On this page
- What changed versus Book of Ra
- How a spin plays out on ten lines
- Book of Ra Deluxe paytable
- Free games with a worked example
- Two RTP builds, 95.1% and 94.26%
- The gamble ladder
- Testing Deluxe in the free demo
- Who Deluxe suits and where to go next
- Book of Ra Deluxe free demo
- Book of Ra: all editions compared
- Frequently asked questions
What changed versus Book of Ra
Book of Ra Deluxe arrived in 2008, three years after the original Book of Ra. Novomatic kept the core intact: five reels, three rows, one book that works as wild and scatter, and ten free games with an expanding symbol. Three things changed:
- Ten lines instead of nine. One more payline means one more line for the expanding symbol to pay on during free games.
- Higher RTP. The standard build returns 95.1% against 92.13% for the original. A lower 94.26% build also exists.
- Redrawn graphics and a gamble ladder. The artwork is cleaner, and the gamble feature shows a ladder of steps so you can see how far a win can climb.
Everything else, including the paytable ladder and the way free games work, stays familiar. If you learned the original, you already know how to play this one.
How a spin plays out on ten lines
- Pick a line bet. With all ten lines in play, your total bet is ten times the line bet, which makes the maths easy: at 0.10 per line you stake 1.00 per spin.
- The five reels stop on a 5x3 grid.
- Each line is checked left to right from reel 1. Matching symbols must start on the first reel and run without gaps.
- Books on a line act as wilds and complete the best available combination.
- Three or more books anywhere on the screen award ten free games.
- After a win, you can collect or step into the gamble.
Book of Ra Deluxe paytable
Values below are multiples of the line bet for three, four and five of a kind.
| Symbol | 3 of a kind | 4 of a kind | 5 of a kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer | 100x | 1,000x | 5,000x |
| Pharaoh | 40x | 400x | 2,000x |
| Scarab | 30x | 100x | 750x |
| Bird statue | 30x | 100x | 750x |
| A, K | 5x | 40x | 150x |
| Q, J, 10 | 5x | 25x | 100x |
Notice the jump between four and five of a kind for the explorer: from 1,000x to 5,000x the line bet. The scarab and the bird pay the same, so they are equally good or bad as a special symbol in free games. The card ranks are split into two groups, with A and K paying a little more on four and five.
Free games with a worked example
Three books start ten free games. Before the first spin, one symbol is drawn at random and becomes the special expanding symbol for the round. Whenever it lands on at least three reels, it expands to fill each of those reels and pays in any position on all ten lines, whether or not the reels are adjacent.
Take a line bet of 0.10, so 1.00 per spin. The draw gives you the scarab. On the fourth free game, scarabs land on reels 2, 3 and 5. They expand to cover those three reels, and all ten lines now cross three scarabs. Each line pays 30 x 0.10 = 3.00, so the spin returns 30.00, or 30 times your stake.
Two spins later the scarab reaches four reels. The four-of-a-kind value is 100x, so every line pays 10.00 and the spin returns 100.00. Add any regular line wins shown on the same screen, and a single round can move your balance a long way.
Compare that with the original on nine lines: the same four-reel scarab would have paid 90.00. The tenth line is worth an extra 11% on every expanded win.
Two RTP builds, 95.1% and 94.26%
Deluxe exists in two versions. The standard build returns 95.1%; a second build returns 94.26%. You cannot tell them apart by looking at the reels, and the operator decides which one is installed. Over 1,000 spins at 1.00, the expected cost is about 49.00 on the first and 57.40 on the second, so the difference is real if you play often. Our RTP guide explains why this number matters over volume rather than in a single session. Check the rules screen for the figure before you stake real money.
The same rules screen lists the minimum and maximum bet the operator allows. Read both before you start: a 1.00 spin on a 50.00 budget gives you only 50 spins, which is often not enough to see a single free games round. Dropping to 0.02 per line, or 0.20 per spin, stretches the same budget to 250 spins.
The gamble ladder
After a win, the gamble option lets you guess the colour of a face-down card. A correct guess doubles the amount, and a wrong one loses it. In Deluxe, the ladder of steps shows the value you would reach with each further correct guess, so you can decide in advance where to stop. It remains a coin flip that adds swing without changing the expected value.
Testing Deluxe in the free demo
Novomatic runs no public free demo, which is why the game often reports that it is not available in your country. On this page you get the real game loaded through our own page, with 20,000 virtual credits and no sign-up. The first load can take up to a minute. A useful test: play 300 spins at a fixed line bet and note how many free games rounds you trigger, which symbols they drew, and how often the special symbol reached three reels. Our guide to free demo slots shows how to keep that record honest.
Who Deluxe suits and where to go next
Deluxe fits players who want a simple game where almost all the excitement lives in one feature. Its swings come from the free games, so plan your stake around long gaps; our volatility guide covers how to size a session. If you want more reels for the expanding symbol, try Book of Ra 6. If you want extra expanding symbols on retriggers, Book of Ra Magic is the one to look at.
Book of Ra: all editions compared
| Edition | Release | Max win | RTP | Pays | Bonus buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book of Ra | 2005 | 5,000x line bet | 92.13% | 9 paylines | — |
| Book of Ra Deluxe (you are here) | 2008 | 5,000x line bet | 95.1% | 10 paylines | — |
| Book of Ra 6 | — | 5,000x line bet | 95.03% | 10 paylines | — |
| Book of Ra Magic | 2018 | 5,000x line bet | about 92% | 10 paylines | — |
Where to play Book of Ra Deluxe for real money
Frequently asked questions
What is the RTP of Book of Ra Deluxe?
The standard build returns 95.1%. A lower 94.26% build also exists, and the operator decides which one is installed. The figure is listed in the game rules, so check it before you play for money.
How is Deluxe different from the original Book of Ra?
Deluxe adds a tenth payline, raises the RTP from 92.13% to 95.1%, redraws the graphics and adds a ladder of steps to the gamble feature. The book, the free games and the expanding symbol work the same way.
How many free games do you get in Book of Ra Deluxe?
Three or more books anywhere on the screen award ten free games. One symbol is drawn at random before the round and becomes the expanding symbol for all of them.
What does the expanding symbol do?
When the special symbol lands on at least three reels during free games, it fills those reels completely and pays in any position on all ten lines. The reels do not need to be next to each other.
What is the biggest win in Book of Ra Deluxe?
Five explorers on a line pay 5,000 times the line bet, the top value in the paytable. All paytable values are multiples of the line bet, not of the total stake.
Can I play Book of Ra Deluxe for free?
Yes. The demo on this page is the real game loaded through our own page, with 20,000 virtual credits, no registration and no deposit. Allow up to a minute for the first load.
