Most pages about Nolimit City's Book of Shadows agree on the basics. It is a dark, occult-themed "Book" slot that came out in August 2020, and it has free spins and a big top prize. What they rarely make clear is that the game ships in more than one RTP version, or how the UK caps change the features. This guide covers the Book of Shadows slot RTP versions, max win and UK stake limit, using Nolimit City's own figures and the Gambling Commission's rules.
The provider's core figures
Third-party pages disagree on several numbers, so these come from Nolimit City's game page and game sheet:
- Release date: 20 August 2020
- RTP: 96.01% headline figure (more on the versions below)
- Volatility: Extreme. Some pages say "high", but the provider rates it Extreme.
- Maximum payout: 30,338 times the bet
- Hit frequency: 33.33% on the game page
- Free spins: triggered 1 in 154 spins on average
- Grid: five reels, with three rows that can expand to four or five
One page lists the RTP as 96.10% and gives two different maximum wins between its text and its table. The provider's 96.01% and 30,338x are the figures to trust.
RTP versions: what the casino chooses
Nolimit City's game page shows a single RTP, 96.01%. Its game sheet says more. It describes Book of Shadows as "available with a dual RTP setup", listing 96.01% alongside a 94.09% version labelled DX1. The sheet also names a third, lower version, DX3.
The casino picks which version it runs. You don't get a choice, and the game looks and plays the same whichever version is loaded. Only the long-run return differs.
Some pages give row-dependent RTPs of 96.01%, 96.07% and 96.19%, depending on how many Shadow Rows are active. Nolimit City's page and sheet don't list them: the sheet gives one total RTP for the standard version and separate figures only for the lower versions. The game's own rules do give a separate RTP for four and for five Shadow Rows, but the game fills the figures in itself, so check them in the rules at your casino before you rely on the row-based numbers.
How to check which version you're playing
The sources here don't show which version any casino licensed in Great Britain runs. To find out, open the game's information or paytable screen at the casino and look for the stated RTP. If it shows 96.01%, you have the standard version. A lower figure means one of the cut-down versions.
What the difference costs
On average, play costs the amount staked times the house edge, which is 100% minus the RTP. At the standard 96.01% version:
| Spins and stake | Total staked | Average cost at 96.01% |
|---|---|---|
| 100 spins at £0.20 | £20.00 | £0.80 |
| 100 spins at £1.00 | £100.00 | £3.99 |
These are long-run averages, not a forecast for one session. With Extreme volatility, a single session can end anywhere: well down, or occasionally far up. A lower-RTP version takes a bigger share of the same stakes over time. That is why checking the information screen is worth the few seconds.
How the features work
The Book symbol and free spins
The Book is both wild and scatter. Three or more trigger 10 free spins. If you have Shadow Rows active, the number of spins awarded adjusts to balance the larger grid.
Before the round starts, a Golden symbol is drawn at random. Whenever it can form a win, it expands to cover its whole reel. If you don't like the first draw, you get one redraw. Full screens of expanded Golden symbols are where the 30,338x ceiling comes from.
Shadow Rows
Shadow Rows let you expand the grid from five-by-three to five-by-four or five-by-five. That adds paylines and raises the cost of each spin.
Lucky Locks
After a base-game spin, Lucky Locks lets you freeze chosen reels and respin the rest for an extra cost. Players typically hold Book symbols to improve their chance of reaching free spins. The respin price depends on what you lock, and the sources here don't give exact prices.
Gamble and the feature buy
As shipped, the game has two gamble options for base-game wins. One is a 50/50 double-or-nothing. The other is a wheel that gambles a win straight into the free spins. There is also a Nolimit Bonus feature buy that goes directly to free spins.
Nolimit City notes that both the buy and the gamble-into-bonus may be removed in some regulated markets. If a casino has switched them off, they simply aren't there for you.
The UK stake limit and Book of Shadows
Casinos licensed by the Gambling Commission can lawfully offer online slots to players in Great Britain. Book of Shadows meets the legal definition of an online slot, so the stake caps apply in full:
- £5 per game cycle for players aged 25 and over, in force since 9 April 2025
- £2 per game cycle for players aged 18 to 24, in force since 21 May 2025
The Commission's current guidance shows no later change or exception relevant to this game.
Nolimit City lists a bet range of €1.00 to €100.00. At a casino licensed in Great Britain, the cap ends that range, at £5 or £2 depending on your age.
The cap covers any amount paid or risked in connection with the game, not just the base bet. That matters here more than in most slots:
- Shadow Rows raise the cost per spin. The full cost with rows added must stay within your cap, so you can't combine a high base bet with five rows if the total goes over.
- Lucky Locks respins are paid, so their cost must also fit within the cap for that game cycle.
- Gambling a win risks an amount in connection with the game, so it falls under the same definition of stake.
- The feature buy, if a casino offers it at all, counts toward the cap at its full price. A buy priced above £5, or above £2 for under-25s, cannot be played as a single stake. The sources here don't give the buy's price.
Other UK rules you'll notice
- No autoplay. You start every spin yourself.
- No turbo or quick spin. Features that speed up results or give an illusion of control aren't allowed.
- A minimum pace. At least 2.5 seconds must pass between the start of one spin and the next.
- No false celebrations. The game may not play win sounds or animations for a return equal to or less than your stake.
On a game this volatile, those enforced pauses are a natural moment to check your balance against the limit you set before starting.
Trying it without money
Nolimit City's page offers a free demo using play-money coins on a third-party site. That doesn't mean every casino has a demo, so check at the casino itself. A demo is a useful way to see how Shadow Rows change the spin cost and how Lucky Locks prices vary before you put any real money in.