Rise of Merlin

Rise of Merlin is a Play'n GO pokie that leans into Arthurian legend, casting the famous wizard Merlin as its central figure. Released in 2019, it has stayed a steady favourite among New Zealand players who enjoy a straightforward five reel pokie with a fantasy backdrop rather than a screen crowded with gimmicks. You can play it in NZD at the offshore casinos listed on this page, and the crisp medieval artwork and clean paytable make it easy to pick up whether you are new to online pokies or a long time slot player who checks the RTP before you spin.

How Rise of Merlin plays

The game runs on a five reel, three row grid with ten fixed paylines, so every spin covers all ten lines and there is nothing to adjust beyond your stake. Merlin is the top regular symbol, sitting above a set of medieval icons and the usual card ranks. The crystal ball does the heavy lifting: it acts as the wild, standing in for regular symbols, and as the scatter that unlocks the game's main feature. Land enough crystal balls and you trigger the free spins round, where one regular symbol is chosen at random to become an expanding symbol. Whenever that symbol lands during the round it stretches to fill the whole reel, and landing more scatters mid feature can add further expanding symbols, which is where the bigger results tend to come from.

Rise of Merlin RTP, volatility and max win

The default RTP is 96.58%, a touch above the common industry mark, though Play'n GO also supplies lower RTP builds, so it is worth checking the paytable at your chosen casino to confirm which version is running. Volatility is high, rated at the top of the scale, meaning wins can be scarce during ordinary play and the game relies on the free spins round to deliver its bigger hits. The maximum win is 5,000x your stake, reached when expanding symbols line up across the grid during a well retriggered feature. That high variance suits players who are comfortable with quieter spells in exchange for the top end potential.

Playing Rise of Merlin in New Zealand

New Zealand does not yet license domestic online casinos. The Department of Internal Affairs is due to introduce a licensing regime under the Online Casino Gambling Act from December 2026, so for now Kiwis play at casinos licensed offshore. The casinos listed here accept New Zealand players and support NZD, and each of them offers Rise of Merlin in its library. You can also load the free demo above to try the pokie with no account and no deposit, which is a sensible way to learn the paytable and get a feel for the volatility before committing real money.

Is Rise of Merlin worth playing?

Rise of Merlin is a solid, uncomplicated high variance pokie that rewards patience rather than flashy extras. The single expanding symbol mechanic is simple but effective, and the 96.58% default RTP keeps it competitive, but the high volatility means it will not suit everyone, particularly anyone who prefers frequent smaller wins. Try the demo first, set a budget you are happy to lose, and if gambling ever stops being fun, the tools and support at responsible gambling are there to help.