Pragmatic Play · 2024 · Tested in the demo
Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 Review
Gates of Olympus 1000 in the snow: 2x–1,000x multipliers, 15 free spins, 15,000x max win
Our score: 8.3/ 10
Quick verdict: this is Gates of Olympus 1000 wrapped up for Christmas. Snow covers the symbols and Zeus wears a Santa hat, but the rules underneath are untouched: a 6×5 grid that pays 8 or more symbols anywhere, tumbling wins, multipliers from 2x to 1,000x and 15 free spins with a total multiplier that keeps climbing. The game labels itself high volatility, the RTP is 96.50% (96.49% when you buy the bonus) and the top prize is 15,000x your bet. Pick it for the look, not for different maths.
- RTP
- 96.50%Base game and ante; 96.49% 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 Xmas 1000?
Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 is Pragmatic Play's Christmas edition of Gates of Olympus 1000, released in . Nothing about the way it plays has changed. Symbols still pay when 8 or more of a kind land anywhere on a 6×5 grid, winning symbols are cleared so new ones can fall into the gaps, and multipliers worth between 2x and 1,000x can turn up on any spin.
The difference is all in the artwork. Every gem and treasure carries a small cap of snow, the temple behind the reels stands in a winter landscape with mountains on the horizon, and Zeus wears a Santa hat with his red cape. He is the scatter too, drawn in the same hat. One of the five multiplier symbols is a purple crystal shaped like a snowflake, and the bonus screens arrive in a gold frame decorated with holly, red bows and bells.
Because the maths matches the 1000 version, the advice is short: play this one if you like the winter look, and the regular game if you don't. Our Gates of Olympus 1000 review goes deeper into the numbers. This page walks through the same rules as they appear in the Christmas edition, plus a bonus round we bought in the demo.
Paytable
Symbols and paytable
Nine symbols pay, and the amounts are exactly those of the original game and the 1000; only the drawings are new. What counts is how many of a symbol are on screen, not where: 8–9, 10–11, or 12 and more. The table shows each pay as a multiple of your total bet, so at a 2.00 bet a 10x pay is worth 20.00.
| 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 Santa Zeus scatter
The scatter is a portrait of Zeus in a red Santa hat. It can appear on all six reels and pays wherever it lands: 3x the bet for 4, 5x for 5 and 100x for 6. Four or more also start the free spins, and the scatter pay comes on top.
The regular symbols pay modestly. Twelve or more crowns return 50x, and eight blue gems give back a quarter of the stake, so most base game wins are smaller than the bet. The big swings come from the multipliers, above all in free spins.
Step by step
How to play Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000
-
Choose your stake
Press plus or minus next to the spin button. The game accepts 0.20 to 300 per spin.
-
Spin the grid
Six reels, five rows and no paylines: eight or more of one symbol anywhere is a win.
-
Let the tumbles run
Winning symbols disappear and fresh ones drop into the gaps, so a single spin can pay more than once.
-
Add up the multipliers
When the tumbles stop, every multiplier on screen is added together and the spin's win is multiplied by the sum.
-
Aim for the scatters
Four Santa Zeus scatters start 15 free spins, where a total multiplier builds through the round.
The key feature
Multipliers and the snowflake crystal
Five multiplier symbols can drop onto any reel during spins and tumbles, in the base game and in free spins: green, blue, purple and red winged orbs, and a purple crystal shaped like a snowflake. Whichever design appears, it carries a random value: 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 8x, 10x, 12x, 15x, 20x, 25x, 50x, 100x, 250x, 500x or 1,000x. On the intro screen, it's the crystal that shows 1,000x.
In the base game the values are added together once the tumbling sequence is over, and the whole sequence's win is multiplied by the result. A 3x and a 5x on the same spin make 8x, not 15x. If the spin doesn't win, the multipliers have nothing to multiply.
The steps from 2x to 500x are the same as in the original; 1,000x is the extra rung at the top. Our multiplier guide works through the maths for every game in the series and includes a calculator.
Green orb
Blue orb
Purple orb
Red orb
Snowflake crystal
Bonus round
Free spins, step by step
Four or more scatters anywhere on the grid award 15 free spins. Three or more scatters on one spin during the round add 5 more, and the round is played on special reels.
What makes the round is the total multiplier, kept in a winged badge to the left of the grid. Each multiplier that lands on a winning free spin is added to it, and it stays there until the round ends. From then on, whenever a new multiplier lands on a spin that wins, that win is multiplied by the total. Winning spins that bring no new multiplier pay their normal amount.
The intro screen sums it up in five words: "Increasing multiplier in free spins".
This is the round we bought in the demo at a $2.00 bet, in four screenshots.
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 of triggering free spins naturally; the buy is switched off | 96.50% |
| Buy free spins | 100x bet | 200.00 | 15 free spins at once, with 4 scatters guaranteed on the triggering spin | 96.49% |
The three RTPs are almost identical: 96.50% for normal spins and the ante, 96.49% for the buy. A hundredth of a percentage point won't change how the game treats you, so the choice is about variance, not value. The ante adds 25% to every spin in exchange for more natural bonus triggers. The buy puts 100 bets on a single round, which, as our test shows, can give back a fraction of what it cost.
Not every casino, and not every country, allows antes and buys. Our bonus buy guide compares the options across the series. Whichever mode you use, only stake money you've set aside for entertainment.
The numbers
RTP, volatility and max win
RTP: 96.50%. Page 4 of the rules in Pragmatic Play's demo gives 96.50% for the game and for the ante bet, and 96.49% for buy free spins. These are long-run averages over an enormous number of spins; a single session can end far above or below them.
Check your casino's version. Pragmatic Play offers casinos more than one RTP setting for many of its slots, so the figure where you play may be lower. Open the rules with the "i" button and find the RTP line before you start.
Volatility: high. The intro badge and the top of the rules page both say so. Expect long runs of small wins and losing spins between the bigger hits, and size your bets to your budget.
Max win: 15,000x. Once a round's total win reaches 15,000x the bet, the round ends there, even if free spins are left. At the 300 maximum bet that would be 4,500,000.
Every game in the series is lined up on our RTP and max win page.
What happened when we played
Our demo test
We played Pragmatic Play's free demo on with virtual credits. At a $2.00 bet we paid $200.00 to buy the free spins and played the round to the end.
- Bonus cost
- $200.00
- Bonus won
- $65.50
- Net result
- −$134.50
- Return
- 32.75x bet
- Top total multiplier
- 12x
Put plainly, this was a losing round. The total multiplier climbed to 12x, but the 15 spins paid $65.50 in all, 32.75 times the bet, leaving us $134.50 down on the $200.00 buy. That happens often with bought bonuses. Treat it as an illustration of how the feature plays, not a forecast of what it pays: one round can't tell you that.
Phones and tablets
Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 on mobile
The game is built in HTML5 and runs in the mobile browser on iPhone and Android, with nothing to download. Held upright, the layout stacks: the logo and Santa Zeus sit above the grid, while the buy button, the ante switch and the spin controls move underneath it.
Rules, pays and features are the same on every device. The info, autoplay, turbo and bet buttons sit in a bar along the bottom of the screen.
The family
Xmas 1000 and the rest of the series
Xmas 1000 or Gates of Olympus 1000?
Choose the Christmas version only for the look. The grid, paytable, multipliers, free spins, ante, buy and 15,000x cap are the same, so neither game gives you better odds. If snow and a Santa hat suit your mood, play this one; if you'd rather skip the festive dressing, Gates of Olympus 1000 plays exactly the same way, and its review has the full details.
| Game | Shared with Xmas 1000 | What's different |
|---|---|---|
| Original | Grid, paytable, scatter pays, free spins, ante and buy prices | Orbs up to 500x, medium volatility, 5,000x cap, no Christmas theme |
| 1000 | All the rules: orbs up to 1,000x, high volatility, 15,000x cap | Only the look: no snow and no Santa hat |
| Super Scatter | Grid and paytable | Orbs up to 500x, medium volatility, Super Scatters paying up to 50,000x, a 500x Super Free Spins buy, a 1.5x ante |
| POP | Tumbles, multipliers 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, four free spins modes, four buys, five special bets |
Still deciding? Our side-by-side comparison of all six games can help.
Balance
Pros and cons
Pros
- The full Gates of Olympus 1000 game with a festive look
- Multipliers up to 1,000x in the base game and free spins
- A free spins total multiplier that keeps growing
- 96.50% RTP for normal spins and the ante, 96.49% for the buy
- 15,000x max win, three times the original's cap
- Free demo, and plays well in a phone browser
Cons
- Nothing new to play compared with the 1000 version
- High volatility: bought bonuses often return less than they cost
- The total multiplier only pays out when a new multiplier lands on a win
- Some casinos may only feature it around Christmas
- Casinos may run lower-RTP versions, and buys aren't allowed everywhere
Our verdict
Is Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 worth playing?
Overall score: 8.3/ 10
Yes, if you enjoy Gates of Olympus 1000 and fancy a seasonal theme. The snow, the Santa hat and the snowflake crystal are a cheerful change, and underneath sits the complete 1000 version, with 1,000x multipliers, a growing total in free spins and a 15,000x cap. It loses a little on availability, because some casinos may only put it in the spotlight around Christmas, and it brings nothing new to the gameplay. Treat it as a festive alternative to Gates of Olympus 1000, not an upgrade.
FAQ
Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 FAQ
Who makes Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 and when did it come out?
Pragmatic Play released it in December 2024 as a Christmas edition of Gates of Olympus 1000.
Is Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 different from Gates of Olympus 1000?
Only in the way it looks. It has snow on the symbols, a wintry temple, Zeus in a Santa hat and a snowflake-shaped multiplier, but the grid, paytable, 2x–1,000x multipliers, free spins, ante bet, bonus buy and 15,000x cap are the same. Our Gates of Olympus 1000 review covers the details.
What is the RTP of Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000?
The rules screen in Pragmatic Play's demo lists 96.50% for the base game and the ante bet, and 96.49% for the bonus buy. Some casinos run lower-RTP versions, so check the rules in the game you open.
Is Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 high volatility?
Yes. The game labels itself high volatility on its intro screen and in its rules, the same as Gates of Olympus 1000. The original Gates of Olympus is rated medium.
What is the maximum win?
15,000x your bet. When a round reaches that amount it ends straight away, even if free spins are left.
How do the multipliers work?
Four winged orbs and a purple snowflake crystal can land on any spin, each with a random value from 2x to 1,000x. In the base game every multiplier on screen is added together when the tumbles end, and the spin's total win is multiplied by the sum. In free spins, multipliers that land on winning spins also build a total multiplier that applies whenever a new multiplier lands on a win.
How do I trigger the free spins?
Land 4 or more scatters, Zeus in a Santa hat, anywhere on the grid for 15 free spins. Three or more scatters during the round add 5 more spins.
How much do the bonus buy and the ante bet cost?
The buy costs 100 times your bet, so 200.00 at a 2.00 bet, and guarantees 4 scatters on the triggering spin. The ante bet costs 1.25 times your bet (2.50 at 2.00), doubles the chance of triggering free spins naturally and switches the buy off.
Can I play it outside the Christmas season?
We played Pragmatic Play's demo on 20 October 2026, well before Christmas. Some casinos may only feature the game in their lobbies around the holidays, so at other times of year you may need to search for it by name.
Can I play Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 for free?
Yes. Pragmatic Play's demo uses virtual credits, and many casinos that carry the game have a demo mode as well. See our demo page.
Transparency
How we checked the numbers
The figures on this page come from the game itself. We read all seven pages of the in-game rules in Pragmatic Play's official demo on , played the base game on desktop and in a phone-sized window, and bought one free spins round with virtual credits. The release month comes from Pragmatic Play's press releases at launch. If the rules screen at your casino shows different numbers, those are the ones that apply to you.
Playing slots should be entertainment, not a way to earn money. Decide on a budget before you start and take a break when it stops being fun. Where to find help is listed at the foot of every page.
