Game Information
Book of Ra Slot Machine: Rules and Symbols Explained
Book of Ra slot machine, developed by Novomatic in 2005, takes players on an exciting journey through ancient Egypt. Players follow a brave explorer who searches for the legendary Book of Ra and its hidden treasures.
What is Book of Ra Slot Machine?
Book of Ra Slot is Egyptian theme game and engaging gameplay have made it one of Europe’s most popular slot games. The game’s original version features 5 reels and 9 paylines with a 96.21% RTP (Return to Player). Players can choose how many paylines they want active based on their priorities, and bets range from 0.01 to 50 coins per spin. The game shows a beautiful Egyptian desert with pyramids in the background, which creates an authentic ancient feel.
Here are the game’s key details:
- Date Launched: 2005
- Manufacturer: Novomatic
- Theme: Egyptian
- Maximum Jackpot: 25,000 coins
- Number of Reels: 5
- Number of Paylines: 9
- Volatility: Medium to high
The main character is an archeologist who wears a brown hat that reminds players of Indiana Jones. He travels to Egypt to discover ancient burial secrets while chasing wealth and fame. The game’s visuals feature a brownish-gold background that looks like a desert sunset, along with black drum wheels and bright neon symbols.
Book of Ra changed the casino industry completely, and its effects continue today. The game became a game-changer by introducing an expanding symbol feature during free spins bonus rounds. Players get ten free spins when three Book of Ra scatter symbols show up on the reels.
Novomatic, through its subsidiary Greentube, has created several versions since the original release. These versions include Book of Ra Classic (the 2005 original), Book of Ra Deluxe (2008 version with better graphics and an extra payline), Book of Ra Magic, and Book of Ra Deluxe 6 (which has a sixth reel). Players can also try Book of Ra Cash Connection and Book of Ra Bingo.
The Book of Ra symbol works as both wild and scatter. It can replace other symbols to create winning combinations and triggers bonus features when three or more appear. This dual role helps explain why players love this game so much.
The game also has a gamble feature that lets players double their wins by guessing a face-down card’s color correctly. This option appears after winning spins and adds extra excitement to the game.
The UK Gambling Commission fully licenses Book of Ra to ensure fair play and responsible gaming. Even with newer slots offering advanced features, Book of Ra stays one of the most popular titles in online casinos worldwide.
How the Book of Ra Slot Works
Book of Ra has simple but engaging mechanics with a standard 5-reel structure. Players can choose between 9 or 10 paylines based on the version they play. The game needs players to set up their betting choices by adjusting their stake and active paylines before they start spinning.
The ‘Menu’ button lets players view the ‘Paytable & Info’ section that has all rules and symbol values. Players will find details about payline formats, game rules, and what triggers bonus rounds. The plus and minus buttons in the ‘Total Bet’ window help adjust wagers from £0.10 to £50 per spin. The ‘Lines’ window lets players pick anywhere from one to ten lines.
Players with any budget can enjoy the game. Bets start at just 1p with one active payline and go up to 10p per line with all ten paylines in play. The green ‘Start’ button gets the game going.
Winning combinations in Book of Ra follow set patterns. Players win when three or more matching symbols show up on an active payline from left to right. Scatter symbols pay out from any spot on the reels, whatever their position. The game’s RTP sits at 95.5% with high volatility, suggesting bigger but less frequent wins.
The Autoplay feature is perfect for longer sessions. Players don’t need to click manually, and they can access this through a dedicated button on the screen.
The Book of Ra symbol is vital to the game and:
- Works as a wild symbol that fills in for other symbols to make winning combinations
- Acts as a scatter symbol that triggers Free Games when three or more appear
- Gives players 10 free spins in the bonus round
Winning spins give players a chance to double their money by guessing the next card’s color. This exciting feature comes with risk – a wrong guess means losing everything.
Mobile players see a slightly different layout. The ‘Menu’ button gives access to betlines, stake adjustment, sound controls, paytable info, spin activation, and autoplay settings. This user-friendly setup works smoothly on devices of all types.
The game’s biggest possible win is 500,000 coins from a single hit at maximum bet. Players need to land five Book of Ra Deluxe symbols at once to get this top payout.
Symbols in Book of Ra and What They Mean
The Book of Ra’s symbols are the foundations of its Egyptian adventure theme. Each symbol has its own value and special abilities that make the gameplay exciting.
Explorer Symbol
The Explorer looks like an Indiana Jones character and gives players the biggest payouts in the game. This adventurous archeologist rewards you big time when you line up winning combinations. You’ll get the game’s highest payout of 25,000 credits with five Explorer symbols on an active payline. Even two Explorer symbols are worth it – they multiply your bet by 10 times. The character fits right into the game’s treasure-hunting theme as he searches through ancient Egyptian tombs to find artifacts and riches.
Book Symbol
The Book of Ra symbol works as both a Wild and a Scatter. It steps in for other symbols on active paylines as a Wild to help complete winning combinations. As a Scatter, it pays out whatever its position when you get three or more anywhere on screen. This dual role makes the Book symbol extra valuable during play. Three or more Books trigger ten free spins and start the bonus feature. The Book’s direct payouts are modest though – three symbols multiply your bet by 2, four by 20, and five by 200.
High-Value Symbols
Book of Ra’s high-value symbols showcase Egyptian artifacts and deities. These premium symbols include:
- Sarcophagus/Pharaoh: Five in a line pay 10,000 credits. Two symbols multiply your bet by 5, three by 40, four by 400, and five by 2,000.
- Statue/Ra: You get 3,750 credits for five matching symbols.
- Scarab Beetle: Pays 3,750 credits for five symbols. Two scarabs multiply your bet by 5, three by 30, four by 100, and five by 750.
These Egyptian icons are worth more than the lower-value symbols.
Low-Value Symbols
Playing card values (10, J, Q, K, and A) make up the low-value symbols in Book of Ra. You need at least three matches to win with these symbols. Here’s how the card symbols pay:
- Three 10s, Jacks, or Queens multiply your bet by 5; four by 25; five by 100.
- Three Kings or Aces multiply your bet by 5; four by 40; five by 150.
These card symbols show up more often and give you regular small wins to keep your bankroll healthy during long gaming sessions.
Special Expanding Symbol
The special expanding symbol comes into play during the free spins bonus round. The Book picks a random symbol to expand before the free spins start. This chosen symbol stretches to fill all three positions on its reel when it appears during free spins. It works like an extra scatter in the bonus game.
This expansion feature can lead to huge wins, especially when a high-value symbol gets picked. To name just one example, if the Explorer or Sarcophagus becomes the special expanding symbol, you could win big as they cover entire reels. The expansion happens after regular wins are paid and creates more winning combinations across multiple paylines.
Bonus Features and Free Spins in Book of Ra
Book of Ra’s bonus features are the game’s most rewarding elements. Free spins give players great winning chances without betting extra money. These special rounds take regular gameplay up a notch and create better payout opportunities through unique expanding mechanics.
How to trigger free spins
Players need three or more Book of Ra symbols anywhere on the reels to start free spins. This special symbol works as both a wild and scatter, making it extra valuable in regular play. Getting this combination gives you 10 free spins right away. You also get a multiplier with these spins – based on the game version, three, four, or five Book symbols can multiply your stake by 2x, 20x, or 200x.
The best part? These bonus spins don’t need extra bets but keep the same winning potential as regular spins. The bonus round uses the same stake level as the spin that triggered it, so your betting strategy stays consistent.
Expanding symbol mechanics
The game picks a random symbol to become special and expanding before free spins begin. Players see this selection through an animation where the Book of Ra opens to show the chosen symbol. Every time this special symbol shows up during free spins, it stretches vertically to fill all three spots on its reel.
These expansion mechanics follow clear rules:
- Symbols only expand if there are enough to make a win
- Regular payouts get calculated before any expansion happens
- Expanded symbols work like scatters and count even when not next to each other
High-value symbols like the Explorer or Pharaoh can create massive wins if they get picked as expanding symbols. To cite an instance, if your chosen symbol lands on reels 1, 3, and 4, it expands to fill those reels completely. This creates multiple winning combinations across paylines, even though the symbols aren’t adjacent.
Re-triggering bonus rounds
Book of Ra lets players get extra free spins during the bonus round. Three or more Book symbols during free spins give you another set of 10 spins. These extra spins start right after your current ones finish, making the bonus round last longer.
Classic Book of Ra gives free spins once per session. Book of Ra Deluxe and newer versions let you re-trigger the bonus many times in one session. This feature boosts your winning chances by a lot without needing extra bets.
Book of Ra Magic adds an interesting twist – each re-trigger picks another expanding symbol. Your first trigger gives one expanding symbol, and a second trigger adds another one. This means you could have two different expanding symbols working at once. While it’s possible to get up to 9 expanding symbols after multiple re-triggers, getting more than one or two re-triggers is rare.
Book of Ra Versions: Classic vs Magic vs Deluxe
Novomatic has grown the Book of Ra series with several versions. Each version brings its own unique features but stays true to the Egyptian adventure theme. The rise of this slot machine shows how developers can boost gameplay while keeping what made the original a hit.
Book of Ra Classic
The 18-year-old Book of Ra Classic laid the groundwork for the series with its Egyptian treasure-hunting theme. This original version comes with 9 adjustable paylines on a 5-reel setup. The game offers a simple gaming experience with basic visuals compared to newer versions. Players can pick between 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9 active lines, which gives them more control over their betting strategies. Book of Ra Classic has an RTP of 92.13%, which is lower than most modern slots. The game introduced the iconic book symbol that triggers 10 free spins with one special expanding symbol.
Book of Ra Deluxe
The 15-year-old Book of Ra Deluxe polishes the original concept with better visuals and gameplay mechanics. This version bumps up the paylines to 10 (compared to 9 in Classic) and lets players pick any number from 1 to 10. Players get better odds with an RTP of 95.10%. The Deluxe version pays out more for high-value symbols while keeping lower returns for basic symbols. The core gameplay stays the same but comes with sharper graphics and smoother action.
Book of Ra Magic
Book of Ra Magic, which launched in 2018, brings the biggest changes with its unique multiple expanding symbols feature. The game keeps the 10-payline structure but changes up the bonus round. Players can now get up to 9 expanding symbols. Each free spin retrigger adds another expanding symbol, which can lead to massive wins. The RTP sits between 95.03% in the better version and 92.05% in basic versions. Earlier games only had one expanding symbol during free spins, but Magic lets players stack multiple expanding symbols through retriggered bonus rounds.
Tips for Playing Book of Ra Effectively
Book of Ra success depends on proper bankroll control and understanding how the game works. Players need to set deposit, bet, and win/loss limits before they start playing. You should leave the game when you hit these limits.
Starting with small bets works best, especially when you’re new to the slot. Players can increase their bets as they gain more experience. Book of Ra has high volatility, so you need patience – wins don’t come often but they can be big when they do.
The free spins feature is where you’ll find the biggest wins. Your main goal should be to trigger this bonus round because the special expanding symbol can lead to huge payouts. The gamble feature is a great option for smaller wins that won’t hurt your bankroll much if you lose them.
Demo versions help you learn the game mechanics without risking real money. Many online casinos let you practice Book of Ra in demo mode.
Your choice of casino is vital to your gaming experience. Look for platforms that offer good bonuses like free spins and deposit matches to improve your chances. Licensed and regulated sites ensure fair play and secure transactions.
Breaking down your gambling budget into smaller portions helps you play longer and reduces your risk. This smart approach prevents big losses and gives you more entertainment value.
FAQs
Q1. What are the key symbols in the Book of Ra slot machine? The Book of Ra slot features various symbols, including the Explorer (highest value), the Book of Ra (wild and scatter), Egyptian artifacts like the Sarcophagus and Scarab Beetle (high-value), and playing card symbols (low-value). The Book symbol is particularly important as it triggers free spins and acts as a wild.
Q2. How do I trigger the free spins bonus in Book of Ra? You can trigger the free spins bonus by landing three or more Book of Ra symbols anywhere on the reels. This awards 10 free spins and selects a special expanding symbol for the bonus round, potentially leading to significant wins.
Q3. What’s the difference between Book of Ra Classic and Book of Ra Deluxe? Book of Ra Classic, released in 2005, has 9 paylines and basic visuals. Book of Ra Deluxe, launched in 2008, features improved graphics, 10 paylines, and a higher RTP of 95.10% compared to Classic’s 92.13%. Deluxe also offers more flexibility in payline selection and higher payouts for premium symbols.
Q4. How can I improve my chances of winning at Book of Ra? To improve your chances, start with minimal bets and gradually increase as you gain experience. Focus on triggering the free spins feature, use the gamble feature strategically on smaller wins, and always set and stick to a budget. Playing all paylines can also maximize winning opportunities.
Q5. What makes Book of Ra Magic unique compared to other versions? Book of Ra Magic, released in 2018, introduces a multiple expanding symbols feature. Unlike earlier versions with only one expanding symbol during free spins, Magic can accumulate up to 9 expanding symbols through retriggered bonus rounds, creating potential for extraordinary payouts.
