Book of Ra is the slot that made the “book” format famous, and almost every Egyptian adventure game in today’s lobbies borrows something from it. Novomatic built it around a single idea: land three book symbols, get free spins, and hope a randomly chosen symbol expands across the reels. There are no cascades, no cluster pays and no multiplier trails, which makes it refreshingly easy to follow. The trade-off is a lower RTP than most modern releases and a volatility profile that asks for patience.
Overview
The game runs on five reels and three rows with a small number of fixed lines. The original release uses 9 lines, while the deluxe edition that most online casinos now carry uses 10. Visually, it is a period piece: a stone-tomb background, a pith-helmeted explorer, and a pharaoh mask that looks every bit of its age. That is part of the appeal for many players, who prefer the straightforward rhythm of a classic over the noise of a modern feature-heavy slot.
Novomatic has released several versions over the years, and the RTP changes between them. Treat the figures in this review as a guide and confirm the exact numbers in the in-game info panel before you play.
How It Plays
You choose your stake, spin, and wins pay left to right along active lines for three or more matching symbols (two for the highest-paying symbols). In the base game, most spins return nothing or a small line win, with the occasional strong hit from the explorer or pharaoh. The real action is in free spins, and you can go a long time without seeing them.
On GB-facing sites, spins run at a minimum speed set by UK game design rules, and autoplay is restricted. The classic double-or-nothing gamble feature that appears in some markets may be switched off or restricted on GB-facing versions, so do not count on it being there.
Symbols and Paytable
Exact payouts depend on the version and your stake, so the table below groups symbols by tier rather than quoting fixed amounts. The paytable inside the game shows live values for your chosen bet.
| Symbol | Tier | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Explorer | Premium | Top line pay; five on a line is the base game’s biggest win |
| Pharaoh mask | High | Strong line pay; pays from two of a kind |
| Statue and scarab | Medium | Solid pays from two or three of a kind |
| A and K | Low | Small, frequent line wins |
| Q, J and 10 | Lowest | The most common symbols; small returns |
| Book of Ra | Wild and scatter | Substitutes for any symbol, pays anywhere, three or more trigger free spins |
Bonus Features
Free Spins With an Expanding Symbol
Three or more book symbols anywhere on the reels award 10 free spins. Before they start, one regular symbol is picked at random to act as the expanding symbol. Whenever it lands during free spins in enough positions to form a win, it grows to fill its entire reel and pays on every active line, even if the reels are not adjacent.
The expanding symbol you are given makes a big difference. An explorer or pharaoh can transform the round, especially if it fills four or five reels. A 10 or J gives a gentler ride. Landing three more books during free spins retriggers another 10 spins with the same symbol.
No Feature Buy
Book of Ra has no direct bonus entry in its classic form, and on a GB-facing site the feature-buy option is not offered to British players for any slot. Free spins arrive only through natural scatter landings.
RTP and Volatility
RTP is listed at around 92% for the original game and around 95% for the deluxe edition, both below the slot floor average of about 96.2%. That gap matters over time: a lower RTP means a larger theoretical house edge on every spin. Volatility is high, with a maximum win of around 5,000x your stake, mostly reachable through a premium expanding symbol filling all five reels in free spins.
In practice, expect long stretches of small wins and losses, then sharp swings when the feature lands. Keep stakes modest relative to your budget, and always check the in-game info panel to confirm which RTP configuration you are playing.
Playing It on Mobile
Because the game is so simple, it plays well in a phone browser. The reels scale cleanly in portrait mode, the spin button sits within easy reach of your thumb, and the paytable is readable without zooming. It loads quickly even on a weak signal, which is not always true of heavier modern slots. There is no app to download; the casino runs in iOS Safari or Android Chrome, and you can pin it to your home screen.
Playing It at Alicewin
Book of Ra sits in the classics section of the slots lobby, alongside other Novomatic titles. Stakes start from 10p per spin, and the UK maximum is £5 per spin, or £2 for players aged 18–24. Slots contribute 100% to welcome bonus wagering, so every pound you stake here counts in full towards the 10x requirement. While wagering, the maximum bet is £2 per spin.
Claim 100% up to £200 + 50 Free Spins at the welcome offer. New players only, 18+, 10x wagering, T&Cs apply.
One honest note: because of its lower RTP, Book of Ra is not the most efficient game for clearing a bonus. If wagering is your main goal, a higher-RTP title such as Big Bass Splash may suit you better.
Our Verdict
Book of Ra earns 8.1 out of 10. It remains a genuinely tense slot, and few moments in the genre match watching a premium expanding symbol fill the reels. The rules are clear, it runs well on mobile, and it rewards players who like a slower, traditional game. The scores come down for the below-average RTP and the dated presentation. Play it for the nostalgia and the feature, not for value over the long run.
What’s Next
Return to the slots collection to compare all five reviews. If you prefer modern mechanics, read our Sugar Rush 1000 review or our Le Zeus review. For more Egyptian and classic titles, browse the full slots lobby.
