| Provider | IGT |
|---|---|
| RTP | 95.02% - Compare RTPs |
| Volatility | Low-Medium |
| Reels | 5 |
| Paylines | 20 |
| Bet Range | £0.20 - £600.00 |
| Features | Wilds, Scatters, Bonus Rounds |
Cleopatra Slot Review
The Cleopatra slot from IGT is one of the most recognisable slot machines ever made. It started life as a physical cabinet in land-based casinos across the United States in the late 1990s before moving online, and the appeal has never faded. Ancient Egypt, a gold-heavy colour palette, a wild that doubles wins, and a free spins round with a 3x multiplier - it is the kind of formula that keeps pulling players back through sheer consistency.
If you have spent any time in a casino arcade or on a gaming floor, there is a good chance you have come across Cleopatra already. Online, it continues to appear at the majority of UK-licensed casinos. Here is a full breakdown of how the game works and what to expect from it.
Game Basics at a Glance
Cleopatra runs on 5 reels with 20 paylines. Wins pay left to right from the leftmost reel. Stakes range from 20p to £600 per spin depending on the casino, making it accessible for most budgets. The game is built by IGT (International Game Technology), one of the oldest names in commercial gaming and the company behind titles like Wheel of Fortune, Double Diamond, and Da Vinci Diamonds.
RTP sits at 95.02%, which is a touch below the 96% that most online slots now offer. That is worth keeping in mind, but it does not mean Cleopatra pays poorly - it means the house edge is marginally higher than average over a very long sample. Volatility is low to medium, meaning smaller wins appear fairly regularly rather than long dry runs punctuated by occasional large hits. Maximum payout is 10,000x your line stake, achieved by landing five Cleopatra wilds across an active payline.
Symbols and Payouts
The symbol set leans heavily on Egyptian iconography. At the top end you have the Cleopatra symbol itself (the wild), followed by a scarab beetle, an Eye of Horus, a lotus flower, and the Queen in various poses. Lower down the paytable are the standard 9, 10, J, Q, K, A card values decorated with Egyptian styling.
The Sphinx acts as the scatter symbol. It does not need to land on a payline to count - three or more anywhere on the reels trigger the main bonus feature. The Cleopatra wild substitutes for all symbols except the Sphinx, and any win that includes a Cleopatra wild gets its payout doubled. So five wilds on a payline would pay at the normal five-wild rate, then doubled - making it the highest single-spin prize available.
Payline wins are calculated by multiplying the coin value by the number of matching symbols on a line. The top non-wild symbol pays 750 coins for five in a row, which at higher stakes can represent a meaningful return. The card symbols at the bottom pay between 5 and 50 coins depending on the combination.
The Free Spins Feature
Three or more Sphinx scatters anywhere on the reels award 15 free spins. During those spins, all wins are multiplied by 3x. That is not just applied to base payouts - it applies to everything, including wild-doubled wins. So a Cleopatra wild on a free spin win pushes the effective multiplier to 6x on that combination.
The feature is retriggerable. Land three or more Sphinxes again during the bonus and you get another 15 free spins added to your remaining total. The cap sits at 180 free spins in a single round, though reaching the upper end of that takes a considerable run of good fortune. In practice, one or two retriggers in a session is a reasonable expectation rather than hitting the ceiling.
The free spins round is the main reason Cleopatra has stayed popular for so long. The flat 3x multiplier across every win means modest base-game combinations pay noticeably better during the bonus, and the retriggering mechanism can extend the round significantly. The feature is not the most complex bonus structure available in modern slots, but its simplicity is part of the appeal - wins land, the multiplier applies, and the tally builds.
Cleopatra II
IGT followed the original with Cleopatra II, which updates the visual presentation to a sharper resolution and changes the free spins mechanics. Instead of a flat 3x multiplier, Cleopatra II starts at 2x and increases the multiplier with each free spin - so the later spins in the round pay substantially more than the early ones. The sequel also offers up to 50 free spins per trigger rather than the 15 of the original, though the retriggering structure differs.
Both games are widely available at UK casinos. The original remains the more-played of the two - partly familiarity, partly because the flat multiplier can produce big wins earlier in the round rather than needing to wait for the later high-multiplier spins. If you enjoy the classic, Cleopatra II is worth comparing as a slightly different take on the same theme rather than a strict upgrade.
The History Behind the Game
IGT launched Cleopatra as a land-based slot cabinet in 1998. It was among the first slots to popularise the ancient Egypt theme that dozens of developers have returned to since. The Eye of Horus, scarab beetles, pyramids, and Cleopatra herself have become so standard in slots precisely because IGT established them here first.
By the time Cleopatra moved online in the early 2010s, the game already had a large established following from land-based play. That recognition gave it an immediate advantage over newer titles: players encountering it online often already knew the mechanics from a casino floor somewhere, which removed the learning curve entirely. That familiarity factor is part of why Cleopatra appears at so many casinos today - operators know that a significant portion of players will recognise it and engage with it directly.
Pros and Cons
Pros: A recognisable game with more than two decades of track record. Free spins feature is generous and retriggerable with a meaningful multiplier. Low to medium volatility suits players who prefer more frequent wins over boom-or-bust play. Wide betting range from 20p makes it accessible. Available at most UK-licensed online casinos. The land-based heritage means the mechanics feel tried and tested rather than experimental.
Cons: RTP of 95.02% is slightly below the current online average and below what most comparable modern slots offer. The graphics show their age against newer releases - this is a product of its era and the visual presentation reflects that. Gameplay is relatively straightforward by today's standards. If you want a complex bonus structure with multiple mini-games, cascading reels, or a buy-the-bonus option, Cleopatra does not offer any of that.
Is Cleopatra Worth Playing?
For what it is - a classic, low-complexity slot with a proven free spins feature - Cleopatra delivers. The 95.02% RTP is the main mark against it compared to modern alternatives, but the low to medium volatility and the retriggerable free spins round compensate to a degree by giving the bonus real potential without requiring exceptional luck just to reach it.
Players who want the latest graphics, intricate bonus stages, or maximum theoretical RTP will find more recent titles better suited. But if you want a slot that has earned its place through years of actual play rather than marketing, one where the mechanics are clear from the first spin and the bonus feature is genuinely enjoyable, Cleopatra has a strong case. It is a game that got the formula right early and has not needed to reinvent itself since.
Who makes the Cleopatra slot?
Cleopatra is made by IGT (International Game Technology), one of the longest-established gaming companies in the world. IGT originally launched Cleopatra as a land-based slot cabinet in 1998 before bringing it online.
What is the RTP of the Cleopatra slot?
The Cleopatra slot has an RTP of 95.02%. This is slightly below the typical online slot average of around 96%, but the low to medium volatility means wins appear fairly regularly.
How do you trigger free spins in Cleopatra?
Landing three or more Sphinx scatter symbols anywhere on the reels triggers 15 free spins. During the feature, all wins are multiplied by 3x. The bonus is retriggerable - landing three or more Sphinxes during free spins adds another 15 spins, up to a maximum of 180.
What does the Cleopatra wild symbol do?
The Cleopatra symbol is the wild and substitutes for all other symbols except the Sphinx scatter. Any winning combination that includes the Cleopatra wild has its payout doubled. During free spins, this stacks with the 3x multiplier for an effective 6x on wild-assisted wins.
What is the difference between Cleopatra and Cleopatra II?
Cleopatra II is IGT's follow-up with updated graphics and a different free spins structure. Instead of a flat 3x multiplier across 15 spins, Cleopatra II starts at 2x and increases the multiplier with each spin, with a maximum of 50 free spins rather than the original's 180-cap retriggerable round.
What is the maximum win on the Cleopatra slot?
The maximum payout is 10,000x your line stake, achieved by landing five Cleopatra wild symbols across an active payline. This can happen in both the base game and the free spins round.
Where to Play Cleopatra
These online casinos carry IGT games including Cleopatra. Read our Magic Win Casino review or browse all casino reviews.
Cleopatra RTP and Variance
Cleopatra has an RTP of 95.02%, which is around the industry average. See our highest RTP slots for the best returning games. Low-medium volatility gives a good balance between regular payouts and occasional bigger hits.
At the minimum bet of £0.20 per spin, a £10 deposit gives you 50 spins with a statistical expected return of £9.50. Read our slot betting strategy guide for tips on managing your bankroll.
More IGT Slots
If you enjoy Cleopatra, try these other IGT games available at the same casinos.