Quick Stats
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Provider | 888 Gaming (Random Logic) |
| Game Type | Video Slot |
| RTP | 95.02% |
| Volatility | Medium |
| Reels / Rows | 5 × 3 |
| Paylines | 15 Fixed |
| Min Bet | $0.15 |
| Max Bet | $450.00 |
| Max Win | 1,500x stake (base game) + progressive jackpot |
| Features | Free Spins with Sticky Wilds, Pharaoh’s Tomb Bonus, Random Progressive Jackpot, Wild |
| Theme | Ancient Egypt |
| Release Date | 29 September 2016 |
| Platform | Desktop & Mobile |
What Is Rise of the Pharaohs Jackpot?
This is 888 Gaming’s Egyptian progressive jackpot slot, built in the same engine as their Millionaire Genie and Pirates’ Millions titles. The setting is a burial tomb — dark stone, imposing statues on either side of the transparent reels, and a brooding soundtrack that genuinely builds tension. It’s one of the better-produced Egyptian slots of its era, and it stands out by featuring lesser-known deities in the paytable: Thoth, Khnum, and Horus sit alongside the more familiar Cleopatra and Tutankhamun.
It suits players who enjoy a classic bonus structure — free spins, a pick bonus, and a random jackpot — without needing elaborate mechanics. If you want Megaways, bonus buys, or cascading reels, this isn’t the game. If you want a polished Egyptian pokie with a million-dollar jackpot sitting above the reels and a couple of solid bonus rounds to chase, this one delivers. Budget between $20–$40 for a reasonable session at mid-level stakes.
RTP and Volatility
The RTP is 95.02%, which sits slightly below the current industry average of around 96%. In real terms: for every $100 wagered across millions of spins, the game returns roughly $95 to players in aggregate. Your individual session will look nothing like that figure — it’s a long-run theoretical average, not a per-session guarantee.
Volatility is rated medium by most independent sources. For a $30 session at $0.30 per spin, that typically means a decent spread of small-to-medium base-game hits, with the bigger swings concentrated in the free spins and bonus game. You’re unlikely to see your balance flatline for 50 spins straight, but you’re also not going to grind consistent profit without landing a feature. The random jackpot is the wildcard — it can drop on any spin at any bet level, though higher stakes improve your odds of triggering it.
Betting Range
Bets run from $0.15 to $450 per spin, giving this game one of the wider ranges you’ll find among Egyptian-themed pokies. The 15 paylines are fixed — you can’t reduce them, but you also don’t need to worry about optimising line counts. Every spin covers all 15.
For most Kiwi players, $0.15–$0.50 per spin is a sensible range for an extended session. At $450 per spin, a $1,000 budget gives you just two spins — it’s firmly in high-roller territory at that level. The progressive jackpot is accessible at all bet sizes, but your probability of triggering it scales upward with your stake.
How to Play Rise of the Pharaohs Jackpot — Step by Step
- Set your bet. Use the Bet button to select your total stake per spin, or press Bet Max to jump straight to the maximum.
- Review the paytable. Open the paytable before playing to check what your chosen bet pays for each symbol combination. The top symbol (Thoth) pays 1,500x your line bet for five-of-a-kind.
- Spin. Hit the Spin button or set up Autoplay for 10–75 automatic spins.
- Watch for wins. Combinations pay left to right on consecutive reels. The Eye of Horus wild substitutes for all symbols except the scatter and bonus icon.
- Trigger free spins. Land three or more Tutankhamun scatter symbols anywhere on the reels to activate the free spins round.
- Trigger the bonus game. Land the Cleopatra bonus symbol on reels 2, 3, and 4 simultaneously to enter the Pharaoh’s Tomb pick bonus.
- Watch for the jackpot. The progressive jackpot drops at random after any paid spin — no special symbol combination required. You’ll know immediately.
Try this: Play 30 spins at $0.15 to get a read on base-game hit frequency before stepping up your stake.
Symbols and Paytable
The high-value symbols are five Egyptian figures: Thoth (the ibis-headed god and highest payer at 1,500x a line bet for five-of-a-kind), Khnum, Horus, and two distinct forms of Anubis. Below them sit the standard playing card values — 10, J, Q, K, A — rendered on worn parchment to keep the tomb aesthetic intact. These are the low-value filler symbols that keep base-game hits ticking over.
The Eye of Horus serves as the wild, substituting for everything except the Tutankhamun scatter and the Cleopatra bonus symbol. Landing wilds during free spins is where the real action is — they turn sticky and stay locked in place for the rest of the round.
Bonus Features
Free Spins with Sticky Wilds
Land three or more Tutankhamun scatter symbols anywhere on the reels to trigger the free spins round. The number of free spins you receive scales with how many scatters appear — three gives the base award, and four or five adds more. Once free spins begin, any wild that lands on the reels turns sticky: it locks in position and stays there for the entire duration of the round. Between 3 and 5 sticky wilds appear at the start of the feature, and their position can shift between groups of spins. When wilds stack across a payline, nearly every spin in the round generates a win.
One important note: free spins cannot be retriggered during the bonus round. What you trigger is what you get.
Pharaoh’s Tomb Bonus
The Cleopatra symbol is a bonus icon, not a regular symbol — it only appears on reels 2, 3, and 4. When all three show Cleopatra simultaneously, you enter the Pharaoh’s Tomb bonus. This is a two-stage pick game. In the first stage, you choose from a set of options to reveal a multiplier between 2x and 4x. In the second stage, you pick again for a second multiplier of up to 20x. The two multipliers combine and are applied to your total bet — not your line win. At maximum bet, this can produce substantial payouts even from modest individual picks.
Random Progressive Jackpot
The progressive jackpot requires no specific symbol combination and no bonus trigger condition. It drops randomly after any completed spin, at any bet level. Higher stakes increase your probability of it landing, but even minimum-bet players are eligible. The jackpot pool has been documented reaching seven-figure sums, making it the headline reason many players load this game. The exact jackpot value is displayed live above the reels during play. When it drops, the round concludes and the jackpot resets.
Is Rise of the Pharaohs Jackpot Worth Playing?
Pros:
- Three distinct bonus routes — free spins, pick bonus, and a random progressive jackpot — give the game genuine variety beyond a standard two-feature setup.
- The sticky wilds during free spins are among the better implementations of the mechanic: predictable enough that you understand why you’re winning, but variable enough to produce a range of outcomes.
- The random jackpot is accessible at all bet sizes, which is fairer than many progressive setups that effectively lock out low-stakes players.
- The atmosphere and production quality hold up well — the tomb setting, transparent reels, and brooding soundtrack are genuinely effective.
Cons:
- An RTP of 95.02% is below average for a modern online slot. Over a long session, you’re working with a slightly steeper house edge than comparable titles.
- Free spins cannot be retriggered, which limits their ceiling compared to games that allow bonus extension.
- No gamble feature, no adjustable paylines, and no bonus buy — players who want more control over their session have limited options here.
- The max win from the base game is capped at 1,500x a single line bet, which is modest. The jackpot is the only route to life-changing money.
Rise of the Pharaohs Jackpot is best suited to players who want a well-produced, lower-pressure pokie with a genuine shot at a massive jackpot on any spin. If the jackpot is the reason you’re playing, it delivers on that premise. If you’re here for base-game excitement or a high win ceiling from the bonus round, the below-average RTP and non-retriggerable free spins make it a harder sell against newer competition.
Responsible Gambling
Rise of the Pharaohs Jackpot uses a certified random number generator (RNG). Every spin outcome — including the jackpot trigger — is completely random and cannot be predicted, timed, or influenced by previous results. Set a firm session budget before you play and step away when you reach it. If gambling is causing concern for you or someone close to you, reach out to your local responsible gambling support service.