Starburst slot review
Starburst is NetEnt’s space-themed classic that’s been spinning since 2013. It runs on a 5×3 grid with a both-ways-to-win mechanic, meaning payouts can fly in from either direction. The expanding wild is the heartbeat of the game. When it lands, it stretches full-reel length and triggers a respin, holding its spot while the rest of the reels try to stack around it.
Stat-wise, Starburst comes in with a 96.08% RTP, low-medium volatility, a 23% hit frequency, and a max payout of 800x your stake. In this Starburst slot review, I’ll break down how those pieces play together and share my take on why it’s still one of the most iconic slots ever made.
Highlights
RTP 96.09%
Volatility Low
Stakes range 10
Max win 800x
Number of reels 5
Number of rows 3-
Number of paylines 10 -
Jackpots Yes -
Slot type Slots -
Slot theme Diamonds -
Software provider NetEnt -
Launch date 12/11/2013
71/ 100
91% Playscore based on 5 critics
Starburst review summary
Starburst feels like someone took an old Vegas cabinet, slapped on a neon filter, and blasted it into deep space. Classic BAR symbols and red sevens share reel space with glowing, jewel-toned gems against a neon cosmic skyline, giving it that “old school meets arcade galaxy” look.
The math tells you exactly what kind of ride you’re on. With an 800x max win and low-medium volatility, the upside is moderate. It’s for players who get irritated by endless dead spins and would rather see the reels light up consistently, even if the prizes stay in the moderate range.
The minimum bet is just C$0.10, so you can start small, see how it plays, then scale up when it makes sense.
The spark plug is the Starburst symbol, the expanding wild that can land on reels two through four and trigger a respin while locking in place. Because it lands far more frequently than the bonus rounds that define many modern titles, the base game carries more built-in momentum. Action happens in the regular spin cycle, not behind a rare feature gate.
Pros
Both-ways-to-win mechanic
High hit frequency at 23%
Minimum bet only C$0.10
Cons
Max payout of only 800x
No free spins bonus
No multipliers
Starburst comprehensive review
In the rest of this Starburst review, I’ll break down the paytable, go through the features, and share my top picks for where to play it.
RTP and volatility
Starburst clocks in at a 96.08% RTP, middle of the road for modern online slots. Gameplay runs on a 5×3 reel layout with 10 paylines.
The game uses a both-ways-to-win mechanic, meaning payouts can form from left to right and from right to left, as long as they connect consecutively starting from either outer reel.
Volatility sits in the low-medium range, with roughly a 23% hit frequency and a max payout capped at 800x your stake.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| RTP | 96.08% |
| Maximum win | 800x |
| Number of paylines | 10 |
| Volatility | Low-medium |
A 96.09% RTP is garden-variety stuff. It’s not brushing up against Mega Joker’s near-99% stratosphere, but it’s nowhere near skimpy.
The 800x ceiling feels more in line with a low-volatility title than a true mid-volatility slot. You’ll see action often enough, but the math points to contained surges rather than a screen-melting, account-swinging hit.
Across 100 spins, I landed the expanding wild eight times, along with a few three-of-a-kind BAR hits. The session aligned with the posted RTP and medium-volatility profile. Overall, this slot is best suited for players who prefer base-game action and moderate swings over high-volatility titles that hinge on rare, oversized payouts.
Stefan Nedeljkovic
Bonus features
Starburst keeps it meat-and-potatoes when it comes to features, with the expanding wild doing all the heavy lifting. It’s the only extra in the game, but it pulls double duty as both a full-reel wild and a respin trigger.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Wilds | Yes |
| Scatters | No |
| Other special symbols | Starburst™ expanding wild |
| Gamble feature | Yes/No |
| Reel features | No |
| Free spins | No |
| Respins | Yes |
| Multipliers | No |
| Other bonus features | No |
Expanding Wilds
The expanding wild comes in the form of the iconic Starburst™ symbol, the colourful jewel-studded star that doubles as the game’s centrepiece. When it lands, it spreads to cover the entire reel, effectively cloning itself across all three positions. As a wild, it substitutes for all standard paying symbols to help complete winning lines.
Up to three expanding wilds can appear on the reels at once, and each one triggers a respin while remaining locked in place. In the best-case scenario, that means three respins and a board stacked with full-reel wild coverage.
Respins
Starburst™ includes a built-in respin mechanic tied directly to its signature symbol. Whenever the Starburst™ expanding wild lands on the grid, it stretches to fill the entire reel and locks in place, triggering a respin. The remaining reels spin again, giving you another shot at building connections around that full-reel wild.
Starburst doesn’t bring much of a bonus package to the table. The expanding wild and attached respins are the only feature in play, which objectively limits depth. That said, a one-feature pony works for me. I don’t always need multi-stage bonus rounds to stay engaged.
I like NetEnt’s bonus-stuffed offerings too, like Dead West, but let’s be real, that game can make you work for it. Starburst doesn’t do that. There’s no long, awkward stretch where you’re waiting on a feature to show up and prove the session isn’t cursed. The whole deal is right there on the reels.
That said, in my run, the expanding wilds usually came in solo. One time, two graced the reels together, and of course, they linked up with the low-paying crystal symbols, so it wasn’t some huge flex. It turned into a mild 2.5x hit, and that was that. Nice to see, sure, but not exactly a fireworks moment.
Stefan Nedeljkovic
Symbols and paytable
The paytable is built around two symbol tiers. The lower-paying ones are coloured gems, while the premium symbols are the BAR and the 7.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Theme | Cosmic |
| Reel layout | 5 reels, 3 rows |
| Highest paying symbol | BAR |
| Adjustable paylines | No |
| Visuals | Space theme |
| Sound | Thematic |
| Mobile quality | Good |
Using a C$100 stake as the baseline, here’s how the higher-paying symbols stack up:
- BAR pays C$500 for 3 of a kind, C$2,000 for 4 of a kind, and C$2,500 for 5 of a kind. That equals 5x, 20x, and 25x your wager.
- 7 pays C$250 for 3, C$600 for 4, and C$1,200 for 5, which works out to 2.5x, 6x, and 12x.
Below that tier are the gem symbols.
- The yellow gem pays C$100 / C$250 / C$600 for 3 / 4 / 5, translating to 1x / 2.5x / 6x.
- The green gem pays C$80 / C$200 / C$500, or 0.8x / 2x / 5x.
- The red gem lands at C$70 / C$150 / C$400, which equals 0.7x / 1.5x / 4x.
- Both the blue gem and purple gem pay C$50 / C$100 / C$250 for 3 / 4 / 5, or 0.5x / 1x / 2.5x.
That’s the full symbol lineup, with the Starburst expanding wild standing as the only special feature symbol on the reels.
Starburst isn’t the type of slot where premium symbols feel locked behind a glass door. In my 100-spin sample, I landed four BARs twice, which is solid exposure to the top paytable. To put that in perspective, I ran the same 100 spins on Dead or Alive and couldn’t even connect three of the highest symbols one time. That’s just how brutal high-volatility math can be.
Your mindset going in makes a big difference. With an 800x max win, I wasn’t expecting some life-changing blast. I figured most meaningful hits would land in that 15x to 25x pocket. Framed that way, Starburst delivered. I also hit a couple of 60x payouts when 7s lined up with expanding wilds, which is pretty much peak Starburst territory.
There aren’t many paylines on paper, but wins count in both directions, and that does a lot for the flow. The reels rarely feel flat. Even when the payouts stay moderate, the back-and-forth action limits those long, lifeless stretches where nothing connects.
Stefan Nedeljkovic
How to play Starburst
When you open Starburst, start by dialling in your bet size. Use the + and – controls to raise or lower your stake, anywhere from C$0.10 up to C$100 per spin. Once your wager is set, hit Spin and let it fly.
If the reels feel like they’re dragging, tap the STOP button mid-spin to cut the animation short and get to the result faster. It won’t influence the outcome; it just moves things along.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Min bet | C$0.10 |
| Max bet | C$100 |
| Autoplay | Available |
| Turbo mode | No, but has three reel speed options |
| Game history | Available |
For hands-off play, jump into the autoplay menu. You can queue up 5, 10, 25, 50, or 100 consecutive spins. If you change your mind, you can cancel autoplay at any point with a single click.
You also have control over spin speed. There are three reel speed options available, adjustable through the setting positioned to the left of the main Spin button.
Casinos where to play the Starburst slot
Here are three premier casinos featuring the Starburst slot.
| Casino logo | Rating | Bonus | Go-to-casino button | Show more | T&Cs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
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90/100
Expert Rating
by Elsa F.
85%
Playscore
based on
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Excellent games library
|
Play |
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2
|
90/100
Expert Rating
by Elena I.
87%
Playscore
based on
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Rich live dealer lobby
|
Play |
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3
|
88/100
Expert Rating
by Elena I.
88%
Playscore
based on
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Top loyalty rewards
|
Play |
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Expert verdict
I understand why Starburst blew up when it first hit the scene. At the time, the neon space aesthetic felt cutting-edge, and it stood out in a sea of more traditional-looking slots. It had style, it had motion, and it felt modern. But playing it today, I’m not putting it on some untouchable pedestal. It’s respected, sure. It’s not elite.
The game lives and dies with the expanding wild. When it shows up, you perk up a little because you know a respin is coming. It injects instant momentum and gives you that quick dopamine tap. But once you’ve seen it a few times, you also understand the boundaries.
Once you lock in that 800x max win in your head, you know you’re operating with a cap. Compare that to something like Dead or Alive teasing 13,000x potential, and the difference in intensity is obvious.
Across the board, it lands in the middle. Average RTP. Medium volatility. One core feature. It’s a comfortable spin, just not something I’d binge expecting chaos.
FAQs
What is the RTP of Starburst?
Starburst runs on a 96.09% return to player rate. That places it squarely in the industry average range for online slots.
How volatile is Starburst?
The game is classified as medium volatility, paired with roughly a 23% hit frequency. In practical terms, that means wins land fairly often, but they tend to stay within controlled ranges. You’ll see regular action, though the ceiling caps at 800x your stake.
Does Starburst have free spins or bonus rounds?
No. There are no traditional free spins, scatter bonuses, or multi-layered feature rounds. The expanding wild and its attached respin mechanic handle all bonus functionality. Every feature trigger happens directly in the base game.
How do the expanding wild respins work?
When the Starburst symbol lands on reels 2, 3, or 4, it expands to cover the entire reel and locks in place. A respin is then triggered automatically. If additional expanding wilds land during that respin, each one also locks and triggers another respin, allowing up to three full-reel wilds active at the same time.
How many paylines does Starburst use, and are they adjustable?
Starburst runs on 10 fixed paylines across a 5×3 layout. You can’t adjust the number of active lines, so every spin is always played at full line coverage. That structure pairs with the both-ways mechanic, meaning each of those 10 lines pays left-to-right and right-to-left.
