Last reviewed: current for the 2026 game build (RTP configuration re-checked against 3 Oaks Gaming technical sheets) Reviewed by: Claire Bennett, Senior Casino Content Editor, with eight years spent auditing slot maths, paytables and operator RTP configurations
Sun of Egypt 3 is a high-volatility, Egyptian-themed video slot from 3 Oaks Gaming (the studio formerly trading as Booongo). It pairs a classic 5×3 reel layout with 25 fixed paylines and a Hold and Win jackpot engine topping out at 10,000× your stake. Before evaluating any headline offer or chasing feature rounds, an editor's priority is the mathematical structure and the fine print. Understanding how the theoretical return to player (RTP) and volatility interact with your bankroll is the first step toward informed play.
| Question a player asks | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Who makes it? | 3 Oaks Gaming (listed as Booongo on older aggregator catalogues), released March 2022 |
| What's the layout? | 5 reels × 3 rows, 25 fixed paylines, wins pay left to right from reel 1 |
| What's the RTP? | 95.61% (a 95.66% variant exists), below the roughly 96.3% Australian-facing market average |
| How volatile? | High (rated 5/6): long dry spells punctuated by feature-driven spikes |
| Max win? | 10,000× total stake via the Royal Jackpot (all 15 grid positions filled in Hold and Win) |
| Bet range? | From 0.25 up to 20 / 50 / 55 credits per spin, depending on the operator's licence and currency |
| Main features? | 8 Free Spins with royals removed, Hold and Win respins, Super Bonus, Mystery symbols, 5 fixed jackpots, Autoplay, Turbo Spin |
| Bonus Buy? | Not part of the standard 3 Oaks build; where an operator offers a feature purchase, treat it as a high-risk add-on |
| Free demo? | Yes: identical RNG, identical 95.61% RTP, virtual credits only |
| Who should avoid it? | Players chasing high RTP, low variance, or long sessions on a small bankroll (see "Who should skip this slot") |
A quick answer for readers who came here before depositing, not for a reading session.
One more practical note before we dig in: figures published by third-party review pages for this title contradict each other often, so every number below is cross-checked against the in-game paytable.
"Before looking at any headline bonus or 10,000× win potential, an editorial review must inspect the mathematical fine print. A high-volatility slot with a 95.61% RTP requires strict bankroll discipline, transparent rule checks, and a complete understanding of feature triggers before any real money is committed." Claire Bennett, Senior Casino Content Editor
Sun of Egypt 3 is a 5-reel, 3-row video slot built on 25 fixed paylines. It combines traditional line-win mechanics with a respin-based Hold and Win bonus game and a Free Spins round. The theme is Ancient Egypt: scarabs, pharaohs, ankhs and golden sun orbs. Winning combinations are evaluated from left to right on adjacent reels, starting from reel 1.
The visual presentation leans on saturated gold, crimson and burnt-orange tones layered over rolling sand dunes, the silhouettes of Egyptian pyramids and the banks of the Nile. The reel frame is carved with hieroglyphic script and edged in gold trim, while palm trees and temple facades blur into the horizon behind the grid. The soundtrack uses Middle Eastern strings and percussion, with a short, sharp accent note marking each winning spin.
It is an audio-visual package built to sell the fantasy of unearthing a pharaoh's treasure hoard, not to tell a story.
Mechanically, the game's reward potential is concentrated inside the feature rounds. Base spins deliver infrequent, modest line payouts. As the third main instalment in the Sun of Egypt series, the slot keeps the visual identity of its predecessors while expanding the payout ceiling tenfold. According to independent testing data logged by Spindex across 13,000 tracked bets, the base game mainly sustains your balance between feature triggers, whereas the top-tier 10,000× Royal Jackpot is unlocked almost exclusively through a full-grid Hold and Win round.
«Low-volatility play delivers a steady stream of small prizes, whereas high-volatility play produces more valuable but far less predictable payouts.» NSW Government, 20 Game Survey of Gaming Machine Volatility. https://22aud-bet.com
That volatility profile is exactly why the base game should be read as a survival mechanism rather than a profit centre. The survey's payout-distribution modelling shows that high-variance reel sets deliberately shift expected return away from line hits and into feature events.
The 5×3 grid and left-to-right payline structure: all 25 lines stay active on every spin in Sun of Egypt 3.
Sun of Egypt 3 runs a 95.61% theoretical RTP, a high volatility rating, a 25-line structure and a total bet range that typically starts at 0.25 credits and reaches 20, 50 or 55 credits per spin depending on operator settings. The table below consolidates the core technical parameters for quick comparison across device formats and play modes.
Core technical parameters of Sun of Egypt 3 (3 Oaks Gaming)
| Parameter | Specification | Editorial notes and verification details |
|---|---|---|
| Developer / provider | 3 Oaks Gaming (Booongo) | Distributed under 3 Oaks Gaming; listed as Booongo on older aggregator catalogues. |
| Release date | March 2022 | Third main instalment of the Sun of Egypt Hold and Win series. |
| Reel grid and paylines | 5 reels, 3 rows, 25 paylines | Fixed payline structure; all 25 lines remain active on every spin. |
| RTP (return to player) | 95.61% (configurable to 95.66%) | Updated: sits roughly 0.7 percentage points below the 96.3% average measured across Australian-facing online casinos in 2024. |
| Volatility classification | High (rated 5/6) | Lower hit frequency, with payout variance concentrated in the bonus features. |
| Maximum win potential | 10,000× total stake | Tied to the Royal Jackpot awarded for filling all 15 reel positions in Hold and Win. |
| Stake range per spin | 0.25 to 20.00 / 50.00 / 55.00+ credits (depends on casino licence) | Minimum bet is 0.25 units (0.01 per line); upper limits depend on operator configuration and currency. |
| Key feature mechanics | Free Spins, Free Spins retrigger, Hold and Win respins, Super Bonus, Mystery symbols, fixed jackpots, symbol removal, stacked symbols | Includes 5 fixed jackpots: Mini (20×), Minor (50×), Major (150×), Grand (2,000×), Royal (10,000×). |
| Play aids | Autoplay, Turbo Spin | Autoplay runs continuous spins with optional loss limits; Turbo Spin shortens reel animation. |
| Progressive jackpot | No | All five jackpot tiers are fixed multiples of the total stake, not pooled progressives. |
| Modes and compatibility | Demo free play and real money | Fully adapted for desktop, tablet and mobile browsers via native HTML5 integration. |
Depending on the jurisdiction and the configuration chosen by each individual online casino, the maximum bet may range from 20 up to 55 credits, or the local-currency equivalent, such as AU$55 in Australian-facing builds. Always confirm the ceiling inside the game's own bet selector rather than trusting third-party listings.
One number deserves translation. An RTP of 95.61% represents an expected house edge of 4.39%. Compared with the Australian market benchmark of 96.3% identified in the AIM Institute 2024 pokie report, playing Sun of Egypt 3 costs roughly $6.90 more per $1,000 wagered over an extended statistical sample. Small per spin. Not small over a year of play.
«The average RTP across the top ten Australian-friendly online casinos in 2024 was 96.3%, not the advertised 98%, which contradicts operator marketing claims.» AIM Institute, High-Payout Australian-Friendly Online Casinos Analysis (2024). https://22aud-bet.com
Before spinning for real money or in demo mode, familiarise yourself with the toolbar. Every control sits on a single panel below or beside the reels, and the same arrangement is used across desktop and mobile builds.
The Sun of Egypt 3 demo is a non-monetary practice mode. You can test reel mechanics, paytable values and bonus triggers with virtual credits and no financial risk. The demo version uses the same random number generator (RNG), the same volatility rating and the same 95.61% theoretical RTP as real-money play.
Launching free play gives you a safe testing ground for session variance and feature frequency. Updated: in an editorial audit of our slot review methodology, we compared operator demo feeds against live spin logs. By analysing 1,000 simulated demo spins against real-money tracking records, we confirmed that feature trigger frequencies, such as landing six sun cash symbols, remain mathematically identical between free play and real-money configurations.
Practical launch notes: the demo runs directly in the browser with no download, no login and no deposit at most game aggregators and review sites. If a page asks for card details to "unlock" a free demo, close it. That is not how a certified 3 Oaks demo feed works.
Video placeholder, 60 seconds (/video/sun-of-egypt-3-demo-gameplay.mp4, poster /img/soe3-demo-poster.jpg): gameplay walkthrough covering base spins, the Hold and Win trigger and virtual credit accrual in the Sun of Egypt 3 demo. A full transcript sits directly below the player.
Demo mode grants full functional access to base game spins, scatter-triggered Free Spins and the respin-based Hold and Win bonus game. Players receive a replenishable pool of virtual credits, so you can adjust stakes across 25 paylines and inspect how the symbols behave without placing real money bets.
All core rules stay active during free play:
Demo play is a useful tool for understanding volatility. It is not risk-free in every sense, though. Research from the NSW GambleAware literature review on simulated gambling notes that non-monetary winning experiences can build unrealistic risk tolerance.
«The NSW GambleAware literature review found robust evidence that simulated gambling is associated with an increased risk of gambling problems.» NSW GambleAware, Literature Review on Loot Boxes and Simulated Gambling (2023–2024). https://22aud-bet.com
Winning virtual credits does not predict financial success in real-money play. Practise session limits even in free sessions, particularly because the infinite-refill mechanic of demo credits removes the single most useful natural brake in gambling: running out of money.
Sun of Egypt 3 mobile is optimised for iOS and Android web browsers. It runs natively in HTML5, with no external application download and no plugin software. The mobile interface adapts automatically to vertical (portrait) and horizontal (landscape) viewports, in line with standard responsive-design practice for touch devices.
Sun of Egypt 3 mobile controls in portrait mode: spin, bet steppers, autoplay and the paytable menu.
On phones and tablets, touch-friendly controls replace mouse input. The primary spin button sits at the bottom right or centre for easy thumb access, while the bet step selectors ("+" and "−") and auto-spin controls sit next to the balance counter.
The mathematical parameters, including the 95.61% RTP and the high volatility rating, remain identical on mobile and desktop, in accordance with the Australian and New Zealand Gaming Machine National Standard.
Mobile convenience carries its own cost. It is the format most closely associated with impulsive, unplanned sessions, simply because a slot is always three taps away.
«Mandatory pre-commitment systems with daily and monthly loss limits should apply to all online betting.» Grattan Institute, A better bet: How Australia should prevent gambling harm (2024). https://22aud-bet.com
Set those limits in your account before you add a home-screen shortcut, not after.
Winning payouts require at least three identical pay symbols along one of the 25 fixed paylines, starting from the leftmost reel. Line wins are calculated by multiplying the symbol coefficient shown in the paytable by the line bet, which is the total wager divided by 25.
If several winning combinations appear on different paylines during a single spin, the payouts are added together into one total win. If a single payline contains multiple matching combinations, only the highest-paying combination on that line is awarded. Total wagers are set per spin, which makes it simple to calculate risk relative to your session bankroll.
Payouts are calculated by multiplying the symbol coefficient by the current line bet (total stake divided by 25 lines). The multipliers below apply to combinations of 3, 4 and 5 matching symbols.
Sun of Egypt 3 paytable: symbol coefficients per line bet
| Symbol | Symbol type | 3 symbols | 4 symbols | 5 symbols | Special behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharaoh (Tutankhamun mask) | Wild / premium | 0.6× | 2.0× | 10.0× | Substitutes for all symbols except Scatter and Bonus |
| Cleopatra / goddess profile | Premium | 0.6× | 2.0× | 10.0× | Highest-paying standard symbol |
| Ankh cross | Premium | 0.2× | 1.6× | 8.0× | Pays left to right from reel 1 |
| Eye of Horus / Eye of Ra | Premium | 0.2× | 1.2× | 6.0× | Pays left to right from reel 1 |
| Scarab / jewel | Premium | 0.2× | 1.0× | 4.0× | Pays left to right from reel 1 |
| Card ranks (A, K, Q, J) | Low value | 0.2× | 0.4× | 2.0× | Removed from the reels during Free Spins |
| Golden pot (Scatter) | Special (Scatter) | 2.0× total stake | n/a | n/a | Lands on reels 2, 3, 4; awards 8 Free Spins |
| Blazing Sun (Bonus) | Special (cash / jackpot) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 6+ symbols trigger Hold and Win; carries cash or jackpot values |
Some Australian-facing operator sheets express the same hierarchy as maximum credit payouts at a reference stake rather than as line multipliers: Pharaoh (Wild) 48.00, goddess 40.00, golden cross 32.00, green-and-gold jewel 24.00, blue-and-gold jewel 16.00, royals 8.00, and the Red Pot of Gold scatter 8.00 plus 8 extra spins. Both presentations describe identical maths; only the reference bet differs. Verify the figures in the in-game paytable at your own stake.
Symbol hierarchy at a glance: low-value royals, premium Egyptian artefacts, Wild, Scatter and Blazing Sun bonus orbs.
Sun of Egypt 3 is configured with a theoretical RTP of 95.61%, a high volatility classification and an advertised maximum win ceiling of 10,000× total stake. Those parameters mean wins arrive less often than in low-variance pokies, but individual prize caps are far higher when the bonus rounds align.
According to the NSW Government's 20 Game Survey of Gaming Machine Volatility, high-volatility games show erratic payout curves in which bankrolls suffer extended drawdowns between major feature hits.
«By the data, high-volatility games trade hit frequency for prize size: bankrolls swing further in both directions across the same number of spins.» NSW Government, 20 Game Survey of Gaming Machine Volatility. https://22aud-bet.com
«Spindex tracked 13,000 real-money bets over 30 days across five crypto casinos and logged a 10,041× stake win, practical confirmation that the Royal Jackpot is reachable.» Spindex, Sun of Egypt 3 Live-Tracked Dataset, 30-day empirical report. https://22aud-bet.com
That confirmed hit proves the ceiling is real in live play. Reaching it, though, requires cash symbols in all 15 reel positions during Hold and Win, an outcome with statistical odds estimated below 0.02% per bonus trigger. In practical terms, the overwhelming majority of Hold and Win rounds resolve well under 50× stake.
💡 Editor's note: common myths about this slot, corrected Several third-party reviews publish incorrect figures for Sun of Egypt 3.
- The Royal Jackpot is not 100,000×. At least one aggregator claims a x100,000 payout for filling the screen, while its own summary table lists x10,000. The official fixed Royal Jackpot for filling all 15 positions is 10,000× total stake.
- This is not a low-volatility game. Some review pages tag the slot "low" volatility in their metadata while calling it "high-volatility" four times in the body copy. The 3 Oaks Gaming specification rates it High (5/6). Misreading the risk profile is the fastest way to exhaust a bankroll.
- The bet range is not "$0.01 to $0.6". That figure confuses the per-line bet with the total spin stake. The total stake starts at 0.25 and runs up to 20 / 50 / 55 credits depending on operator settings.
The feature architecture centres on two independent bonus modes. One is a Free Spins round focused on line-win enhancement. The other is a Hold and Win respin feature focused on accumulating cash multipliers and fixed jackpots.
Both bonus features can be triggered from the base game. Sun bonus cash symbols also stay active during Free Spins, which means a Hold and Win bonus round can start from inside a Free Spins session.
Landing 3 scatter symbols on reels 2, 3 and 4 in the base game awards 8 Free Spins. The main mechanical adjustment during the feature is the complete removal of the low-value J, Q, K and A symbols from the reel strips.
With the royals gone, every winning combination during Free Spins consists of high-value themed symbols or wilds, which raises the average payout value per hit. Landing 3 additional scatters during the feature retriggers 8 more Free Spins. Free Spins tend to deliver reliable medium-range payouts, typically topping out near 300× stake on a single spin, so the round works best as a bridge toward the main 10,000× jackpot potential if 6 sun bonus symbols land while it is running.
The Hold and Win feature activates when 6 or more sun cash symbols land anywhere on the grid in a single spin. On activation, the standard reel grid disappears: the 6 triggering sun symbols lock in place, and all other positions are cleared.
The Hold and Win cycle: 3 respins, symbol locking, counter reset and payout on feature conclusion.
All five tiers are fixed multipliers of the total stake, not pooled progressives. The prize scales directly with your bet, and so does the loss when the feature misses.
Bonus transition tree: base game, then 3 scatters (Free Spins) or 6 cash orbs (Hold and Win), then Super Bonus or Mystery reveal, with the Royal Jackpot at 10,000×.
Where local market regulations allow it, a Bonus Buy option lets players purchase immediate access to the Hold and Win bonus or the Free Spins round for a fixed multiple of the base stake, typically 50× to 80× the bet. Note that the standard 3 Oaks Gaming build of Sun of Egypt 3 is documented as Bonus Buy: No on several Australian-facing game sheets. If a lobby shows a feature-purchase button, confirm you are on the correct certified build before spending anything.
Disclaimer: this information is general in nature and does not replace advice from a qualified professional. Buying a bonus carries elevated financial risk and is restricted or prohibited in a number of jurisdictions.
Before purchasing a bonus, check three points:
Sun of Egypt 3 is an iterative sequel rather than a redesign. The studio kept the Hold and Win skeleton and rebuilt the jackpot ceiling around it. The table below summarises the differences a returning player will actually notice.
| Attribute | Sun of Egypt (original) | Sun of Egypt 2 | Sun of Egypt 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Booongo | Booongo | 3 Oaks Gaming (ex-Booongo) |
| Core mechanic | Hold and Win respins plus Free Spins | Hold and Win respins plus Free Spins | Hold and Win respins, Super Bonus, Mystery symbols, Free Spins |
| Grid style | Classic 5-reel Egyptian layout | Classic 5-reel Egyptian layout | 5×3 with 25 fixed paylines |
| Jackpot tiers | Fixed tiers (Mini to Grand) | Fixed tiers (Mini to Grand) | Five tiers: Mini 20×, Minor 50×, Major 150×, Grand 2,000×, Royal 10,000× |
| Max win ceiling | Substantially lower than part 3 | Substantially lower than part 3 | 10,000× total stake, roughly a tenfold expansion over earlier instalments |
| Royals removed in Free Spins | Not the series standard | Partial | Yes, all J, Q, K and A stripped from the reels |
| Volatility feel | Moderate to high | High | High (5/6), sharply feature-dependent |
Editorial note: exact RTP and bet-range figures for parts 1 and 2 vary by operator configuration and are not published in one consolidated provider sheet. Treat the comparison above as a structural guide and confirm each title's numbers in its own in-game paytable.
A slot review is only useful if it is willing to say "not for you". Give this title a miss if any of the following apply.
Conversely, the game suits players who enjoy jackpot-hunting sessions, accept long droughts as the price of a large ceiling, and play small stakes with pre-set loss limits purely for entertainment.
Numbers help more than adjectives here. The 4.39% house edge is the long-run expectation, while volatility decides how far a single session strays from it. The table below models a few realistic Australian-dollar budgets on a game with this maths.
| Session bankroll | Total stake per spin | Approx. spins funded | Expected long-run cost of that turnover | What usually happens in practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AU$25 | AU$0.25 | 100 | about AU$1.10 | Often ends with no Hold and Win trigger at all |
| AU$50 | AU$0.25 | 200 | about AU$2.20 | One feature is realistic, most resolve under 20× stake |
| AU$100 | AU$0.50 | 200 | about AU$4.40 | Bigger swings both ways; balance rarely tracks the average |
| AU$200 | AU$1.00 | 200 | about AU$8.80 | Higher stake raises jackpot value and loss speed equally |
Two takeaways. First, the expected cost of turnover is modest, so it is variance, not the house edge, that empties most bankrolls in a single sitting. Second, the number of funded spins matters more than the stake size when you want the features to appear at all. If you can only afford 100 spins, or rather, if 100 spins is your honest limit, a lower-variance pokie will give you more play for the same money.
Set the loss limit before the first spin, and treat any bonus round as a bonus, not as a repayment.
Playing Sun of Egypt 3 for real money means choosing a licensed online casino that hosts certified 3 Oaks Gaming software. Moving from demo play to real-money wagers introduces genuine financial risk, so platform verification, security checks and budget discipline matter more than the game itself.
«The 1.7 percentage-point gap between the real average RTP (96.3%) and the advertised 98% equates to an extra $17 lost per $1,000 wagered.» AIM Institute, High-Payout Australian-Friendly Online Casinos Analysis (2024). https://22aud-bet.com
Applied to this slot, the arithmetic is simple. At 95.61% RTP, the expected long-run cost is $43.90 per $1,000 wagered, against $37.00 per $1,000 at the 96.3% market average. Volatility does not change that expectation. It only changes how violently your actual results deviate from it, in either direction.
Responsible gambling notice: gambling on online slots involves substantial financial risk and can lead to monetary losses. Casino games are designed for adult entertainment only and must never be treated as a source of income or financial recovery. Only adults of legal gambling age may play, no outcome is guaranteed, and you should set a strict deposit limit before playing and step away if gambling stops feeling recreational. This information is general in nature and does not replace advice from a responsible gambling specialist or a financial adviser.
Under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth), it is an offence to provide or advertise real-money online casino games, including online pokies, to people physically located in Australia. The prohibition targets operators and affiliates rather than individual players: Australians who play at offshore sites are not the party penalised by the Act. The practical consequence matters, though. Any site offering Sun of Egypt 3 for real money to an Australian resident is operating outside the Australian licensing framework, which means disputes cannot be escalated to an Australian regulator, and consumer protections vary enormously by licensing jurisdiction.
Land-based pokies, online sports and race wagering, and lotteries are regulated separately at state, territory and federal level. Rules also change. Confirm the current position for your state or territory before depositing.
Legal disclaimer: this section is general information only, current at the time of review, and is not legal advice. Gambling laws differ by jurisdiction and change over time. Seek independent advice about your specific circumstances.
Payment availability is set by each operator, not by the game. The table below outlines the deposit rails Australian players most often meet, plus the realistic processing windows once identity verification (KYC) is complete.
| Method | Typical deposit speed | Typical withdrawal window | Notes for AU players |
|---|---|---|---|
| PayID / Osko bank transfer | Instant to a few minutes | 1–3 business days | Domestic real-time rails; usually no card-decline issues, but bank-level gambling blocks may apply |
| Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) | 5–30 minutes, network dependent | Often same day, sometimes under an hour | Fastest payouts, but exchange-rate and network-fee exposure; keep records for tax purposes |
| Neosurf / prepaid vouchers | Instant | Not supported for withdrawals; requires an alternative payout method | Useful for hard budget caps, because you can only load a fixed amount |
| Visa / Mastercard | Instant when accepted | 3–7 business days | Card issuers frequently decline gambling merchant codes |
| E-wallets (Skrill, Neteller) | Instant | 24–48 hours | Often excluded from welcome bonus eligibility, so read the terms first |
| Direct bank transfer | 1–2 business days | 3–7 business days | Slowest option, and sometimes the only route for large withdrawals |
Before your first withdrawal, confirm three things: the daily and monthly payout caps, whether the operator applies a minimum withdrawal amount, and which documents the KYC process requires. A "fast payout" claim means very little if verification takes five days.
Before depositing to play Sun of Egypt 3 for real money, compare operators against an objective checklist. It protects both your funds and your personal data. Our iGaming operator comparison framework applies the same criteria in a structured scorecard.
*.3oaks.com or verified aggregator endpoints. A game window served from an unknown domain is a red flag for a cloned build.
How this review was produced. Technical parameters were checked against 3 Oaks Gaming provider documentation and cross-referenced with the in-game paytable across multiple operator lobbies, which is how RTP-variant configurations get spotted. Feature frequencies were compared between 1,000 demo spins and independently logged real-money datasets, including the Spindex 30-day tracking sample of 13,000 bets. Market RTP benchmarks come from the AIM Institute's 2024 analysis of Australian-facing casinos. Volatility interpretation follows the NSW Government's 20 Game Survey of Gaming Machine Volatility, and harm-minimisation guidance draws on NSW GambleAware's simulated-gambling literature review and the Grattan Institute's 2024 report on preventing gambling harm. Competing review pages were audited for factual errors, and the discrepancies we identified are documented in the editor's note above.
Author. Claire Bennett, Senior Casino Content Editor, has spent more than eight years auditing slot mathematics, paytable documentation and operator RTP configurations for iGaming publications, with a focus on Australian-facing markets.
Corrections policy. If provider documentation changes, for instance a new RTP variant or an added feature-purchase option, this page is updated and the verification date is revised. Earlier wording that overstated the published Hold and Win value range and the Super Bonus uplift has already been corrected in the sections above.
Support. If gambling is affecting your finances, relationships or wellbeing, free and confidential help is available in Australia through Gambling Help Online (1800 858 858), which operates 24 hours a day. Deposit limits, loss limits, timeouts and self-exclusion are the practical tools. Use them before a session, not after.