The dazzling sun of Upper Egypt, sand whispering in the wind, and majestic scarab beetles guarding pharaonic golden relics — here, among stone columns and mysterious hieroglyphs, your adventure unfolds in the slot machine Scarab Temple: Hold and Win from 3 Oaks Gaming. This video slot blends classic “Hold & Win” mechanics with the spellbinding atmosphere of an ancient civilization, giving players a chance to unearth a Grand jackpot of 1000× the bet.
The developers paid great attention to the soundscape: when the reels spin, a muffled clang of bronze recalls a ceremonial drumbeat, and large wins are greeted by a jubilant choir of priests. Ambient music shifts with each game phase: calm flutes during regular spins build into dynamic percussion when the Hold & Win mode triggers, enhancing the sense of presence inside a forbidden temple buried in sand.
Diving Into the Slot’s History and Technical Profile
Scarab Temple: Hold and Win joined the 3 Oaks Gaming portfolio relatively recently but has already become a mainstay in many online-casino lobbies. The developers drew inspiration from Egyptian mythology and architecture: lotus columns flank the reels, while a flickering inner sanctuary with scrolls and golden statues glimmers in the background. The slot uses a familiar 5-reel × 3-row layout that is friendly to newcomers and comfortable for seasoned spinners.
Under the hood is a modern math engine with 25 fixed paylines, a dynamic pay-coefficient table (which scales with the stake), and medium–high volatility. The latter promises rarer but heftier wins — just what hunters of exotic Hold & Win rounds seek.
The slot is HTML5-optimized and runs equally smoothly on desktops and mobile devices. Animations scale without quality loss, and UI elements realign automatically so the “Spin” button is within thumb’s reach. Certificates from independent labs confirm the RNG’s fairness, and the engine is regularly audited to iTech Labs and GLI standards.
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Developer | 3 Oaks Gaming |
| Slot Type | Video slot 5 × 3 |
| Paylines | 25 (fixed) |
| Bet Range | €0.25 – €60 (casino-dependent) |
| RTP (theoretical) | ≈ 95.76 % |
| Volatility | Medium–High |
| Max Win | 1000× + symbol payouts |
These parameters keep gameplay balanced: a high nominal RTP maintains return potential during long sessions, while fixed lines remove the risk of “forgetting” to activate a profitable combination. If you’d like to test the waters without bankroll pressure, switch to demo mode — all figures and hit frequencies remain identical to the real-money version.
Rules and Game Logic: Decoding the Hieroglyphs of Victory
- Sequence: lines pay strictly left to right, starting from reel 1.
- Fixed 25 lines: their number cannot be changed, but the stake size can.
- Highest line win only: if several combinations occur, only the highest counts.
- Line aggregation: simultaneous prizes on different lines are added and paid as a single amount.
- Dynamic table: coefficients multiply by the current stake level.
Clicking the “i” button in the upper-left corner opens an interactive guide. It shows an animated preview of each symbol and explains bonus features. The “Bet” tab lets you adjust the stake within casino limits via a slider or plus/minus buttons. All changes appear instantly in the “Total Bet” panel, and potential wins per combination recalculate on the fly.
Winning Combinations: All the Treasury’s Riches
Pyramids of Wealth: Who Gets How Much Gold?
| Symbol | 3 of a kind | 4 of a kind | 5 of a kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyramid Scatter | 5.00 + 8 FS | — | — |
| Pharaoh Mask | 2.00 | 10.00 | 50.00 |
| Tutankhamun | 1.00 | 8.00 | 40.00 |
| Horus | 1.00 | 6.00 | 30.00 |
| Anubis | 1.00 | 4.00 | 20.00 |
| A / K / Q / J | 1.00 | 2.00 | 10.00 |
How to read the table? The figures show how many times your total stake is multiplied when the specified number of identical symbols lands on an active line. Scatter is not tied to lines: three pyramids anywhere award 5× and trigger 8 free spins.
Note that card symbols A–J appear more often than themed icons, so an average spin ends with a small or medium payout. This keeps the balance afloat while players hunt the rarer Pharaoh Masks or Tutankhamun lines. Over the long term these “frequent smalls” smooth the volatility spikes.
Secret Features: Scarab Power and Waves of Free Spins
The Divine Wind of Change
Wild symbol (Scarab Beetle)
- Appears on reels 2, 3, 4 and 5.
- Substitutes all symbols except Scatter and bonus orbs.
- Completes high-symbol lines, forming its own combinations.
In certain rounds the Wild can land stacked three symbols high, covering an entire reel. Such expansion greatly boosts the chance of a winning line: matching high-rank icons only need to appear on adjacent reels. If stacked Wilds land on two reels at once, multiple line wins are likely.
Scatter (Pyramid)
- Three pyramids on reels 2–4 activate 8 free spins.
- During free spins a further three Scatter add another 8 spins.
- The bonus round increases the chance of landing bonus scarabs.
Statistics show free spins launch roughly once every 120–150 base spins. Thanks to retriggers this figure can drop considerably: in lucky sessions it’s easy to collect 24 or even 40 consecutive free spins. All wins during free spins pay at the stake active when they were triggered — another reason to catch the round at a higher denomination.
Artifact-Hunting Strategy: How to Bend the Temple of Fortune
The Scarab Hunter’s Algorithm
- Manage your bankroll. Wager 1–1.5 % of the roll to withstand volatility.
- Ride the streaks. After a line win, launch 20–30 auto-spins.
- Trust free spins. They most often trigger Hold & Win.
- Micro step betting. Raise the stake when the balance grows, lower it on drawdowns.
- Lock in profit. Leave at x2–x3 your deposit instead of endlessly chasing Grand.
We also recommend monitoring session length. Practice shows the optimal “run” is 45–60 minutes. That’s long enough to hit a couple of bonus features without fatigue or loss of control. Take a break, analyze the stats, and adjust the stake before the next attempt if needed.
Hold & Win Round: The Heart of the Sandstorm
What Is the Bonus Game and Why Does an Archaeologist-Player Need It?
“Hold & Win” is a mini-game where 6+ special symbols freeze the main field and launch three respins. New bonuses lock in place and reset the counter to 3. The goal is to fill as many cells as possible and gather all values into one large prize.
Scarab Temple Mechanics
- Trigger: 6 or more bonus scarabs.
- Starting stock: 3 respins.
- Counter reset: each new scarab restores 3 spins.
- Finish: counter reaches 0 or all 15 / 15 cells are filled.
- Win calculation: the values of all orbs are summed.
| Orb Type | What It Gives | Approximate Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Mini | 30× bet | Often |
| Major | 150× bet | Less often |
| Grand | 1000× bet (15 / 15) | Rare |
The chance to fill the grid completely is low, but that’s why the Grand jackpot comes with a spectacular cut-scene: the reels dissolve in golden light, and a giant scarab hovers on-screen, scattering thousands of sparks. According to player feedback, the visual effect is worth the wait. In every attempt, assess the remaining free cells: if no new symbol lands after the second spin, the Grand odds drop, but Mini or Major are still in play.
Trial Expedition: Risk-Free Demo Mode
A Sandbox for Beginners and Perfectionists
Demo mode is a free version of the slot using virtual credits. All mechanics, RTP and volatility are intact, but cashing out winnings is impossible.
How to enable it? In most casinos, a “Demo” or “Play for Free” button is visible on the slot tile. If not, use the “Demo/Real” toggle with a joystick icon — just like in the lobby screenshot. Sometimes the mode hides in a dropdown menu.
- Study bonus-round frequency without financial pressure.
- Find a comfortable stake and strategy.
- Check how often Mini or Major drop with your playstyle.
Several sites offer “Demo+” — an extended practice mode with stats for 1 000 auto-spins. Such a report is perfect for volatility analysis without investing real time in manual spins. After the test you can export results to CSV and compare them with similar slots.
Final Chord: Leave Your Name in the Scrolls of Kings
Scarab Temple: Hold and Win gifts players the atmosphere of legendary excavations, balancing between classic video slots and modern Hold & Win adventures. With a dynamic paytable, generous free spins and three progressive jackpots, the machine suits both a relaxed evening and a calculated high-roll session.
Dive into the dust of ages, listen to the rustle of “living” gold and let the reels unroll the scroll of fate — perhaps your stake will open the doors to the Grand tomb! The 3 Oaks Gaming collection grows constantly, and if you enjoy the Hold & Win mechanic here, try Sister of the Sun or Aztec Fire — they work on similar principles but offer a different cultural backdrop and unique bonuses.