Edge
96.21%
2,612 spins
3.79%
94.25%
1,721 spins
5.75%
91.25%
1,131 spins
8,75%
87.25%
776 spins
12.75%
84.18%
625 spins
15.82%
As you can see in our calculations, there are huge differences in the number of spins when you compare the different RTP configurations. The difference between the 96.21% RTP and the 94.25% RTP version is over 900 spins!
Conclusion
Playing with a higher Return to Player increases your chances of winning and playing time. So, when you want to play an online slot, always try to find a casino that offers it at the highest payout setting.
Why RTP is important when playing slots
Playing with a higher Return to Player increases your chances of winning and playing time.
How to play Power of Merlin Megaways
Power of Merlin Megaways is played on a 6-reel grid, with symbols that can reach 7 high. The maximum number of Megaways is 117,649.
Tumbling mechanic: winning combinations disappear and make way for new symbols.
Wilds substitute for all symbols, except scatters.
Premium symbols pay between 2 and 20 times the bet for 6OAK.
Lightning Bolt: when a lightning bolt appears on the top reel, it converts a random symbol into wilds.
Free games are triggered when 4 or more scatters land.
You are awarded at least 10 free spins and up to 30 spins.
Extra free games can be won on the gamble feature.
During free games, every winning tumble increases the progressive multiplier by +1.
Free games are triggered, on average, once every 418 spins.
What is the max win on Power of Merlin Megaways?
The max win is capped at 40,000x the bet, a huge step up from other Pragmatic Play slots.
Your odds of landing the max win are 1 in 21,276,596.
CasinoWizard’s verdict: 7.5 out of 10
Seeing his old pal Merlin in action always brings back great memories for CasinoWizard.
However, we are not here to bore you with old people’s nostalgic feelings.
What did we think of the slot?
Well, we loved it. There is nothing here that we haven’t seen before, but it somehow all fits together perfectly, and the high max win is more than enticing enough.
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