Book Of Ra
What is Book of Ra?
Book of Ra is Novomatic's classic Egyptian-themed slot. Released in 2005, it established the template that dozens of later games copied and remains one of the most popular casino slots ever made.
The premise is straightforward: you play as an explorer searching ancient Egypt for the Book of Ra, hidden among pharaohs, scarabs, and golden relics.
In Switzerland, the game has held its ground for nearly two decades. Because it was a fixture in Swiss land-based casinos long before online gambling was regulated, many players are already familiar with it from physical machines rather than a browser.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Novomatic |
| Release Year | 2005 |
| Layout | 5 reels, 3 rows |
| Paylines | 9 (original), 10 (Deluxe) |
| RTP | Approx. 95.1% |
| Volatility | High |
| Theme | Ancient Egypt |
How to play the Book of Ra slot
Book of Ra uses a standard 5x3 grid (five reels and three rows) with up to nine adjustable paylines.
Setting your stake
Before spinning, you choose how many paylines to activate and your bet per line. Activating fewer paylines keeps your total cost down, but reduces your chances of landing a winning combination. Most Swiss casinos allow stakes starting from CHF 0.05 per line.
The gamble feature
After a winning spin, you can risk your payout in an optional double-or-nothing card game. If you correctly guess whether the next card is red or black, your win doubles. If you guess wrong, you lose that payout. You can repeat this up to five times per win, or simply skip it and continue with the base game.
Free spins and expanding symbols
The Book symbol acts as both a wild and a scatter. It substitutes for other symbols to complete winning lines, and landing three or more anywhere on the reels awards ten free spins.
Before these spins start, the game randomly selects one symbol to become the expanding symbol. When this chosen symbol lands during the bonus round, it expands to fill the entire reel. It also pays out anywhere on active lines, even if the symbols are not next to each other.
Why this mechanic matters
The expanding symbol is the key to the game's biggest payouts. If a high-value symbol like the Explorer is chosen and expands across multiple reels, the return on your stake can be substantial. Since the symbol is picked at random, every bonus round has a different potential payout.
You can also retrigger the feature. Landing three more Books during the bonus adds another ten free spins with the same expanding symbol active. There is no limit to how many times you can retrigger the round.
Payouts, RTP, and volatility explained
Book of Ra is a high-variance slot. This means wins happen less often but can be substantial when they do. Understanding this is key to managing your casino budget.
RTP
The Deluxe version, which is the most common in Swiss casinos, usually has an RTP around 95.1%. Because operators can adjust this figure slightly, it is always worth checking the game's information screen before you start playing.
Symbol payouts
The Explorer is the highest-paying symbol, returning 500x your line stake if you land five on a payline. The Pharaoh, Scarab, and Golden Statue make up the mid-tier payouts. Standard card symbols (A, K, Q, J, 10) are the lowest-value symbols but appear most frequently.
What high variance means in practice
Because of the game's volatility, long losing streaks are normal. If you play with a limited budget, you can easily exhaust your funds before hitting a significant win or triggering the free spins. Stretching your bankroll over a longer session is generally a better approach than placing short, high-stakes bets.
Book of Ra Deluxe and other variations
The original Book of Ra has several sequels, but Book of Ra Deluxe is the most widely played. It's the version you'll find at most Swiss online casinos today, largely replacing the classic game.
Book of Ra Deluxe
Deluxe keeps the same core structure but adds a 10th payline and sharper graphics. The gameplay is identical to the original, though the extra payline gives you slightly more ways to win.
Book of Ra Deluxe 6
This version adds a sixth reel to the standard grid. The extra reel increases the game's volatility and allows the expanding symbol to cover more of the screen during bonus rounds.
Book of Ra Magic
Magic lets you unlock multiple expanding symbols during the 10 free spins, adding more variety to the bonus round.
While all three games share the same foundation, these small changes are enough to make each version feel distinct from the original.
Playing Book of Ra on Mobile Devices
Book of Ra runs well on modern smartphones and tablets. Novomatic adapted the game for mobile browsers and casino apps, offering the full experience on both iOS and Android.
The interface adjusts easily to touch screens. Spin, bet, and autoplay controls are large enough to tap accurately, and the 5x3 grid works comfortably in both portrait and landscape modes across most Swiss casino apps.
While the early-2000s graphics show their age compared to modern HD slots, this simplicity works to the game's advantage on mobile. Load times are quick, and the game runs smoothly even on older or mid-range devices without demanding much processing power.
Similar slots and popular crash games in Switzerland
If you like the expanding symbol mechanic in Book of Ra, Play'n GO's Book of Dead is the closest alternative. It uses the exact same structure—five reels, ten paylines, and a single expanding symbol during free spins—but offers sharper modern graphics. Both games share similar volatility and bonus features.
Swiss players who enjoy the high-risk, high-reward nature of Book of Ra also tend to like crash games such as Aviator and JetX. While these games have no reels or paylines, they offer a similar thrill: the chance for a big payout if you hold your nerve, balanced against the risk of losing your stake.
If you're comfortable with the high variance of Book of Ra, these fast-paced alternatives are a natural fit. You can find them alongside Book of Ra at regulated Swiss casinos like Jackpots.ch, StarVegas.ch, and Swiss4Win.ch.