Book Of Ra
What is Book of Ra?
Book of Ra is an Egyptian-themed slot from Novomatic, later released online by Greentube. It first appeared in land-based casinos in 2005 and is widely seen as the game that popularised the “Book of” slot format used by many later releases.
The theme is simple: an explorer searching ancient Egyptian tombs for the Book of Ra. The look is old-school rather than modern, with familiar symbols like scarabs, hieroglyphics and pharaoh-style artwork. That retro style is part of why many players still recognise it straight away.
In Italy, Book of Ra was already well known in gaming halls before the regulated online market expanded under ADM. Because of that, it still has a level of familiarity that many newer slots don’t.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Novomatic / Greentube |
| Release year | 2005 |
| Layout | 5 reels, 3 rows |
| Paylines | 9 in the classic version, 10 in Deluxe |
| RTP | 92.13% to 95.10%, depending on version and operator |
| Volatility | High |
| Max win | Up to 5,000x stake |
| Main features | Free spins with expanding symbols, plus a gamble feature |
How to play Book of Ra
Book of Ra is played on a 5x3 grid with fixed paylines. The Classic version has nine lines, while Deluxe has ten. Wins are paid for matching symbols on an active payline from left to right, starting on the first reel.
Setting up a spin
Before each spin, you choose how many paylines to activate and your bet per line. Your total stake is those two amounts multiplied together. Playing fewer lines lowers the cost, but it also means fewer chances to hit a winning combination.
Bet limits can vary by operator. Greentube supplies the game to different ADM-licensed casinos, and each site may use its own stake range. Check the bet panel on the version you're playing rather than relying on figures from another casino.
Controls and interface
The layout is simple. You can spin manually or use autoplay to run a set number of spins at the same stake. Bet and line settings are shown on the main screen, so there isn't much setup involved.
You can open the paytable through the info or help button. It's worth checking before you start, as symbol values change depending on how many land on a line.
Payouts and volatility
Book of Ra is a high-volatility slot. Wins don't come often, but they can be much larger when they do. It's normal to go through long stretches with little or no return, so short losing runs are part of how the game works.
The RTP depends on the version used by the casino. Greentube offers Book of Ra with different RTP settings, usually from about 92% to 95.1%. If you want to know the exact figure for an Italian site, check the paytable or information screen in that version of the game.
What high volatility means in practice
RTP and volatility are not the same thing. A game can have a mid-range RTP and still feel tough over a single session because the returns are uneven. With Book of Ra, that usually means longer dry spells and a stronger reliance on the bonus feature for bigger payouts.
For that reason, it's worth treating stake size carefully. This isn't a slot built around frequent small wins.
Free spins and expanding symbols
The Book symbol is the key feature in this game. It works as both a wild and a scatter. If you land three or more anywhere on the reels, you trigger 10 free spins.
How the bonus round starts
You don't need the Book symbols to land on a payline to start the feature. Three, four, or five anywhere on the five reels is enough. In the base game, the Book also acts as a wild and can substitute for other symbols to help complete winning combinations.
The expanding symbol mechanic
Before the free spins begin, the game randomly chooses one regular paytable symbol as the special expanding symbol for that round. If that symbol lands during free spins, it expands to cover the whole reel.
Expanded symbols count across all active paylines, which is why this feature can produce the game's biggest wins. Higher-paying symbols are usually more valuable when chosen, while lower-paying card symbols tend to lead to smaller returns.
The chosen symbol stays the same for the full bonus round. If three or more Book symbols land again during free spins, you get 10 extra spins.
- Land 3 or more Book symbols anywhere to trigger 10 free spins.
- The game randomly selects one symbol as the expanding symbol.
- During free spins, that symbol expands to fill the reel when it lands.
- 3 or more Book symbols during the feature award 10 more free spins.
The gamble feature
After any winning spin, Book of Ra may let you gamble that payout in a simple red-or-black card game. It’s optional, so you can always take the win and continue.
A card is drawn face down and you guess its colour. If you’re right, the win doubles. If you’re wrong, you lose the full amount from that spin. You can repeat this and keep doubling, but one wrong guess wipes out the whole gamble amount.
This feature is separate from the free spins bonus. It only appears after a regular win and doesn’t affect the expanding symbol or Book scatter mechanics.
Whether to use it comes down to risk tolerance. On a high-volatility slot like Book of Ra, some players only gamble small wins, while others avoid the feature altogether.
Book of Ra Classic vs Book of Ra Deluxe
The main difference is simple: Book of Ra Classic has 9 paylines, while Book of Ra Deluxe has 10. That extra line can slightly change how often wins appear, but the overall game is very similar.
Deluxe also updated the presentation, with cleaner graphics and smoother animations. The core setup, symbols, and bonus feature are otherwise the same.
For most players in Italy, Deluxe is the version they’ll see most often at ADM-licensed casinos. Classic is still available at some operators, mainly for players who want the older version.
| Aspect | Classic | Deluxe |
|---|---|---|
| Paylines | 9 | 10 |
| Look and feel | Original 2005 style | Updated visuals and smoother animation |
| Availability in Italy | Less common | More widely available |
| Core mechanics | Same bonus and symbol setup | Same bonus and symbol setup |
Playing the free demo
Free play is useful with a high-variance slot like Book of Ra. Long stretches with few wins are normal, so demo mode gives you a clearer feel for the game's pace before you risk real money.
In Italy, demo access is usually more limited than on international sites. At ADM-licensed casinos, you generally need to register and complete identity checks before you can use free-play versions, so instant guest demos are uncommon.
If demo mode is available, use it to watch how often the bonus round appears and how the expanding symbol feature works. Those are the parts of Book of Ra that are easiest to understand by playing rather than just reading about them.
Similar slots and popular crash games
Other "Book of" slots
If you like Book of Ra, the closest alternative is Book of Dead by Play'n GO. It uses a very similar setup: five reels, free spins, and expanding symbols. The main difference is the visual style. Other games in the same mould include Book of Oz and Book of Fallen, which use the same basic idea with different themes.
Crash games as a different kind of high-variance play
Crash games such as Aviator and Spaceman appeal to players who want fast, risky gameplay, but they work very differently from Book of Ra. There are no reels or paylines. Instead, a multiplier rises in real time and you decide when to cash out before the round ends.
They can suit players who enjoy volatility, but they aren't direct alternatives to a classic slot like Book of Ra.