Book of Ra in Germany: Quick Overview

You enter ancient Egypt with a high volatility 5-reel slot built around one focused feature. Land three Book symbols to unlock 10 free spins, then watch one randomly chosen symbol expand to cover reels and build line wins, with potential up to ≈ 5,000× your stake. The facts below are verified from Novomatic’s official Greentube page and reflect current German rules.

Key facts for Germany

You can review the core specs for the German market below, including RTP, paylines, and release dates for the classic and Deluxe versions.

Feature Data for German Market
Reels / Paylines 5 / 9 (Classic) – 10 in Deluxe
RTP 94.26 % online, 92.13 % land-based
Volatility High
Max Win ≈ 5,000× stake
Main Bonus 10 Free Spins with 1 expanding symbol
Bet Range (GGL-licensed) €0.05 – €1 per spin
Developer Novomatic / Greentube
Original Release 2005 (online 2008)

Gameplay at a glance

You keep things simple. Set a stake, spin, and look for matching relics or the Book, which acts as both Wild and Scatter. Small line wins appear less often than on lower risk slots, but the expanding-symbol bonus can swing results when it lands. Audio and visuals mirror Novomatic’s land-based original, so if you know the cabinet, you’ll feel at home online.

Legal play in Germany

You should play only at casinos supervised by the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder under the 2021 Interstate Treaty. Licensed sites enforce a €1 maximum stake, a 5-second minimum spin interval, and regular reality checks. For the genuine game, look for delivery via Greentube’s Remote Gaming Server and cross-check the official description, paytable PDF, and demo video at greentube.com/slots/book-of-ra. These verified channels use TÜV-audited RNGs and meet German player protection standards.

Official Game Page: What You’ll Find

When you visit the official Book of Ra page hosted by Novomatic/Greentube, you reach the only source that mirrors the certified game build used in German‑licensed online casinos. Because the developer supplies the content, every rule, payout, and graphic is 100% identical to what you see when the slot loads inside a regulated lobby.

Verified features and rules

  • Free‑spins trigger: Land 3, 4, or 5 Book symbols to activate 10 free spins with a randomly chosen expanding symbol.
  • Dual role symbol: The Book acts as Wild for all symbols and pays Scatter prizes up to 200× stake.
  • Paylines and bets: The classic release shows 9 fixed lines. Deluxe lists 10 adjustable lines and stakes from €0.10 to €100 per spin, subject to operator limits.
  • Return to player: The page states 95.03% RTP for the online Deluxe build and 92.13% for the land‑based cabinet, with high volatility data.
  • Optional gamble: A red/black card gamble lets you try to double wins up to €5,000, with the feature’s odds and limits documented.

Media and authenticity

  • High‑resolution artwork, official trailers, and 4K reel screenshots make it easier to spot counterfeit versions.
  • Downloadable paytable PDFs and game certificates confirm RNG testing by GLI for the German GGL, MGA, and UKGC markets.
  • An HTML5 demo runs in your browser with listed minimum specs: Chrome 88+, iOS 13+, Android 9+.

By checking these materials before you deposit, you make sure you are playing the genuine Book of Ra with unaltered hit frequency, certified RTP, and the expanding‑symbol bonus known across Spielbanken and online lobbies.

How to Play: Reels, Paylines, Bets

Reels and paylines

You spin on a 5×3 grid with up to 9 adjustable paylines in the classic Book of Ra from Novomatic/Greentube. You can activate each line individually, so you play from 1 to 9 lines. Fewer lines lower your cost per spin but also cut the number of possible winning patterns. Regular wins pay left to right starting on reel 1. Scatter wins pay anywhere on the reels.

Set your stake

Your total stake equals line bet × active lines. In most German-licensed online casinos, coin values range from €0.02 to €5.00, which leads to these common totals:

1 line at €0.02 €0.02 total
9 lines at €0.02 €0.18 total
9 lines at €5.00 €45.00 total

Controls below the reels let you change coin value, pick the number of lines, or start Autoplay for up to 100 consecutive spins. Autoplay helps when you want to try flat stakes or progressive increases without pressing spin each round.

The Book symbol

The golden Book works as both Wild and Scatter. As a Wild, it substitutes for every other symbol to complete or extend wins on active lines. As a Scatter, 3, 4, or 5 Books anywhere award 10 free spins plus payouts of 2×, 20×, or 200× your total bet. During free spins, one regular symbol is chosen at random to become an expanding symbol and pays on any reel positions. If the Explorer expands across all reels, wins can reach up to 5,000× your bet.

Start in seconds

  1. Choose 1–9 paylines
  2. Set coin value to fix your stake
  3. Press SPIN or use AUTOPLAY
  4. Hit 3+ Books to unlock free spins with an expanding symbol
  5. After any win, use the Gamble card feature for a 50/50 chance to double up to five times

Symbols and Paytable Essentials

You read the paytable in Book of Ra Classic or Deluxe to see how each symbol shapes your spin value. Low-paying royals — 10, J, Q, K, and A — show up often and help smooth the game’s high volatility. High-paying icons tie into the Egyptian theme: the Intrepid Explorer, Tutankhamun’s Mask, the Statue of Ra (Horus), and the sacred Scarab. Landing 5 Explorers on an active line pays the top line prize of 5,000× your line bet. Masks can reach up to 2,000×, with the other premium symbols filling the middle range.

The Book Symbol

The ancient Book is the only special symbol. It has a double role. As a Wild it substitutes for every regular symbol to complete line wins. As a Scatter it pays 2×, 20×, or 200× your total bet for 3, 4, or 5 Books anywhere. Three or more Books also trigger 10 free games with an expanding symbol.

Paytable Snapshot (Book of Ra Deluxe, 1-credit line stake)

Symbol 5 of a kind 4 of a kind 3 of a kind 2 of a kind
Explorer 5,000× 1,000× 100× 10×
Tutankhamun Mask 2,000× 400× 40×
Statue of Ra / Scarab 750× 100× 25×
A, K 150× 40× 10×
Q, J, 10 100× 25×
Book Scatter 200× (any) 20×

How Wins Are Paid

Line wins pay left to right starting from reel one. Only the highest win per active line is credited across 1–9 lines in Classic or 1–10 lines in Deluxe. Scatter wins and line wins are added together, so the Book can influence both base game results and bonus triggers.

Free Spins with Expanding Symbol

Trigger and Scatter Pays

Landing 3, 4, or 5 Book symbols (Wild/Scatter) anywhere on the reels pays 2×, 20×, or 200× your total stake and unlocks 10 free spins. The number of Books does not change the spins, only the scatter payout. You enter the feature as soon as the trigger hits.

Expanding Symbol Rules

Before the first spin, one of the nine regular symbols is randomly selected as the special expanding symbol. After any line wins are settled, expansion rules apply:

  • High value symbols — Explorer, Pharaoh, Scarab, Statue — expand when at least 2 land.
  • Low value royals 10–A expand when at least 3 land.
  • Expanded icons cover entire reels and pay on all 10 lines regardless of adjacency, acting like scatters.
  • Expanded wins are added to any standard payouts from the same spin.

Retriggers and Win Potential

During free spins, landing 3 or more additional Books awards another 10 free spins with the same expanding symbol. In the official Novomatic build there is no hard cap on retriggers, so the feature can keep re-awarding spins. Under ideal outcomes the theoretical maximum win is over 5,000× stake in a single bonus session.

What It Means for Gameplay

This round delivers most of Book of Ra’s payout potential and defines its high volatility. Hitting the Explorer as your expanding pick is statistically the most lucrative. Only two Explorer icons are needed to trigger full-reel expansion, opening the door to five-of-a-kind scatter-style hits for German players seeking big-win thrills. The mix of rare triggers and powerful expansions sets the game’s risk-reward profile.

RTP, Volatility, and Win Rates

What to expect

You’ll usually find the online version of the original Book of Ra set to an RTP of 96.00% on German-licensed sites. Land-based cabinets can run lower, down to 92.13%, so check the on-screen help or paytable for the exact figure before you start. RTP is a long-term metric. It reflects the theoretical share of all stakes returned over an unlimited number of spins. Your own results can vary widely in the short term.

High volatility in practice

Novomatic rates Book of Ra at 5/5 for variance. In real play this means:

  • Hit frequency around 28%, so longer non-winning stretches are normal
  • Base-game wins up to 500× stake when five Explorer symbols land
  • Free-spin totals that can exceed 5 000× stake if the chosen expanding symbol is the Explorer or Pharaoh and covers all reels

This suits you if you’re comfortable with risk and bankroll swings, as the bonus round delivers most major payouts.

Variation across operators

Novomatic supplies several certified RTP profiles, and each licensed operator can choose which one to activate. Typical German settings look like this:

Version Selectable RTP % Common Setting in DE
Book of Ra Classic (online) 92.13 / 94.26 / 96.00 96.00 %
Book of Ra Deluxe 90.05 / 95.10 / 95.13 95.10 %
Book of Ra Dice 95.91 95.91 %

German regulations require the active profile to be shown inside the paytable. Confirm the number before you spin so you know the precise return and the volatility level offered at your chosen casino.

Book of Ra Deluxe: What’s Different

Book of Ra Deluxe updates Novomatic’s 2004 classic for today’s German market. You get crisper 3D-style visuals, brighter lighting, and full-screen animations that scale cleanly on desktop and HTML5 mobile. The official game page lists these specs and media so you can confirm the authentic release before you play.

Gameplay and paylines

The core 5×3 layout stays intact. The original had 9 fixed lines, while Deluxe offers 10 adjustable paylines, an 11% increase in winning paths without adding complexity. Stake values start at €0.10 per spin and climb to around €50 in most German-licensed casinos, keeping the classic’s flexible betting style.

RTP and math model

The theoretical return rises from 92.13% in the classic to 95.10% in Deluxe, with some German sites using a 94.26% setting. Volatility remains high. The hit rate is a touch smoother, so bankroll swings feel less severe than on the 9-line version, yet the game still carries meaningful risk.

Bonus carries over

The signature feature stays the same. Land 3 or more Book symbols to trigger 10 free games. A random symbol is chosen to expand, covering full reels and paying on any position once enough appear. Five Explorer symbols during the feature can still award 5,000× line bet, which equals a potential 50,000× stake when all 10 lines are active.

Feature Classic Deluxe
Lines 9 fixed 10 adjustable
RTP (Germany) ≈92.13% 94.26%–95.10%
Top Win 5,000× line bet 5,000× line bet
Technology Flash & land-based HTML5 & mobile-ready
Release Year 2004 2008

The HTML5 codebase loads fast in Chrome, Safari, and Firefox and meets German regulator rules such as 5-second spin intervals and automatic session limits. You get higher RTP, an extra line, and visuals that feel right for 2024.

The Series: Deluxe 6, Magic, 10, and More

Novomatic keeps the signature Book feature across every sequel. You still chase free spins with expanding symbols, but reels, line counts, and bonus behavior shift from title to title. The core differences are below.

Variant Reel layout Paylines Key twist RTP*
Deluxe 6 6 × 3 with optional 6th reel 10 fixed Activate extra reel for 2× stake; six-of-a-kind possible 95.03 %
Magic 5 × 3 10 fixed Up to 9 expanding symbols in free spins as retriggers add more 95.03 %
Book of Ra 10 5 × 4 + 5 × 12 dual set 100 fixed Stacked symbols on the left transfer to the super reels on the right 95.02 %

*RTP values may vary slightly between German-licensed platforms.

Deluxe 6: An extra reel for more action

Pay 2× your base stake to unlock a sixth reel and enable six-symbol wins that can reach 7,500× per line when the Explorer hits. The bonus still grants 10 free games with one expanding symbol. With the sixth reel active, volatility steps up and the theoretical max win climbs.

Magic: Multiple expanding symbols

Magic starts with 10 free spins and one expanding symbol. Every three additional Books add 10 more spins and another expanding icon, up to nine unique symbols in a single round. Because several low-value royals can expand at once, dry spells are common, but full-screen premium hits above 5,000× bet remain possible.

Book of Ra 10: Dual-reel sets

You play across two synchronized reel windows. Any 4-high stack of the chosen expanding symbol on reels 1–5 copies to the 12-row super set, opening wins on up to 100 lines at once. In the bonus, Books landing on either window retrigger 8 additional spins with the same symbol, pushing volatility to the extreme.

Play Free: Book of Ra Demo

Try the demo at the official site

You can launch Book of Ra in demo mode on Greentube’s official game portal or at selected German‑licensed casinos that offer Novomatic content. The demo runs the same 5‑reel, 9‑payline math model and 95.05% RTP as the real‑money version, but stakes are replaced by play credits, usually 10,000 coins. Under GlüStV 2021, age and identity verification is required before any slot loads, free or paid, so a quick KYC check is mandatory. Outside Germany, some jurisdictions still allow one‑click demo access with no sign‑up, but IP geolocation may block German residents from these pages.

Why use demo mode

  • Test volatility: experience streaks of dead spins and bursts of 5–10× bet wins without bankroll stress.
  • Free‑spin frequency check: on average, the Wild/Scatter lands every 110–140 spins; three Books trigger 10 free games with an expanding symbol.
  • Bet calibration: switch between €0.10 and €50 virtual stakes to find a comfort zone before wagering real funds.
  • Feature familiarity: the Book symbol substitutes and pays up to 200× for five of a kind, while the explorer tops the paytable at 500×.
  • No financial risk: play credits replenish with every reload, so losses do not impact your wallet.

Access in Germany

Under §6 of the German Interstate Treaty on Gambling, demo play is legal only on sites holding a German licence (Erlaubnis). Operators must:

  1. Verify age (18+) via SCHUFA or a similar service.
  2. Impose a mandatory 5‑second spin interval, even in demo mode.
  3. Display reality checks every 60 minutes.

If a casino does not meet these points, the demo will be disabled for German traffic. Look for the “Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde” seal in the footer before you load Book of Ra for free.

About the Provider: Novomatic

You play Book of Ra from Novomatic, a European supplier founded in 1980 and based in Gumpoldskirchen, Austria. The group employs more than 21,000 people and runs over 260,000 gaming terminals worldwide. Through its interactive arm Greentube, Novomatic ports land-based hits like Book of Ra to online play while keeping the certified payout math intact.

Fair play and certifications

  • RNG audits by independent labs such as GLI and iTech Labs
  • ISO 27001 information security certification for key production sites
  • Game licences from the Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, and Germany’s GGL

These controls confirm each spin is produced by a verifiable random number generator, so outcomes remain independently testable and fair.

Licensed for Germany

Under the Glücksspielneuregulierungstaatsvertrag (GlüStV 2021), you access Book of Ra only via operators with a nationwide German licence. The flagship brand StarGames.de became the first platform approved by the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) in 2022, followed by partners like Jokerstar.de and Interwetten.de. All versions—Classic, Deluxe, Deluxe 6, Magic, and Book of Ra 10—run with a mandatory €1 maximum stake per spin and a 5 second spin interval as required by German law.

Experience and reputation

With four decades across land-based and online gaming, Novomatic holds strong recognition in Europe and has collected multiple EGR B2B awards for Casino Supplier and Slot Provider. For you in Germany, that means:

  • Consistent RTP between 94.20% for Classic and 95.10% for the Deluxe online edition
  • Cross platform play on desktop, Android, and iOS
  • Localised support plus age verification aligned with OASIS and LUGAS systems

Novomatic supplies certified RNG titles to regulated markets, including Germany.