Book of Ra: Slot Overview
In our Book of Ra review, we take a closer look at the slot’s signature mechanics — from the double-role Book symbol to the Expanding icon that turns the bonus into a full-screen chase. Despite its age, the maths model still holds up: high volatility, a x5,000 cap, and a gamble ladder that can turn small wins into dramatic progressions. This mix of minimalism and risk keeps Book of Ra one of the most played Egyptian-themed slots to this day.
Graphics & Sound: Retro Egypt Vibes
Visually, Book of Ra looks like a relic from the early 2000s. A plain black background, a gilded frame, and a rigid 5x3 grid give it a near-museum quality — minimal, stark, and oddly captivating. The symbols stick to the classics: the pharaoh, scarab, ancient statues, and the iconic Book of Ra itself, joined by A–10 royals that seem hastily sketched.
During the bonus round, the background shifts from black to a warm sandy tone, matching the Egyptian setting and giving the whole screen a subtle glow — as if the tomb itself has finally opened. There’s no gloss or charm offensive here — just dry, austere design that fits its theme of ancient risk and discovery.
In the base game, there’s no background music at all — only the click of spins, a sharp win chime, and a short “beep” whenever a book lands. It feels like an old slot machine tucked away in a smoke-filled arcade. The bonus round, however, introduces a tense Egyptian-style tune that’s slightly hypnotic. It doesn’t overstay its welcome and perfectly signals that something rare has begun — not just another spin.
Volatility & RTP
RTP — 95.10%. Some casino versions run lower — 92.13%. This margin already tells you what kind of slot Book of Ra is — not built for steady returns, but for rare, heavy hits. Volatility is high.
The maximum win reaches x5,000 for a full screen of explorers during the bonus round — a feat achievable only under the most generous alignment of ancient gods.
How to Play Book of Ra
To start playing Book of Ra, set the number of active paylines from 1 to 9. Fewer lines mean smaller total bets but lower chances of hitting a combination, while activating all nine increases your chances of landing winning sequences. Next, choose your total bet from the preset options and press the “Start” button to spin.
You can adjust the sound settings at any time: toggle background music, game effects, or mute all sounds completely. The Gamble feature must be enabled in the settings before it becomes available after a win.
In jurisdictions outside the UK, additional options such as Quick Spins and Autoplay may also be available.
Game Symbols and Payouts
All payout values were converted from credits into total-bet multipliers and rounded to one decimal. The slot itself pays in whole credits, so don’t be surprised by decimal numbers — they just show the ratio.
Top symbols:
| Symbol | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer | x1,1 | x11,1 | x111,1 | x555,5 |
| Sarcophagus | x0,5 | x4,4 | x44,4 | x222,2 |
| Goddess Statue | x0,5 | x3,3 | x11,1 | x83,3 |
| Scarab | x0,5 | x3,3 | x11,1 | x83,3 |
Low symbols:
| Symbol | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A / K | x0,5 | x4,4 | x16,6 |
| Q / J / 10 | x0,5 | x2,8 | x11,1 |
Book of Ra: Slot Features
Everything you need to know before playing Book of Ra fits into one line: it’s all about the book. But to break it down:
- The Book of Ra acts as both a Wild and a Scatter. It substitutes for any symbol to complete winning lines and also pays on its own — 3 books award x2, 4 books x20, and 5 books x200. It’s also the trigger for the free spins bonus.
- The Expanding Symbol comes into play only during the bonus. Before the round begins, one symbol (excluding the book) is randomly chosen.
Bonus Choice
Book of Ra has only one bonus feature, but it’s legendary.
- Trigger: 3 or more Books of Ra anywhere on the reels
- Reward: 10 free spins
- Twist: one random expanding symbol chosen before the round begins
Before the bonus starts, an animation reveals the chosen symbol — as if drawn from an ancient scroll. That symbol, whether it’s J, a scarab, or the explorer himself, expands to fill its reel whenever it lands. It pays even when the symbols aren’t adjacent — as long as there are enough of them on three or more reels.
A retrigger is possible: land 3 or more books again to get +10 extra spins, with no limit on how many times it can repeat.
There’s also a Gamble feature. After any win, you can try to double it by guessing the colour of a hidden card — red or black. The maximum possible win in this mode is x500 of your current stake.
Summary
During Book of Ra free play, you quickly understand what makes this slot timeless — no distractions, no side features, just pure spins and risk. You can sit back and spin casually or chase the thrill of doubling your wins. It may feel too bare-bones for fans of modern feature-packed slots, yet its simplicity has its own charm.
Even a small win can turn into something bigger, but the Gamble feature is a risky shortcut. Guessing the card colour can double your payout, yet the odds drop fast, and most attempts end in a loss after one or two rounds.
In testing, the free spins triggered fairly often and paid well — the weakest round still gave x55. Ironically, that happened with the scarab as the expanding symbol. Expensive symbols don’t always guarantee big returns; sometimes the simple ones perform better.
If you like the expanding-symbol mechanic but want more firepower, try Duel at Dawn, where multipliers from x2 up to x200 can blow the roof off. Or check Big Bass Bonanza, where the fisherman collects cash values from fish and progresses through levels with boosted multipliers.
