Cleopatra is IGT’s ancient Egypt slot, a land casino favourite that reached online casinos in 2012. It has 5 reels and 20 paylines, a doubling Cleopatra Wild and one feature: free spins with a 3x multiplier that can retrigger up to 180 spins. It is a deliberately plain game with a loyal following.
Its RTP is lower than the 96% many slots now offer, and the top win is listed at 10,000x. This review sets out the RTP, volatility and max win in pounds at UK stakes, explains why sources disagree about whether 10,000x refers to the line bet or the total bet, and says plainly that no hit frequency is officially published.
Cleopatra at a glance
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Provider | IGT |
| Released | 11 January 2012 (OLBG) |
| Layout | 5 reels, 3 rows, 20 paylines, wins pay left to right |
| RTP | 95.02% |
| Volatility | Medium (OLBG and most sources) |
| Max win | 10,000x total stake (OLBG) |
| Stake range | 20p to £5 in the UK (£2 maximum for ages 18 to 24) |
| Hit frequency | Not officially published |
| Main feature | 15 free spins with all wins tripled, retriggerable |
| Free spins cap | Up to 180 in one round |
Overview
Cleopatra grew out of IGT’s land based machines, and it shows. The grid has a gold border engraved with hieroglyphics, the music uses Egyptian drums and harps, and the symbols are lotus flowers, scarabs, sceptres, cartouches and the Eye of Ra. It looks dated but intentionally so.
The design is minimal. There is a doubling wild and a single bonus, and OLBG describes it as quality over quantity. That simplicity is the reason it is still widely recognised.
How to play and stakes
A win needs three or more matching symbols on adjacent reels from the leftmost reel, with the high symbols and the wild paying for two. The lines are adjustable, and OLBG gives the minimum stake as 20p.
OLBG’s own text says stakes go up to £600 in one place and £5 in its summary table, which reflects stake limits outside the UK. UK Gambling Commission rules cap slot stakes at £2 for players aged 18 to 24 and £5 for players aged 25 and over, so this review uses 20p, £1, £2 and £5 for its examples.
RTP
OLBG gives the RTP as 95.02% and says it is the only version, because older IGT slots use a single setting. Most review sites agree on 95.02% and call it below the usual 96% for slots. Some sites quote different numbers. One page lists 95.8% in a header, and an operator’s own page says it publishes 95.7% as the highest available. Another site lists 94.07% and 92.48% in a comparison table that seems to cover related Cleopatra versions. We could not read an IGT game page, so we cannot confirm any of these with the provider. UK casinos can run different RTP settings, so the help screen at your casino is the figure that applies.
Volatility
OLBG and most review sites class Cleopatra as medium volatility. Casino Guru calls it low to medium, and two sites call it high. We follow the majority. The 3x multiplier in free spins is what pushes results above the base game level, but the base game itself is steady.
Max win and what it is worth in pounds
OLBG gives the maximum win as 10,000x the total stake, won by filling the grid with Cleopatra Wilds. Its own paytable shows five wilds on one payline pay 500x the bet, and with 20 paylines a full grid gives 20 times that, which is 10,000x. That arithmetic is ours, and it matches OLBG’s claim.
Other sites state the maximum as 10,000x the line bet. Under that reading, five wilds on one line would be the maximum, and the total bet equivalent would be far lower. Because the sources conflict and we could not read an IGT page, we follow OLBG, which is also the more specific source, and flag the uncertainty.
| Stake | Max win at 10,000x total stake |
|---|---|
| 20p | £2,000 |
| £1 | £10,000 |
| £2 | £20,000 |
| £5 | £50,000 |
These are theoretical ceilings, not typical results.
Free spins and the Cleopatra Wild
Three or more Sphinx scatters trigger 15 free spins, and every win in the round is tripled. The one exception is five Cleopatra Wilds, which are not tripled. Three more scatters during the round add another 15 spins, with a cap of 180 in total. OLBG also reports scatter payouts of 5x, 20x and 100x the stake for 3, 4 or 5 scatters, with 2 paying 2x.
The Cleopatra Wild substitutes for every symbol except the scatter and doubles any win it completes. In free spins that stacks with the 3x multiplier to give 6x, which is why OLBG’s verdict refers to a 6x multiplier.
Symbols and paytable
These are OLBG’s reported payouts as multiples of the total stake. Some entries in OLBG’s list look unusual, so check the in game paytable.
| Symbol | 2 of a kind | 3 of a kind | 4 of a kind | 5 of a kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10, J, Q | None | 0.25x | 1.25x | 5x |
| K | None | 0.25x | 2.5x | 5x |
| A | None | 0.5x | 2.5x | 6.25x |
| Eye of Ra | None | 0.5x | 2.5x | 12.5x |
| Sceptre | None | 0.5x | 3.75x | 12.5x |
| Golden cartouche | None | 0.75x | 5x | 20x |
| Lotus flower | 0.1x | 1.25x | 5x | 37.5x |
| Scarab beetle | 0.1x | 1.25x | 5x | 37.5x |
| Sphinx scatter | 2x | 5x | 20x | 100x |
| Cleopatra Wild | 0.5x | 10x | 100x | 500x |
Hit frequency and win rate
No hit frequency is officially published for Cleopatra. OLBG lists it as not available and another site says it is undisclosed. One site quotes about 35% without naming a method, so we do not use it. SlotPal’s hit rate guide covers Big Bass and Eye of Horus only, so it has no Cleopatra figure to compare. We therefore give no hit frequency.
Is Cleopatra enjoyable? Our verdict
This verdict is based on mechanics, provider rules and independent data. We have not played the game for money.
Cleopatra is a one trick design, but the trick is a good one. The tripled free spins with unlimited style retriggers create the swings, and the doubling wild adds some activity to the base game. Its RTP is below average, and there is no bonus buy or extra feature to sustain interest. It suits players who like classic casino style slots and medium swings. It is a weak fit for anyone who values RTP or modern feature variety. Our verdict: iconic but ordinary on the numbers.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Simple, easy to follow design
- Free spins with a 3x multiplier
- Retriggers up to 180 free spins
- Doubling Cleopatra Wild
- Top win listed at 10,000x
Cons
- RTP of 95.02% is below the common 96%
- Only one real feature
- Sources disagree about what 10,000x refers to
- No hit frequency is published
- Dated look and no bonus buy
Cleopatra FAQ
What is the RTP of Cleopatra?
95.02%, according to OLBG and most sites. Some sites list other figures, and the help screen at your casino shows the version in use.
Is Cleopatra high volatility?
No. OLBG and most sources class it as medium. Casino Guru says low to medium, and two sites say high.
What is the maximum win on Cleopatra?
OLBG gives 10,000x the total stake: £2,000 at 20p, £10,000 at £1, £20,000 at £2 and £50,000 at £5. Some sites say 10,000x the line bet.
What are the UK stakes for Cleopatra?
From 20p. UK rules cap slot stakes at £2 for 18 to 24 year olds and £5 for those aged 25 and over.
How do Cleopatra free spins work?
Three or more Sphinx scatters give 15 free spins with all wins tripled. Three more scatters add 15 spins.
How many free spins can Cleopatra give?
Up to 180 in one round, according to OLBG and several other sites.
What does the Cleopatra Wild do?
It substitutes for every symbol except the scatter and doubles any win it completes.
Does the 3x multiplier apply to every win?
It applies to free spins wins, except for five Cleopatra Wilds.
How often does Cleopatra pay?
No hit frequency is officially published, so we do not give one.
Is there a Cleopatra bonus buy?
No bonus buy is described by the sources we read.
Are there other Cleopatra games?
Yes. IGT has released Cleopatra II, Cleopatra Gold and other versions with different figures.
Why do sites disagree?
Mostly on whether the max win is based on the line bet or total bet, on RTP versions and on stake limits outside the UK. We name each conflict.
How we checked the figures
- RTP, volatility, paytable, free spins rules and the 10,000x total stake maximum: OLBG Cleopatra review (third party, UK focused).
- The 10,000x line bet reading and other RTP figures: igtsslots.com, freeslotshub, Slots Temple and a vegasslotsonline comparison table, plus Casino Guru for the volatility range.
- The arithmetic linking 500x per line to 10,000x for a full grid is our own working based on OLBG’s paytable.
- Hit frequency: not officially published, and the one numeric claim found names no method.
- No IGT game page was read, so no figure was confirmed with the provider.
- Casinomeister: the Cleopatra review URL returned a 404, so this article uses its own structure.
- UK stake limits: Gambling Commission rules as set out in the brief for this site.