Book of Ra at VegasNow

Book of Ra is one of Novomatic's best-known pokies, built around an explorer theme and a single symbol that does two jobs. The Book is both the wild, standing in for other symbols to complete line wins, and the scatter, which pays and unlocks the free games wherever it lands. That double role is the heart of every edition in the series.

Play is line-based. Book of Ra deluxe and Book of Ra Magic both use five reels and ten lines, and wins form when matching symbols land along an active line from left to right. You choose your stake, spin, and the game pays any line wins plus any Book scatter win. When enough Books land, the free games begin.

The editions differ most in what happens during free games. Book of Ra Magic is the one where Novomatic publishes the detail: its feature awards 10 free games with up to 9 randomly selected special expanding symbols. Expanding symbols can spread across the reels during the round, which is why the feature can produce far bigger results than the base game. For the classic edition and deluxe, the exact free-game rules and the current symbol values are set out in each game's own paytable, and it is worth reading them at your chosen stake before the first real-money spin.

All three editions are slots, so they count in full toward bonus wagering and earn loyalty points at the slot rate. The sections below cover each of those in turn.

The 10 free games in Book of Ra Magic belong to the game. They start on the reels, cost nothing extra and follow Novomatic's rules. Picture two versions of the round: in one the game picks two special symbols, in the other it picks eight. Each chosen symbol can grow to fill its reel, so the second round gives far more chances for expanded symbols to connect across the ten lines. Novomatic publishes that structure, up to nine symbols, but not an average result, so neither picture says what the round will pay.

The 500 welcome spins are something else: an award on your VegasNow account, released once the deposit has been wagered once, with 40× wagering on winnings and a A$300 cap. Our free spins page explains how they are credited. One practical result of the difference is that Magic's free games carry no stake, so they never move your 40× counter; only paid spins do.

Welcome bonuses at VegasNow carry 40× wagering on the bonus amount and 40× on free-spin winnings, with seven days to finish. A spin on any Book of Ra edition counts dollar for dollar, which makes the series an efficient way to clear a bonus compared with table games.

Worked example. Your second deposit of A$200 with the code VEGAS2 earns a 100% match, a A$200 bonus, plus 50 free spins. The bonus requirement is A$200 × 40 = A$8,000 of wagering within seven days. At A$1 a spin on Book of Ra deluxe, that is 8,000 spins; at A$2 it is 4,000; at the A$8 maximum it is 1,000. For the first stage, a A$100 deposit brings a A$150 bonus and A$6,000 of wagering.

Ten lines make the stake easy to reason about: the total bet shown on screen is what counts toward wagering, whatever the line split. Winnings from a deposit bonus can be withdrawn up to A$5,000 per offer, and only one bonus can be active at a time. Read the full bonus terms, and see the promo codes page for the VEGAS2, VEGAS3 and VEGAS4 stage codes.

On a ten-line game the bonus terms look at what the whole spin costs, not the amount on each line. If the stake selector in deluxe or Magic shows a per-line figure, multiply it by ten before you press spin.

So A$0.80 a line is the ceiling while any bonus sits on your account. Check again after switching editions or coming back from a break, because the cap is a bonus condition rather than a limit built into the game. Going over it cannot lift what you keep anyway: winnings linked to a deposit bonus top out at A$5,000 per offer.

Book pokies tend to save their biggest moments for the free games, so the base game can run for a while without much happening. Give yourself enough spins for the feature to have a fair chance.

• Set a deposit limit in your VegasNow account before you start.
• Aim for at least 100 spins of runway from your budget.
• Pick a stop-loss and a win point and leave at either.
• Avoid gambling any win just to chase a bigger one.
• Keep each spin at A$8 or under while a bonus is active.

If you feel you are chasing losses, pause. Use the limits and self-exclusion tools in your account, read our responsible gambling page, or contact Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858 for free, confidential support.

After the welcome stages, Lucky 7s Load Up adds a 77% match capped at A$77 on Tuesday deposits, and it can be claimed more than once. A A$100 deposit lands on that cap. If the offer in your account shows the usual 40×, the target is A$3,080 of wagering: 3,080 spins at A$1, or 770 at A$4. The offer itself lists its code and any differences, so read it before you deposit, and see the weekly promotions page for the rest of the calendar.