Book of Dead: Ten Free Spins, One Random Symbol, and a Lot Riding on the Draw

Published: 24 September 2026 · By the Royal Casino Advisor editorial team

There's a particular sound Book of Dead makes when the third book lands. If you've played it, you know it: a heavy, ancient thud, the reels stop, and for a second you're not thinking about anything except which symbol is about to be picked. That moment is the whole game, and it's why a 2016 slot is still being played up and down the country every night.

Play'n GO, the Swedish studio behind it, built the game around its explorer Rich Wilde. The formula has been copied so often that "book slot" is practically its own category now. Let's go through what it does and, more importantly, what you should check before you play.

How It Plays

It's a five-by-three slot with ten paylines, which you can reduce if you like, though almost nobody does. The book does double duty: it stands in for other symbols as a wild, and three or more anywhere set off the bonus.

The prize for three books is a round of ten free games, and it opens with a little lottery: one regular symbol is drawn to be that round's expanding symbol. Every time it shows up often enough to form a win, it swells to cover its reel from top to bottom, and it's paid on every line, even across gaps between reels. Land three more books during the spins and you get another ten.

The Draw Is Everything

Here's the bit that makes or breaks your evening. Draw a lowly 10 or J and a whole screen of them pays pocket money. Draw Rich Wilde himself and five full reels of the explorer are where the game's 5,000x ceiling sits.

So two players can trigger the bonus on the same night, one can walk away with a handful of pounds and the other with a story for the pub. Nothing about their play was different. The draw was.

The Version Question (Read This Twice)

Play'n GO publishes Book of Dead's standard return at 96.21%. But it also ships the same game with cheaper settings for the house, and it's up to each casino which it installs. The lobby tile looks identical either way.

What difference does it make? Over £500 of spins, the average cost at 96.21% is about £19. At a build around 94%, it's about £30. At around 91%, closer to £45. Those are long-run averages rather than predictions, but the gap between the best and worst of those is more than double, for exactly the same reels.

The fix takes ten seconds: open the game, tap the information or rules button and find the RTP line. If it's well below the standard figure, play elsewhere.

A Budget in Pounds

The bonus can take its time, so I plan for about 300 spins a session.

• £30: 10p a spin, which is a penny per line on all ten.
• £60: 20p a spin.

The gamble feature, which lets you double or quadruple a win on a card guess, is fair for its payout but adds nothing except risk. I leave it alone, and I'd suggest you do too unless you genuinely want the coin-flip.

Most casinos offer a free demo, which is a painless way to see how often three books actually turn up.

Finding Book Slots in the Lobby

You'd struggle to find a European casino without a shelf of Egyptian book games, and the five below are no exception. Whether the Rich Wilde original is among them varies by site and country, and so does the return setting, so check both. If you're taking a welcome offer, enter the code at the cashier before paying in.

Book of Dead Versus the Copycats

Dozens of book slots followed. Most copy the mechanic faithfully; few match the original's balance. In the original the explorer is worth far more than the card symbols, you can choose how many lines to play, and Play'n GO states its standard return openly. When you try an imitation, compare those three things before assuming it's the same game with a different skin.

Three Quick Checks

1. RTP line in the rules. Always, at every new casino.
2. Total stake, not line stake. Some interfaces show the per-line bet, which can be confusing.
3. Bonus terms, if you're using one. Maximum bets and game weightings matter; read them before you spin.

For the studio's wider catalogue, including Reactoonz and Moon Princess, see our Play'n GO review. For a completely different sort of bonus on a similar five-by-three layout, try my guide to Big Bass Bonanza. Everything else is on the games hub, and if you ever feel you're playing for the wrong reasons, our responsible gambling guide is there for you.

Frequently asked questions

What return does Book of Dead pay?

The standard version is published at 96.21%. Lower-return builds are also offered to casinos, and the game's information screen shows which one you're playing.

What happens when three books land?

You get ten free games with one randomly drawn symbol that swells to fill its reel whenever it forms a win, paying on every line.

What's the most Book of Dead can pay?

5,000x your stake, which needs Rich Wilde as the drawn symbol filling every reel.

Is the gamble feature worth it?

It's fair for what it pays, but it adds only risk, not value.

Why did my Book of Dead bonus pay so little?

Most likely a low-paying royal was chosen as the expanding symbol. The value of the bonus depends heavily on that random draw.

Which casinos carry Egyptian book slots?

Casino Purple (PURPLE100), ZeSlots (ZESLOTS250), Casino Winner (WIN300), YourWin24 (YOUR250) and Cas2Bet (CAS100) all stock book-style slots; the precise line-up varies by site and country.

18+ only. Gambling should be entertainment, never income. Please play responsibly and read our responsible gambling guide.