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Book of Dead Slot Review 2026 – Expert Guide to Features, RTP & Best UK Casinos

Play’n GO’s Book of Dead is one of the most widely available slot games at UK online casinos. In this Book of Dead slot review, we break down the RTP rates, free spins round with expanding symbols, volatility profile, payout structure, and the best sites to play in the UK.

The Book of Dead Online Slot Game
Reviewed & Tested by: James Awland
Rating: 4.7/5
Released in 2016, this Egyptian-themed slot game follows explorer Rich Wilde into ancient tombs in search of legendary treasure. It features a 5×3 reel layout with 10 adjustable paylines, a maximum win of 5,000x your stake, and an advantageous free spins round with a special expanding symbol mechanic that drives the game’s biggest payouts.
This game is available at UKGC-licensed casinos
James Awland
James Awland
UK Online Casino Expert
James has been creating in-depth online casino reviews, articles & guides for over a decade now, having launched the independent bestcasino.co.uk platform back in 2014. He uses his background in Mathematical Sciences to provide an educated view to other gambling enthusiasts.

In-depth knowledge is key to navigating online casinos successfully. I'm here to provide it.

Best UK Casinos to Play Book of Dead

Choosing where to play this slot is worth careful consideration. RTP settings can differ between operators, and not every welcome offer includes it as an eligible game. Below are the top three UK-licensed casinos that feature the Book of Dead slot in their welcome bonus. All recommended sites have been reviewed and rated by our team based on game availability, bonus value, and platform quality.

  • All sites are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission
  • Last updated on: 06.03.26
5.00/5 Welcome Offer of 70 Bonus Spins on Book of Dead 2200+ Play Here! Full T&Cs apply.18+. New players only. Welcome Offer is 70 Book of Dead Bonus Spins available with a min. £15 first deposit. Bonus Spins must be used within 10 days. Any winnings from Bonus Spins will be added as Bonus Funds. There are wagering requirements for players to turn these Bonus Funds into Cash Funds. This is 10 times the value of the Bonus Funds. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. Affordability checks apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org
4.90/5 Get £10 When You Play £10 1000+ Play Here! Full T&Cs apply. 18+. UK & ROI. New Customers only. Deposit required (certain deposit types excluded). Bet £10+ on qualifying games for a £10 Casino Bonus (selected games, 10x wagering, max stake £2, valid 30 days). Valid 30 days from reg. Restrictions and T&Cs apply.
4.85/5 Deposit & Wager £10 and Receive 77 Cash Spins + 23 Free Spins 2450+ Play Here! Full T&Cs apply. 18+ New UK players only | 23 No Deposit Spins Winnings Have 10x Wagering Requirements | Max Cashout on No Deposit Spins is £100 | Cash Spins Winnings Are Wager-Free | No max cash out on Cash Spins | Eligibility is Restricted for Suspected Abuse | Skrill Deposits Excluded | Spins Values Are £0.10 Per Spin | All Spins Expire in 48 hours | gambleaware.org Play Responsibly.

List of All Book of Dead Sites Reviews by Us

Beyond our top three picks, we’ve reviewed a broad portfolio of UK-licensed casinos that offer this game in their slots library. The complete list below includes every site where our team has confirmed Book of Dead availability and completed an independent review. Each casino holds an active UK Gambling Commission licence and has been assessed against our standard criteria.

Book of Dead Slot Game — Full Breakdown

Rules, Layout & Betting Options

This slot machine uses a classic 5-reel, 3-row grid with up to 10 adjustable paylines. Wins are achieved by matching 2 or more high-paying symbols or 3+ lower-value symbols on consecutive reels across the active paylines, starting with the leftmost reel.

Reels 5
Rows 3
Paylines 10
Lines Pay Left to right
Max Win 5000x
Minimum Bet £0.01
Maximum Bet £5
Multiplier No
Free Spins 10
Bonus Round Free Spins Round
Progressive Jackpot No
Wild Yes
Scatter Yes
Gamble Yes

The betting range runs from £0.01 (single payline, minimum coin value) up to £5.00 per spin at UK-licensed casinos. Play’n GO’s base game supports a broader range through its coin value and coins-per-line system, but UK operators apply a £5 maximum stake in compliance with current regulations. At the top end, a single spin could return up to £25,000 based on the 5,000x maximum win.

Paylines are adjustable so that you can play with fewer than 10 active lines. However, reducing paylines lowers both your total bet and the number of potential winning combinations per spin. For the broadest coverage, playing with all 10 lines active is recommended.

Symbols, Payouts & Free Spins Bonus

Rich Wilde’s Egyptian adventure is brought to life with ornate tomb walls, hieroglyphics, and a soundtrack that builds nicely during bonus features. The visuals are showing their age a little — this is a 2016 release after all — but the overall presentation still holds up well.

As you’d expect, Rich Wilde himself sits at the top of the paytable. He’s followed by the Pharaoh, Anubis, and the Falcon, with the standard card symbols A, K, Q, J, and 10 filling out the lower end. You’ll need to land at least two of the premium symbols for a payout, while the card symbols require three or more.

Paytable & Symbols of Book of Dead Online Slot Game
Expanding Symbol 5-of-a-Kind Payout
Rich Wilde 5000x
Pharaoh 2000x
Anubis 750x
Falcon 750x
A or K 150x
Q, J, or 10 100x

The golden Book of Dead symbol deserves special attention because it pulls double duty. It works as both the game’s wild and its scatter, which is unusual — most slots split these into two separate symbols. As a wild, it steps in for any other symbol to help complete winning lines. As a scatter, it doesn’t need to be on an active payline to pay out — land three anywhere and you’ll pocket a scatter payout. Drop five across the reels, and that’s worth 200x your stake on its own.

More importantly, three or more scatters anywhere on the reels trigger the free spins bonus — 10 spins, with one symbol randomly chosen to become the special expanding symbol for the entire round.

How expanding symbols work in practice: Whenever your chosen symbol lands during free spins, it stretches to fill the entire reel — all three positions. The game then treats every spot on that reel as if it were displaying that symbol, opening up winning combinations that wouldn’t usually occur. Even better, these expanded wins pay across all positions, not just along your active paylines. A single spin with expanding symbols on two or three reels can produce several wins at once.

This is really where the game comes alive. If the random selection lands on Rich Wilde as your expanding symbol, you’re looking at the chance for the full 5,000x maximum win. If it picks a low-value card symbol like 10, your ceiling drops to 100x per combination. You can’t influence the selection — it’s entirely random — but knowing the difference helps you understand why some bonus rounds feel massive, and others fall flat.

One more thing worth knowing: landing three or more scatters during the free spins round awards another 10 spins, and there’s no limit on how many times this can retrigger. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does alongside a premium expanding symbol, that’s where the game’s headline payouts come from.

Gamble Feature in Book of Dead Slot Machine

After every winning spin in the base game, you have the option to risk your winnings through the Gamble Feature. A face-down playing card is revealed, and you choose:

  • Option 1: Guess the colour (red or black) — 50% chance to double your winnings
  • Option 2: Guess the suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades) — 25% chance to quadruple your winnings.

You can gamble consecutively up to five times, but an incorrect guess at any stage forfeits the entire win from that spin. The gamble feature is mathematically neutral — it doesn’t alter the game’s overall RTP. However, it significantly increases session variance. For a high-volatility slot like this one, the gamble feature adds another layer of risk that’s best applied to smaller wins where the potential loss is manageable.

RTP & Volatility Analysis

The Book of Dead slot RTP is not fixed at a single value. Play’n GO provides multiple RTP configurations, and each casino operator selects which version to offer:

RTP Version Classification
96.21% Default / highest
94.25% Reduced
93.02% Lowest

The industry average for online slots sits at approximately 96%, making the default 96.21% a competitive rate. However, operators using the 94.25% or 93.02% configuration increase the house edge considerably. Always check the RTP in the game’s information screen before playing — UK-licensed casinos are required to display this figure. For more on how return rates affect your sessions, see our guide to slots with the best RTPs.

This game’s high-volatility profile means you should expect extended stretches of losing or low-value spins in the base game, with the majority of meaningful returns concentrated in the free spins bonus — particularly when a high-value expanding symbol is selected. It’s a payout pattern that rewards patience and appropriate bankroll management rather than short sessions.

For context, here’s how the RTP and volatility compare to similar titles:

Slot Provider RTP Volatility Max Win
Book of Dead Play’n GO 96.21% High 5,000x
Legacy of Dead Play’n GO 96.58% High 5,000x
Book of Ra Deluxe Novomatic 95.10% High 5,000x
Dawn of Egypt Play’n GO 96.23% High 4,500x
Rise of Olympus Play’n GO 96.50% High 5,000x

Legacy of Dead is the closest competitor within Play’n GO’s own catalogue — it offers marginally higher returns with very similar mechanics and theme.

The Rich Wilde Series & Alternative Slots

Book of Dead belongs to Play’n GO’s long-running Rich Wilde series, which follows the character across themed expeditions. If you enjoy this game, the wider series is worth exploring:

Game Theme RTP Max Win
Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness Lovecraftian horror 96.59% 2,000x
Rich Wilde and the Shield of Athena Greek mythology 96.25% 5,000x
Rich Wilde and the Amulet of Dead Egyptian (sequel) 96.29% 5,000x
Rich Wilde and the Wandering City Lost civilisation 96.20% 10,000x

Play’n GO is one of the industry’s most prolific developers, recognised alongside NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, and Microgaming as a tier-one provider. They’re known for polished gameplay, strong narratives, and reliable mobile performance across their portfolio.

Other Egyptian-themed alternatives:

For a broader look at high-payouts slot games and how they compare, our dedicated guide covers the full landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most common questions we receive from UK players about this game.

֍ Can I play Book of Dead slot on mobile?

Yes — it runs straight in your mobile browser with no app needed. The layout adapts to any screen size and everything works the same as on desktop, including the free spins bonus and gamble feature. Compatible with both Android and iOS.

֍ Which are the best Book of Dead casinos?

Look for UK-licensed sites that include the game in their welcome bonus and offer the full 96.21% RTP. We've listed our current top picks near the top of this page, along with a full list of sites we've reviewed.

֍ What is the Book of Dead RTP?

The default rate is 96.21%, which is slightly above the industry average. Some casinos run lower versions at 94.25% or 93.02% though, so it's worth checking before you play. We cover this in more detail in our RTP & volatility breakdown.

֍ Is Book of Dead fair and legit?

Yes. Play'n GO holds licences from both the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority. Their games are independently tested to confirm random outcomes and accurate RTP figures — nothing can be manipulated by the player or the operator.

֍ What is the maximum win?

The top payout is 5,000x your stake, most realistically hit during the free spins bonus when Rich Wilde is selected as the expanding symbol. Our symbols and bonus section explains exactly how this works.

Book of Dead Slot Verdict: Special Expanding Symbols

There’s a reason this game is still everywhere ten years after release — it’s genuinely well made. The free spins round with expanding symbols delivers real excitement, the scatter doing double duty as a wild keeps the base game ticking along, and a 5,000x max win gives you something meaningful to chase.

A couple of things to keep in mind though. Always check that the casino you’re playing at offers the 96.21% RTP version — some quietly run it lower, which makes a noticeable difference over time. And because this is a high-volatility game, dry spells are part of the deal. The big wins are concentrated in the bonus round, so a bit of patience and sensible bankroll management go a long way.

How we arrived at our rating: Our team played Book of Dead across multiple UK-licensed casinos, checked the RTP settings at each one, and put the bonus features through extended sessions. We rate every slot on five things — bonus quality, RTP competitiveness, payout potential, mobile performance, and how enjoyable it actually is to play. Everything in this review comes from first-hand testing, not what’s written on the tin.

Final Rating: 4.7 / 5