How the base game pays
Gates of Olympus by Pragmatic Play was released in 2021. It uses a 6×5 grid with a pay-anywhere system: you win when 8 or more matching symbols land anywhere on the screen, no paylines needed.
After every win the winning symbols disappear and new ones tumble down from above, which can create several wins from one spin.
Multiplier orbs
Any spin can drop multiplier orbs worth from 2x up to 500x. When the tumbles end, all orb values on screen are added together and applied to the total win of that spin.
How to trigger free spins
- Land 4 or more Zeus scatter symbols anywhere to win 15 free spins.
- During free spins, every multiplier orb that lands is added to a total multiplier that stays for the rest of the round.
- 3 or more scatters during free spins award 5 extra spins.
- Ante bet: raising your stake by 25% increases the chance of triggering free spins.
- Bonus buy: in many casinos you can buy the free spins round for 100x your stake. It is not available in every jurisdiction.
RTP and volatility
The default RTP is 96.5%, but casinos can choose lower versions — check the info panel. Volatility is high: long dry spells are normal, and most of the game's value is concentrated in rare big hits. The maximum win is 5,000x your stake.
Ante bet vs bonus buy: what each costs
Both options are about getting to the free spins faster, and both cost more than they appear to.
The ante bet raises every spin by 25%. A hundred spins at 1.00 cost 125 instead of 100, so at 96.5% RTP the average loss rises from about 3.50 to about 4.38 — you pay more per spin in exchange for more frequent bonuses. The bonus buy costs 100x your stake up front and returns about 96.5x on average, so each buy costs roughly 3.5 stakes, with very large swings between one buy and the next.
Key facts
| Provider | Pragmatic Play |
|---|---|
| Type | Video slot |
| Released | 2021 |
| Grid | 6×5, pay anywhere |
| RTP | 96.5% (default) |
| Volatility | High |
| Max win | 5,000x |
| Free spins | 15 for 4+ scatters |
| Multipliers | 2x–500x |
Casinos can choose between several RTP versions of a game. The exact figure is shown in the game's info panel.
Questions
How many scatters do you need for free spins?
Four or more Zeus scatters anywhere on the grid award 15 free spins.
What is the difference with Gates of Olympus 1000?
Gates of Olympus 1000 is a later version with multipliers up to 1,000x and a higher max win. This guide covers the original game.
Is the bonus buy worth it?
The bonus buy has roughly the same RTP as the base game. It makes sessions more volatile, not more profitable.
Does the ante bet improve the RTP?
No. It increases the chance of triggering free spins, but you pay 25% more per spin, so the long-run return stays about the same.