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Jewels of the Orient Slot Review
Jewels of the Orient is a 5-reel, 9-payline video slot from Microgaming, released in 2009. It carries a 96.5% RTP and medium volatility - a combination that suits players who want a reasonable frequency of smaller wins alongside the chance of bigger payouts in the free spins round. Stakes run from £0.01 to £45.00 per spin, with coin values between £0.01 and £0.25 and up to 20 coins per payline.
The theme draws from across East Asia rather than fixing on one country. Symbols include traditionally dressed women from India, Thailand, China, Korea and Japan, alongside jewels and a jewel box. It is a straightforward visual approach - no heavy cutscenes or complex animations, just clean reel icons on an ornate backdrop. The game logo acts as the wild and substitutes for all standard symbols; landing five wilds on an active payline pays 2,500x the line bet, which represents the top non-bonus payout in the base game.
Free Spins Feature
The palace symbol is the scatter and triggers free spins when three or more land anywhere across the reels. The number of scatters determines the reward tier, chosen from a pick-em screen presented by three oriental figures before the free spins begin:
- 3 scatters: choice of 10 or 15 free spins, a multiplier of 1x-5x, or a fixed prize of 5x-25x your total bet
- 4 scatters: 15 or 20 free spins, multiplier of 1x-5x, or 20x-100x your total bet
- 5 scatters: 20 or 40 free spins, multiplier of 1x-5x, or 50x-120x your total bet
Your selection locks in your reward type before the spins play out. The multiplier range stays the same regardless of how many scatters triggered the round, so the benefit of hitting four or five scatters is a higher guaranteed prize tier rather than a higher multiplier ceiling. Free spins cannot be retriggered once the round is active.
The pick-em choice is meaningful. A 40-spin run at a 1x multiplier will produce different results from a 20-spin run at 5x - the larger spin count favours more frequent wins off existing paylines, while the higher multiplier amplifies each individual win but over fewer spins. Neither is objectively the better pick; it depends on whether you are chasing volume or a single high-value outcome.
How to Play
The 9 paylines are adjustable downward, which reduces the cost per spin but also lowers the probability of triggering the scatter bonus, since fewer active lines means fewer chances to land three or more palaces. The autoplay function lives in Expert mode rather than the standard interface - switch to Expert, set your spin count (5, 10, or a custom number), and the game runs without further input.
A statistics panel tracks session data including total time played and your best win from the current session. This was a Microgaming design choice from that period, intended to keep players aware of their session length. It does not replace checking the game rules for RTP and variance before you start.
RTP and Volatility
At 96.5%, Jewels of the Orient sits comfortably above the industry average for older video slots, which typically ranges from 94% to 95%. Medium volatility means wins arrive frequently enough to sustain a session bankroll, but the larger payouts are concentrated in the free spins feature. Base game wins tend to be modest - small multipliers on single paylines - while the free spins pick-em offers the main route to anything significant.
This makes Jewels of the Orient a reasonable fit for players who prefer steady play over high-risk single-spin strategies. For guidance on stake sizing relative to your bankroll, see our slot betting strategy guide. If you are specifically looking for higher-RTP games, our high RTP slots page lists titles with published RTPs of 97% or above.
Similar Games
If the East Asian theme appeals but you want a different volatility profile, Oriental Fortune and Asian Beauty are both worth comparing. For jewel-matching mechanics specifically, Jewel Quest runs the matching grid format rather than a traditional reel layout. A full list of titles from this developer is on our Microgaming page.
Verdict
Jewels of the Orient holds up well for a 2009 release. The 96.5% RTP is the headline number - it gives back more per £100 wagered than most comparable slots from the same era. The free spins feature is the main event: three scatter levels with distinct prize tiers and a genuine choice between spin volume and multiplier size. The base game is straightforward 9-line play with a solid wild payout at 2,500x. It lacks the progressive jackpots and bonus complexity of later Microgaming releases, but the core mechanics are clean and the RTP is verifiable. If you want to play it at a trusted site, see our casino reviews.
Where to Play Jewels of the Orient Video Slot
These online casinos carry Microgaming games including Jewels of the Orient Video Slot. Read our Donbet review or browse all casino reviews.
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