Pragmatic Play · 2023 · Tested in the demo
Gates of Olympus 1000 Review
The original grid with a higher ceiling: 2x–1,000x multipliers, high volatility, 15,000x max win
Our score: 8.8/ 10
Quick verdict: this is the original Gates of Olympus with the limits raised. The 6×5 pay-anywhere grid, the tumbles, the paytable and the 15 free spins are all unchanged. What's new is a fifth, crystal multiplier orb, values that now reach 1,000x and a max win of 15,000x the bet, three times the original's. The price is a rougher ride: the game rates itself high volatility. RTP is 96.50% in the base game and with the ante, and 96.49% on the buy.
- RTP
- 96.50%Base game and ante; 96.49% on the buy
- Volatility
- HighThe game's own rating
- Max win
- 15,000xThe round ends at the cap
- Multipliers
- 2x–1,000xBase game and free spins
The game
What is Gates of Olympus 1000?
Gates of Olympus 1000 is Pragmatic Play's follow-up to its 2021 hit, released in . It plays on the same 6×5 grid with no paylines: 8 or more matching symbols anywhere on screen win, the winners disappear and new symbols fall into the gaps. Multiplier orbs can drop in on any spin, and their top value is now 1,000x.
On screen, little has moved. Zeus still floats beside the reels in front of a temple above the clouds, and the crown, hourglass, ring, chalice and five gems are the same artwork as before. The logo now carries a large gold "1000", and the free spins play out under a night sky lit by green aurora lights.
The real changes are in the maths. A fifth orb joins the four winged ones, the multiplier range stretches to 1,000x and the max win rises to 15,000x the bet. To pay for that headroom, the game describes itself as high volatility, where the original says medium.
Within the family it is the middle step. Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 runs the same maths in a Christmas skin, while Super Scatter and Gates of Olympus 2500 push the ceiling higher again.
Paytable
Symbols and paytable
The paytable is identical to the original's. Nine symbols pay for 8–9, 10–11 or 12 or more of a kind, wherever they sit on the grid. Values below are multiples of your total bet: at a 2.00 bet, 12 or more crowns (50x) pay 100.00.
| Symbol | 8–9 | 10–11 | 12–30 |
|---|---|---|---|
 Crown | 10x | 25x | 50x |
 Hourglass | 2.5x | 10x | 25x |
 Ring | 2x | 5x | 15x |
 Chalice | 1.5x | 2x | 12x |
 Red gem | 1x | 1.5x | 10x |
 Purple gem | 0.8x | 1.2x | 8x |
 Yellow gem | 0.5x | 1x | 5x |
 Green gem | 0.4x | 0.9x | 4x |
 Blue gem | 0.25x | 0.75x | 2x |
The Zeus scatter
Zeus is the scatter. He appears on all six reels and pays wherever he lands, on top of any symbol wins.
| Symbol | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
 Zeus scatter | 3x | 5x | 100x |
Four or more scatters also start the free spins. As in the original, six of the nine symbols return less than your stake for 8 or 9 of a kind, so base game wins are usually small. The bigger payouts depend on the multiplier orbs, and in this version those can be much larger.
Step by step
How to play Gates of Olympus 1000
-
Choose a stake
The plus and minus buttons next to the spin button change the bet, from 0.20 up to 300 per spin.
-
Spin the grid
Eight or more of one symbol anywhere on the 6×5 grid is a win. Where they land doesn't matter.
-
Let the tumbles run
Winners disappear, the symbols above drop down and fresh ones fill the gaps, so a single spin can pay several times.
-
Add up the orbs
When the tumbles stop, every multiplier on screen is added together and the spin's total win is multiplied by the sum.
-
Trigger the free spins
Four or more Zeus scatters award 15 free spins, with a total multiplier that only grows during the round.
The key feature
Multiplier orbs up to 1,000x
Five multiplier symbols can land on any reel, during spins and tumbles, in both the base game and free spins: the familiar green, blue, purple and red winged orbs, plus a new crystal orb set in a pink-and-gold laurel frame. Each takes a random value from this list: 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 8x, 10x, 12x, 15x, 20x, 25x, 50x, 100x, 250x, 500x or 1,000x.
Only the last value is new. Everything from 2x to 500x matches the original's list; 1,000x is the addition that gives the game its name. The rules don't say which orb carries which value.
In the base game, nothing happens to an orb until the tumbling sequence ends. Then the game adds up all the multipliers on screen and multiplies the sequence's total win by the result: a 10x and a 25x orb together make 35x. If the spin has no win, the orbs pay nothing.
The higher top value also brings the cap into reach. A 1,000x orb on a sequence that already pays 15x the bet would hit the 15,000x limit on its own. Our multipliers guide covers the maths for the whole series and has a calculator.
Green orb
Blue orb
Purple orb
Red orb
Crystal orb (new)
Bonus round
Free spins, step by step
Four or more Zeus scatters anywhere on the grid start 15 free spins. During the round, 3 or more scatters on a single spin add 5 more, and the game switches to special reels for the feature.
The round revolves around the total multiplier, shown in a winged badge to the left of the grid. Each orb that lands on a winning free spin is added to it, and it never goes down until the round is over. Whenever a new orb lands on a win, that win is multiplied by the whole total. A winning spin that brings no new orb is paid as it stands.
The rules are the same as in the original; only the possible orb values are bigger. The setting changes too: the round takes place under a night sky with green aurora lights.
Below is part of the round we bought in the demo at a $2.00 bet: two tumbles from the same spin, then the final result.
Paying for features
Ante bet and bonus buy
| Mode | Cost | At a 2.00 bet | What you get | RTP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal spin | 1x bet | 2.00 | The standard game | 96.50% |
| Ante bet | 1.25x bet | 2.50 | Twice the chance to trigger free spins naturally; the buy is switched off | 96.50% |
| Buy free spins | 100x bet | 200.00 | 15 free spins straight away; the triggering spin always has 4 scatters | 96.49% |
You can use one or the other, never both. The ante adds a quarter to every spin in exchange for more natural bonus rounds. The buy skips the wait and charges 100 bets up front, with four scatters guaranteed on the spin that starts the round.
The buy's RTP of 96.49% is 0.01 percentage points below the other modes, which makes no practical difference. The real difference is risk. A bought round is one result, and on a high-volatility game it can return less than it cost, as ours did, or many times more. Only spend on a buy what you are ready to lose. Some casinos and countries don't offer buys or antes at all; our bonus buy guide compares the options across the series.
The numbers
RTP, volatility and max win
RTP: 96.50%. The rules screen in Pragmatic Play's demo gives 96.50% for the base game and for the ante bet, and 96.49% for buy free spins. These are long-run figures over a huge number of spins; a single session can land far above or below them.
Check your casino's version. Pragmatic Play offers casinos several RTP settings for many of its games, so the copy you open may pay back less than 96.50%. The figure is in the game's rules, behind the "i" button.
Volatility: high. That's the game's own label, on the intro screen and in the rules, which explain that high volatility games pay out less often on average but give a better chance of big wins in a short time. It is the main practical difference from the original, which is rated medium.
Max win: 15,000x. If a round's total win reaches 15,000x the bet, it ends there and any free spins left are lost. At the 300 maximum bet that's 4,500,000. The phone version shows the figure above the grid: "Win up to 15000 x bet".
Every game in the series is lined up on our RTP and max win page.
What happened when we played
Our demo test
On we played Pragmatic Play's free demo with virtual credits at a $2.00 bet and bought one free spins round to watch the feature from the first spin to the last.
- Bonus cost
- $200.00
- Bonus won
- $135.60
- Return
- 67.8x bet
- Top total multiplier
- 14x
The round paid $135.60, a loss of $64.40 on the buy. With ten spins to go the total multiplier was still 2x, and by the end it had reached 14x. That is one round, played with demo credits. It shows how the feature works, not what it will pay you.
Phones and tablets
Gates of Olympus 1000 on mobile
Like the rest of Pragmatic Play's catalogue, Gates of Olympus 1000 is built in HTML5 and runs in the phone's browser on iPhone and Android, with nothing to install. Held upright, the screen is rearranged: the logo and Zeus sit above the grid next to the line "Win up to 15000 x bet", and the buy button, the ante switch and the spin button move below it.
The game itself doesn't change on a small screen: same rules, same paytable, same features as on desktop.
The family
How the 1000 compares with the rest of the series
| Game | Same as the 1000 | What's different |
|---|---|---|
| Original | Grid, paytable, free spins, buy and ante | Orbs up to 500x, medium volatility, 5,000x cap |
| Xmas 1000 | The same maths | A snowy Christmas look with Zeus in a Santa hat |
| Super Scatter | Grid and paytable | Orbs up to 500x, but Super Scatters take the cap to 50,000x; medium volatility, a 500x Super Free Spins buy, a 1.5x ante |
| POP | Tumbles, orbs and a growing total in free spins | 3×5 portrait grid, 5+ wins, three jackpots, low volatility, no buy |
| 2500 | Grid and paytable | Orbs up to 2,500x, a 25,000x cap, four free spins modes, four buys, five special bets |
In short, the 1000 is the original with a higher ceiling and a rougher ride. If you like the original's simplicity but want more upside, this is the natural next step. If you want the biggest possible cap, Super Scatter goes furthest. Our comparison of all six games helps you choose.
Balance
Pros and cons
Pros
- Multipliers up to 1,000x, twice the original's top orb
- A 15,000x max win, three times the original's
- The same simple rules and paytable as the original
- A free spins total multiplier that only grows
- 96.50% RTP in the base game and with the ante
- Free demo and a tidy portrait layout on phones
Cons
- High volatility: by the game's own description, wins come less often
- Small pays for 8–9 of most symbols
- The total multiplier only applies when a new orb lands on a win
- Lower caps than Super Scatter (50,000x) and 2500 (25,000x)
- Casinos may run lower-RTP versions, and buys aren't offered everywhere
Our verdict
Is Gates of Olympus 1000 worth playing?
Overall score: 8.8/ 10
Yes, if you know what you are signing up for. Gates of Olympus 1000 changes almost nothing you can see, yet it plays like a bigger game: one more orb, a 1,000x top value and a 15,000x cap make the free spins far more open-ended than the original's. The cost is high volatility, and our bought round, which came back at 67.8x, shows how that can feel. If you want calmer sessions, start with the original. If you want the same game with more headroom, this is the one.
FAQ
Gates of Olympus 1000 FAQ
Who makes Gates of Olympus 1000 and when did it come out?
Pragmatic Play released it in November 2023 as a follow-up to the original Gates of Olympus from 2021.
What is the difference between Gates of Olympus and Gates of Olympus 1000?
The grid, the paytable, the free spins, the 100x buy and the 1.25x ante are the same. The 1000 version adds a fifth multiplier orb, raises the top multiplier from 500x to 1,000x and the max win from 5,000x to 15,000x, and is rated high volatility instead of medium.
What is the RTP of Gates of Olympus 1000?
96.50% in the base game and with the ante bet, and 96.49% when you buy the free spins, according to the rules screen in Pragmatic Play's demo. Casinos can run lower-RTP versions, so check the rules in the game you open.
Is Gates of Olympus 1000 high volatility?
Yes. The game rates itself high volatility on its intro screen and in its rules, which means wins tend to come less often but can be bigger. The original Gates of Olympus is rated medium.
What is the max win in Gates of Olympus 1000?
15,000x your bet. If a round's total win reaches that figure, the round ends immediately and any free spins left are lost.
How do the multipliers work?
Five kinds of orb can land on any spin with a random value from 2x to 1,000x. In the base game every orb on screen is added together when the tumbles end, and the spin's total win is multiplied by the sum. In free spins each orb that lands on a win also goes into a total multiplier that lasts for the whole round.
How do I trigger the free spins?
Land 4 or more Zeus scatters anywhere on the grid for 15 free spins. During the round, 3 or more scatters on one spin add 5 more.
How much does the bonus buy cost?
100 times your bet, so 200.00 at a 2.00 bet, and the spin that starts the round always has 4 scatters. The ante bet costs 1.25x the bet per spin and doubles the chance of triggering free spins naturally, but it switches the buy off.
Is Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 the same game?
It uses the same maths as Gates of Olympus 1000 in a Christmas setting. See our Xmas 1000 review.
Can I play Gates of Olympus 1000 for free?
Yes. Pragmatic Play's demo plays with virtual credits, so no money is at stake. For real money, bets run from 0.20 to 300 per spin. See our demo page.
Transparency
How we checked the numbers
The paytable, multiplier values, RTP, volatility, bet limits and max win on this page were read from the in-game rules of Pragmatic Play's official demo on . On the same day we played the base game on desktop and in a phone-sized window, and bought one free spins round with virtual credits. If the rules screen at your casino shows different figures, those are the ones that apply to you.
Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to earn money. Decide on a budget before you start, and stop when it's no longer fun. You'll find help and support links at the bottom of every page.
