The Book of Ra Deluxe slot is Novomatic's 2008 Egyptian adventure and the game most people picture when they think of book slots. It runs on 5 reels, 3 rows and 10 paylines, is rated very high volatility, has a 95.1% RTP (a 94.26% version also exists) and a maximum win usually given as 5,000× stake.
95.1% RTP: an expected cost of £4.90 per £100 staked, or £5.74 on the 94.26% version.
Very high volatility: expect long quiet stretches and a return concentrated in free spins.
Max win is commonly given as 5,000× stake, though figures vary by source.
Made by Novomatic and run online through its Greentube studio.
Developer
Novomatic
RTP
95.1% (94.26% version also exists)
Volatility
Very high
Layout
5 reels × 3 rows
Paylines
10
Max win
5,000× stake (figures vary by source)
Released
2008
Main feature
Book wild and scatter; 10 free spins with a random expanding symbol
Book of Ra Deluxe and where it comes from
Novomatic was founded in 1980 by Johann Graf and is based in Gumpoldskirchen, Austria; Wikipedia's Novomatic article (opens in a new tab) covers the group's wider history. Its games reach online players through Greentube, the Vienna-based studio that joined the Novomatic Group in 2010 and holds a Gambling Commission remote software licence (account 41020). Book of Ra Deluxe, released in 2008, is one of the two titles the company is best known for, alongside Lucky Lady's Charm Deluxe.
Book of Ra Deluxe specifications
Specification
Detail
Developer
Novomatic (online via Greentube)
Released
2008
Grid
5 reels × 3 rows
Paylines
10
RTP
95.1%; a 94.26% version also exists
Volatility
Very high
Max win
5,000× stake (figures vary by source)
Its influence is easy to see: the book slots genre, with a single book symbol acting as wild and scatter and a special expanding symbol in free spins, owes a great deal to this game.
How the features work in Book of Ra Deluxe
Book of Ra Deluxe has a single bonus feature, and the book symbol controls the way in. Knowing the order of events makes it easier to follow what the reels are doing and why one round can differ so sharply from the next.
The book as wild and scatter
The book plays two parts. On a payline it acts as a wild, replacing a missing symbol to finish a line win. Counted anywhere on screen it acts as a scatter, and three or more books in one spin award 10 free spins.
The expanding symbol is chosen first
Before the first free spin, the game picks one symbol at random to be the expanding symbol for the whole round. When enough of it lands on a free spin, it spreads to cover its reels and pays on all 10 lines. Unlike a normal line win, the expanded symbols don't have to sit on neighbouring reels, so three copies spread across reels one, three and five can still pay.
The choice matters. A low card symbol expanding across several reels gives a modest return, while a top picture symbol doing the same is where the game's ceiling sits. Nothing you do affects which symbol is picked.
Extending the round
Three or more books landing during the free spins add another 10 spins, so a round can run well past its first ten. Gambling.com's Book of Ra Deluxe guide (opens in a new tab) describes the same structure. How many expanding symbols are needed for a payout, and what each pays, is listed in the help screen.
How the Book of Ra Deluxe slot plays
The base game is plain by modern standards: 10 paylines across five reels, card-value symbols at the bottom of the paytable and Egyptian adventure symbols towards the top. The book is the key symbol. In the genre it defined, the book substitutes as a wild and pays as a scatter, and enough of them start the free spins.
In the free spins, a randomly chosen special symbol can expand to cover its whole reel, paying across lines even when the symbols aren't adjacent in the usual way. That expanding symbol is what makes the game's top end possible, and it is why the game is rated very high volatility. Symbol payouts are in the game's help screen; check them in the version you load, because Novomatic has released several related versions.
If the version you load offers a gamble option after a win, read its rules before using it. Gamble features aren't banned in the UK, and whether a game includes one varies game by game.
Book of Ra Deluxe RTP: 95.1% and 94.26%
Book of Ra Deluxe returns less than most of the modern slots we cover. At 95.1%, the margin is 4.9%; at 94.26%, it is 5.74%. Expected loss is total staked × margin, so the version your casino runs matters.
Expected cost by version and against other book slots
Against Book of Oz, the higher version costs about £1.21 more per £100; the lower version about £2.05 more. Over £1,000 of total stakes, that's an extra £12.10 to £20.50 in expected cost. Our RTP explainer and why RTPs differ between casinos explain the background.
Very high volatility: what Book of Ra Deluxe feels like
Very high volatility is the top of the scale. Combined with only 10 lines, it means a lot of spins return nothing or less than the stake, and the game's return is concentrated in a small number of strong free spins rounds. Two players with the same budget can have completely different sessions.
This also makes the game's lower RTP harder to notice in the short run. Over a few hundred spins, the spread of outcomes is far bigger than the 4.9% margin, so a session tells you almost nothing about the game's true cost. Over many sessions, the margin wins out.
What £20 buys on Book of Ra Deluxe
£20 on the 95.1% version
Stake
Spins from £20
Expected loss on £20 staked
5,000× at that stake
10p
200
98p
£500
50p
40
98p
£2,500
£1
20
98p
£5,000
On the 94.26% version, the expected loss on £20 rises to about £1.15. In both cases the figure applies per £20 of turnover, and re-staking wins increases turnover: 500 spins at 20p is £100 staked and an expected cost of £4.90 on the higher version. On a very high volatility game, the 10p row is the one most likely to see free spins at all before the budget runs out. Our session budget calculator helps you plan a session in advance.
Book of Ra Deluxe max win
The maximum is most often given as 5,000× stake, but sources vary, so check the help screen of the version you load. At 5,000×, the ceiling is £500 at 10p, £5,000 at £1 and £25,000 at the £5 UK cap for players aged 25 and over. Results near the top usually need the expanding symbol to cover most of the reels during free spins.
Like any ceiling, it describes a rare outcome rather than a likely one. Our page on slot max wins explains how to read the figure.
How to play Book of Ra Deluxe
Open the game and check whether the RTP shown is 95.1% or 94.26%.
Pick your stake; the game uses 10 paylines, and UK caps are £5 at 25+ and £2 at 18–24.
Read the help screen for the symbol values in the version you load.
Press spin for each round; UK rules require a separate press and at least 2.5 seconds per spin.
If books trigger free spins, note the special symbol chosen and watch it expand.
Check your net position regularly and stop at the limit you set before starting.
Autoplay has been banned on online slots since 31 October 2021, and on all online casino games since 17 January 2025. Credit cards can't be used to gamble in Great Britain, and your age must be verified before you can deposit or play.
Book of Ra Deluxe myths
Advantages
The RTP is set by the version, so checking it is worthwhile.
Each spin is independent and random.
The stake doesn't change the RTP percentage.
Drawbacks
'Classic games pay more because they're old' – the published RTP is lower than most modern games.
'Books come in streaks' – the RNG has no memory.
'A big win is due after a long dry run' – volatility isn't a timetable.
If you like the mechanic but want a lower long-run cost, Book of Oz and Book of Dead both return over 96%. For the Egyptian theme without the book, see our Egyptian slots page. More Novomatic classics include Sizzling Hot Deluxe and Dolphin's Pearl Deluxe. Every review is on the slots hub.
Our partner offers are all slot offers, but none involves Book of Ra Deluxe, and we haven't confirmed which partners carry Novomatic games, so check each casino's lobby. 18+ and terms apply.
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Coral and Ladbrokes are both run by LC International Limited (Entain). If you already hold an account with one Entain brand, you may not be able to open another; check the terms first.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the RTP of Book of Ra Deluxe?
Book of Ra Deluxe has an RTP of 95.1%, and a 94.26% version also exists. That means an expected cost of £4.90 or £5.74 per £100 staked over the long run, depending on the version. Both are lower than most modern book slots. Check the information screen in the game. Our slot RTP guide explains how to find the figure.
Is Book of Ra Deluxe high volatility?
It is rated very high volatility, the top of the usual scale. On 10 paylines that means many losing or small spins, with most of the return coming from occasional strong free spins rounds. Small budgets can run out before a bonus appears. Our slot volatility guide explains how volatility affects a session.
What is the max win on Book of Ra Deluxe?
The maximum is usually given as 5,000 times your stake, though sources vary, so check the help screen of your version. At 5,000×, that is £500 at 10p, £5,000 at £1 and £25,000 at the £5 UK cap for players aged 25 and over. It is a rare outcome. Our explainer on max win caps shows how the limit is applied.
Who makes Book of Ra Deluxe?
Novomatic makes Book of Ra Deluxe. The Austrian group was founded in 1980 by Johann Graf and is based in Gumpoldskirchen. Online, its games are supplied through Greentube, which has been part of the Novomatic Group since 2010 and holds a Gambling Commission licence. Our Novomatic page covers the company in more detail.
When was Book of Ra Deluxe released?
Book of Ra Deluxe was released in 2008. It is one of the oldest slots still widely played and helped shape the book-slot genre, in which one book symbol acts as wild and scatter and an expanding symbol drives the free spins. Our book slots page lists the games that followed it.
Does Book of Ra Deluxe have a gamble feature?
Check the version you load, because features can differ between markets and versions. If a gamble option appears after a win, read its rules before using it. Gamble features are not banned in the UK; whether a game offers one is a game-by-game matter. Our gamble feature page explains how these options work.
Is Book of Ra Deluxe worse value than newer book slots?
On RTP alone, yes: 95.1% against 96.31% for Book of Oz and 96.21% for Book of Dead. That's about £1.21 to £1.11 more expected cost per £100 staked on the higher version. Some players accept that for the classic feel, but it's worth knowing the price. Our high RTP slots list shows cheaper alternatives.
What is the maximum stake on Book of Ra Deluxe in the UK?
The maximum is £5 a spin for players aged 25 and over and £2 for players aged 18 to 24, under the Gambling Commission's online slot stake limits introduced in 2025. The casino may set a lower maximum. These caps apply to online slots only. For the detail, read what is the maximum stake on a UK slot?
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