Last updated: July 2026 · Reviewed by the editorial team at takabet-bet.com
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Online gambling may be restricted or illegal in your jurisdiction. Always verify local laws before playing for real money. Gambling can be addictive. If you or someone you know needs help, contact a local helpline or visit BeGambleAware.
Provider
Play'n GO
RTP
96.21%
Volatility
High
Min bet
0.10
Max bet
50.00
Max win
5,000x
Book of Dead is a five-reel, three-row, ten-payline video slot from Play'n GO. The full title reads Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead, and it launched on 14 January 2016. Nearly a decade later, this online slot still appears in top-ten most-played lists at licensed casinos worldwide. That kind of staying power in an industry releasing hundreds of new titles every month tells you something about the core mechanic.
The game follows adventurer Rich Wilde through an ancient Egyptian burial chamber. His goal: legendary treasures guarded by the Book of the Dead itself. High volatility, a single special symbol acting as both Wild and Scatter, and a maximum win potential of 5,000x your stake (up to 250,000 coins per spin) keep players coming back. It is, frankly, one of the clearest examples of a slot game that earns its reputation through gameplay rather than hype.
Play'n GO built this slot around a genuine piece of history. The original Book of the Dead, properly translated as The Chapters of Going Forth By Day, is a collection of funerary texts written on papyrus from roughly 1550 BC to 50 BC. These spells and prayers were meant to guide the deceased through the underworld. Egyptologists translated and published the texts in the 19th century, and they have since become one of the most recognisable artefacts of Egyptian culture.
That mystique shows up in every visual detail. The reels spin inside a torch-lit burial chamber decorated with hieroglyphs. Premium symbols depict Rich Wilde, a Pharaoh mask, Anubis and Osiris (labelled as Horus in some paytable versions). Card-rank symbols (10, J, Q, K, A) are styled in gold with Egyptian flourishes. The sound design stays restrained during base play and builds tension when free spins trigger.
Rich Wilde himself is a recurring character across Play'n GO's catalogue. The success of Book of Dead spawned an entire franchise: Legacy of Dead, Ghost of Dead, Scroll of Dead, Secret of Dead, Rise of Dead, Rich Wilde and the Amulet of Dead, Rich Wilde and the Shield of Athena, Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness, and Rich Wilde and the Wandering City. The original also owes a clear design debt to the classic Novoline slot machine Book of Ra.
For anyone exploring more iGaming titles, the "book" genre now includes dozens of variants from multiple studios. Book of Dead remains the template against which they are all measured.
Different players approach this game for different reasons, and that is worth spelling out.
If you are new to online slots, demo mode lets you explore the mechanics without risking anything. You can play Book of Dead free, learn how the expanding symbol works, and get a feel for the spin rhythm before committing funds. For experienced players, free play still serves a purpose: testing a new casino's version to confirm the active RTP before switching to real money.
Real money play is where the stakes become tangible. The slot's high volatility means long dry stretches punctuated by significant payouts, primarily during free spins. That pattern suits players who can tolerate variance and set firm session budgets. It does not suit anyone chasing quick, guaranteed returns. No slot can offer that.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Provider | Play'n GO |
| Release date | 14 January 2016 |
| Game type | Video slot |
| Reels x Rows | 5 x 3 |
| Paylines | 10 (adjustable) |
| RTP (default max) | 96.21 % |
| RTP range (operator-configurable) | 84.18 % / 87.25 % / 91.25 % / 94.25 % / 96.21 % |
| Volatility | High |
| Hit rate | Approx. 31 % |
| Max win | 5,000x stake (up to 250,000 coins) |
| Min bet | 0.10 |
| Max bet | 100 (may vary by jurisdiction, e.g. £5 max in the UK for some players) |
| Bonus features | Free Spins with Expanding Symbol, Gamble (Risk) Game |
| Mobile | Yes, HTML5, all modern browsers |
| Demo / Free play | Available on aggregator sites and many casinos |
| Download required | No |
One of the first questions players ask: can I try this game before spending money? The short answer is yes, and you do not need to download anything.
Book of Dead is built entirely in HTML5 with JavaScript, CSS3, Canvas and SVG rendering. No app download, no Flash plug-in, no installation. You can play online slots like this one directly in your browser. Open the URL, wait 5 to 10 seconds for assets to load, and the game is ready.
Many aggregator and review sites host a demo version with virtual credits. No registration, no deposit. The RNG, RTP and all game mechanics in demo mode are identical to the real-money version. The only difference: you cannot withdraw virtual credits.
In the United Kingdom, since January 2025, even demo slot access requires Tier 1 identity verification (name, date of birth, address). In most other jurisdictions, free play is available without registration.
Demo versions lower the barrier to entry. You get transparent exposure to the risk-and-reward structure before depositing a single coin.
"Demo versions reduce entry barriers and provide transparent exposure to risk-and-reward structures before depositing." - Ball State University eSpace, "Understanding the Role of Demo Versions in Digital Gaming," 2022.
That said, demo sessions tend to be short and exploratory, which can create an overly positive impression. Some developers have been noted to make demo builds subtly more generous to encourage real-money transition.
"Almost two-thirds of participants in simulated games considered real-money play a direct consequence of their simulated experience." - Longitudinal study of simulated gambling among adolescents, approx. 2022.
The takeaway: play demo to learn how free spins trigger, how the expanding symbol works and how the Gamble feature operates. But do not treat a "hot" demo session as a reliable predictor of real-money outcomes. The RNG produces independent results every time.
Even if you have never touched a video slot before, Book of Dead's controls are straightforward. Let me walk you through it.
Quick maths: coin value 0.01 x 1 coin x 10 lines = 0.10 minimum bet per spin. Coin value 1.00 x 5 coins x 10 lines = 50.00 maximum bet per spin (up to 100 in some builds).
Each spin outcome is determined by a certified Random Number Generator (RNG). No strategy, timing or previous result can influence what the reels display. Worth repeating: no strategy changes the odds.
The autospin panel lets you set a fixed number of automatic spins. Basic autospin and turbo-spin controls are accessible and simple to configure across most builds.
On mobile, Book of Dead requires no app. Built in HTML5, it runs in any modern browser: iOS Safari, Android Chrome, Samsung Internet and others. The dashboard collapses into a simplified touch-friendly interface. The spin button repositions depending on screen orientation. Taps and swipes replace cursor clicks, and the paytable plus settings are accessible via a hamburger menu.
RTP, volatility and game rules remain identical to the desktop version. Only the interaction method changes. Load times are typically 5 to 10 seconds on a stable connection.
Game flow, step by step:
Book of Dead contains ten symbols: four theme-related premium icons, five card-rank icons and the special Book symbol. Understanding the paytable is not optional if you want to know what you are actually playing for.
Premium symbols pay for 2-of-a-kind or more. Card symbols require at least 3-of-a-kind. Here is the complete payout table, with multipliers per line bet:
| Symbol | 2x | 3x | 4x | 5x |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rich Wilde | 10 | 100 | 1,000 | 5,000 |
| Pharaoh | 5 | 40 | 400 | 2,000 |
| Anubis | 5 | 30 | 100 | 750 |
| Osiris (Horus) | 5 | 30 | 100 | 750 |
| A | - | 5 | 40 | 150 |
| K | - | 5 | 40 | 150 |
| Q | - | 5 | 25 | 100 |
| J | - | 5 | 25 | 100 |
| 10 | - | 5 | 25 | 100 |
| Book (Scatter) | - | 2 | 20 | 200 |
All values are multiplied by the line bet. Scatter payouts are multiplied by the total bet and added independently of line position. Winning combinations are evaluated left to right starting from reel 1, on active paylines only. Only the highest win per payline is paid. Scatter wins are added to line wins.
The golden Book of the Dead is the mechanical heart of this slot game. It performs a dual role that is unusual even within the "book" sub-genre.
As Wild, it substitutes for every other symbol to complete or extend winning combinations on any payline. As Scatter, it pays based on total appearances anywhere on the reels, regardless of payline, and triggers the Free Spins bonus when 3 or more land simultaneously.
This dual function is an exception to typical slot logic, where Wild symbols usually cannot replace Scatters. In Book of Dead, the Book does both. That is a key reason the hit rate remains around 31 % despite the game's high volatility.
| Books on screen | Scatter payout (x total bet) | Free Spins awarded |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2x | 10 |
| 4 | 20x | 10 |
| 5 | 200x | 10 |
This is where Book of Dead separates itself from dozens of similar online slots. The bonus features are simple in concept but powerful in execution.
Landing 3, 4 or 5 Book symbols anywhere on the reels awards 10 free spins plus the corresponding scatter payout. Before the round begins, the game randomly selects one symbol to become the Expanding Symbol for the entire feature.
How the expanding symbol works: if the selected symbol forms part of a winning combination on any reel during free spins, it expands to cover the entire reel (all three positions). This can lead to multiple reels being fully covered by the same symbol, dramatically increasing payouts.
If Rich Wilde is chosen as the expanding symbol and fills all five reels, every one of the ten lines pays 5,000x the line bet. That produces the game's theoretical maximum of 5,000x the total stake, or 250,000 coins. Even if a low-paying card symbol (10, J, Q) is selected, full-reel expansion can still produce substantial wins because the symbol fills 15 positions across five reels.
Do not underestimate a seemingly weak selection. I have seen sessions where a "cheap" symbol like J covered the entire screen and paid across all ten lines. It is not the glamorous outcome, but the maths still works.
Re-trigger: if 3 or more Book symbols appear during the free spins round, an additional 10 free spins are awarded. The same expanding symbol remains active. There is no hard cap on re-triggers.
After any winning spin in the base game, two buttons appear: Collect or Gamble.
Guess the colour (red or black): probability 50 %, payout 2x. Guess the suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades): probability 25 %, payout 4x.
You can gamble up to 5 consecutive times or until your accumulated gamble winnings reach 2,500 coins, whichever comes first. An incorrect guess forfeits the entire payout from that spin.
The Gamble feature uses a virtual card deck with equally weighted outcomes. While mathematically fair per guess, repeated use significantly increases the probability of total loss. A 50 % chance of doubling sounds attractive in isolation. But chain two guesses together and your odds of keeping anything drop to 25 %. Three guesses: 12.5 %. The compounding effect is real.
Most responsible-gaming guides recommend caution with this feature, and honestly, that advice holds up. If you are playing for entertainment, the Gamble button adds excitement. If you are playing with a strict budget, it adds risk you probably do not need.
Understanding the mathematical profile of a slot before playing for real money is not just smart. It is, arguably, the single most important step a player can take.
RTP (Return to Player): Over millions of simulated spins, the game returns a percentage of total wagers to players. The default maximum RTP is 96.21 %, meaning the theoretical house edge is 3.79 %.
Configurable RTP: Play'n GO certifies five RTP tiers: 96.21 %, 94.25 %, 91.25 %, 87.25 % and 84.18 %. Operators choose which version to deploy. The active setting is visible in the in-game paytable.
Volatility: High. Wins are infrequent relative to low-volatility slots, but when they land they tend to be larger. Expect long stretches of losing spins punctuated by significant payouts, primarily during the free-spins feature.
Hit rate: approximately 31 %. Roughly one in three spins returns something, though many of those returns will be smaller than the stake. These are known as "losses disguised as wins," or LDWs.
Max win: 5,000x stake. Achievable when Rich Wilde is the expanding symbol during free spins and covers all 15 reel positions. At a maximum bet of 50 coins, this translates to 250,000 coins. Some sources cite an absolute monetary cap of €500,000 depending on operator settings.
Many players assume every copy of Book of Dead runs at 96.21 %. In reality, two casinos can host visually identical versions with RTPs more than 12 percentage points apart. A version set to 84.18 % returns roughly €84 for every €100 wagered over time. That is significantly worse than the headline figure.
Always open the in-game paytable and look for the RTP figure printed near the version number before depositing funds. This takes about ten seconds and can save you real money over a session.
A pre-registered experimental study found that participants made significantly fewer bets when presented with explicit house-edge percentages or volatility warnings, compared with the standard RTP label alone. A simple counter showing total amount bet had no significant effect.
"Participants placed significantly fewer bets when shown house-edge or volatility information compared with standard RTP disclosures." - Pre-registered study on house-edge information and online gambling, approx. 2022.
This suggests that understanding the real RTP of the version you are playing, and knowing what high volatility actually means for your bankroll, can meaningfully influence how long and how aggressively you play.
With a hit rate of approximately 31 %, many "winning" spins return less than the bet. Research shows these LDWs affect behaviour in measurable ways:
"Streaks of three LDWs exceeding 75 % of the stake prompted players to increase their next bet; streaks of LDWs below 25 % of the stake led to bet reductions." - Field study on player reactions to LDW in slot machines, 2023.
Being aware of this pattern helps you evaluate your session more honestly. A run of small "wins" that are actually net losses can create a false sense of momentum. Recognising that feeling for what it is, a cognitive bias rather than a signal, is one of the most practical things you can do as a player.
Not all casinos offering Book of Dead are equal. Before depositing, evaluate each platform against these criteria:
| Criterion | What to Check |
|---|---|
| Licensing | A Tier 1 licence from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) or Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) ensures regulatory oversight, player-fund segregation and dispute resolution. Verify the licence status directly in the regulator's online register, not just the number in the site footer. |
| RTP verification | Open the game's paytable at that specific casino and confirm the RTP is 96.21 % (or at least an acceptable tier). If the casino runs the 84.18 % version, consider playing elsewhere. |
| RNG and audit certification | Look for independent testing by eCOGRA, iTech Labs or Gaming Laboratories International (GLI). These bodies verify that the RNG is fair and that reported RTPs match actual performance. |
| Game provider legitimacy | Ensure the casino hosts genuine Play'n GO software, not clones from unknown developers. A partnership with certified studios (Play'n GO, NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, etc.) is a strong trust signal. |
| Banking and payouts | Check supported payment methods, withdrawal processing times, minimum and maximum withdrawal limits, and KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements. Transparent terms are non-negotiable. |
| Demo availability | Can you play demo before depositing? A casino that lets you test Book of Dead free before committing funds shows confidence in its product. |
| Mobile support | Confirm the casino's mobile experience matches the desktop version. The game itself is HTML5, but the casino wrapper matters too. |
A few practical habits that help you manage your bankroll and play responsibly:
Keep all 10 paylines active. Reducing lines removes potential winning routes, and that matters especially during free spins when the expanding symbol needs active lines to pay.
Start with minimum bets. At 0.10 per spin, you can play 1,000 spins on a modest bankroll. High volatility means long dry stretches; a low stake makes those streaks tolerable.
Use demo mode first. Familiarise yourself with the paytable, the free-spins trigger frequency and the Gamble feature's risk profile before risking real money.
Be cautious with the Gamble feature. A 50 % chance of doubling sounds attractive, but repeated gambles compound risk rapidly. Losing once forfeits the entire win.
Set a loss limit before you start. Decide a session budget and stop when it is gone. No slot is "due" for a win. That belief has a name: the gambler's fallacy. It costs people money every day.
Regional note for Bangladesh: Online gambling operates in a legal grey zone under the Public Gambling Act 1867. Onshore casinos are prohibited, and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) periodically blocks offshore gambling domains. Players using Mobile Financial Services (bKash, Nagad) for gambling transactions risk account freezes. If you are in Bangladesh, understand the legal and financial risks before engaging with any real-money casino. This is not a disclaimer we include lightly.
This review is maintained by the editorial team at takabet-bet.com and is updated whenever game specifications or regulatory conditions change. We play-test every game we review in demo mode, verify paytable data against multiple independent sources, and disclose all known RTP configurations. We are not a casino operator and do not process real-money wagers.