NetEnt released this in 2012 — its own page gives 23 January, and the 2013 date you'll see quoted around the web is simply wrong. Five reels, three rows, ten fixed lines and one feature. Fourteen years on it's still the title most casinos attach their free spins to, and the reasons are more practical than magical.
The specification, on one screen.
- StudioNetEnt
- Released2012 — NetEnt's own page gives 23 January
- Layout5 reels × 3 rows, 10 fixed paylines, Win Both Ways
- RTP96.09% top build; ladder to 95.05, 94.05, 93.05, 92.05 and 90.05%
- VolatilityLow — hit frequency around 23%
- Max win500× by most listings; NetEnt's page states 800×
- Stake range0.10–100 per spin (level 1–10 × coin value 0.01–1.00)
- FeatureExpanding wild with respins — no free spins, no scatter
Gems, a bar, a seven, a wild
No character, no story, no second screen. That austerity is why the file weighs about 4.7 MB, loads instantly and stays legible at any screen size.
Ten lines that pay in both directions.
The ten paylines can't be switched off, and the structural quirk is Win Both Ways: combinations count from the leftmost reel rightwards and from the rightmost reel leftwards, on the same ten lines.
That roughly doubles the routes a spin can pay, which is why individual payouts look modest. Stakes are set as a bet level of 1–10 against a coin value of 0.01–1.00, giving a range of 0.10 to 100 per spin.
96.09%, 96.08%, and a ladder with six rungs.
Two figures circulate for the top build. Most outside databases publish 96.09%; NetEnt's own current page states 96.08%. The gap is a rounding artefact rather than a disagreement, and we quote both because pretending otherwise would be tidier than it is true.
| Configuration | House edge | Cost per C$1,000 staked |
|---|---|---|
| 96.09% (top) | 3.91% | C$39.10 |
| 95.05% | 4.95% | C$49.50 |
| 94.05% | 5.95% | C$59.50 |
| 93.05% | 6.95% | C$69.50 |
| 92.05% | 7.95% | C$79.50 |
| 90.05% | 9.95% | C$99.50 |
Six rungs, and the 94.05% build is demonstrably in the wild. Bottom to top is six points of edge on a game whose artwork never changes. Tighter than Book of Dead, wider than most people assume of a NetEnt classic. The paytable screen names your build in seconds — our slots hub explains why it varies at all.
Low volatility, and that word is unanimous.
Every source agrees on the band, and roughly 23% of spins return something. Wins are small and frequent, the balance drifts rather than falls in steps, and there's no feature round to wait for.
That makes it an unusually gentle game to sit with, and an unusually honest one to describe: what you see in the first fifty spins is broadly what the next five hundred look like.
There is no free-spins round here, and no scatter.
Worth stating flatly, because the game is handed out as a free-spins reward more than any other title in the industry. Those spins come from the casino, not from the game. Starburst itself has no scatter symbol and no bonus round of any kind.
One feature does all the work.
The Starburst Expanding Wild is the entire feature set, and it behaves the same way every time.
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It lands on reels 2, 3 and 4 only
Never on the outer reels. That restriction is deliberate and it caps how much the feature can pay.
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It expands, locks and pays
The wild stretches over its whole reel, stays in place, substitutes for every gem, and a respin follows at no extra stake.
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New wilds extend the run
Another wild during a respin also locks and grants another, up to a maximum of three consecutive respins with all three middle reels held wild.
Three locked reels paying in both directions is the game's best outcome, and it's how the ceiling gets reached — without a bonus round anywhere in sight.
On the maximum win, the sources disagree.
Most listings put it at 500× your stake. NetEnt's own page currently states 800×. We're not going to pick one and present it as settled, because both are credible and they don't reconcile. Either way this is a low ceiling by modern standards — Sweet Bonanza tops out at 21,175× — and that's the trade low volatility makes.
It suits our wagering better than most.
Low volatility, no buy button and no ante bet make this a sensible vehicle for turnover. Nothing here can breach our C$5 per-spin cap by accident, and small frequent wins keep the counter moving instead of leaving you waiting on a feature.
The honest caveat: a game that returns little rarely builds enough balance to finish 25–35× inside 20 days. Steady progress is not the same as reaching the end. Our welcome bonus page has the arithmetic, and our mobile guide explains why this one runs so well on an older phone — the same lightness that made it the industry's default free-spins game.
XXXtreme and Galaxy are separate games
Starburst XXXtreme and Starburst Galaxy carry their own models, features and ceilings, and XXXtreme is far more volatile. Nothing here transfers — check the exact title in the game window.
Gentle games are easy to play for a long time, and a slow drift is still a cost. Length of session matters as much as size of stake, so set a session reminder and a deposit cap in your account before you start rather than partway through. Our responsible gambling page covers every control and lists free, confidential helplines for each province and territory. In a crisis, ring or text 9-8-8.
Starburst, answered.
Does Starburst have a free-spins round?
No, and it never has. There's no scatter symbol and no bonus round in the game at all. Its only feature is the expanding wild with respins. Free spins on Starburst are awarded by casinos as a promotion, so they come from the offer rather than from anything inside the game itself.
What return does Starburst run at?
Most outside databases give 96.09% for the top build, while NetEnt's own current page states 96.08% — a rounding artefact rather than a real dispute. Below that sits a certified ladder through 95.05%, 94.05%, 93.05%, 92.05% and 90.05%, and the 94.05% version is demonstrably in circulation.
What is the maximum win?
Sources conflict. Most listings say 500× your stake; NetEnt's own page currently states 800×. We publish both rather than choosing, because each is credible and they do not reconcile. Either figure is low by modern standards, which is the trade a genuinely low-volatility game makes for frequent small wins.
How does the expanding wild work?
It appears on reels two, three and four only. When it lands it expands across the whole reel, locks in place, substitutes for every gem and awards a respin at no extra stake. Another wild during that respin locks too and grants another, up to three consecutive respins in total.
What does Win Both Ways mean?
Combinations are counted from the leftmost reel rightwards and from the rightmost reel leftwards, across the same ten fixed paylines. It roughly doubles the routes a spin has to pay, which is part of why individual payouts look small and why the hit frequency sits around 23% on a low-volatility game.
Was Starburst released in 2012 or 2013?
2012. NetEnt's own page dates it to 23 January 2012, and the 2013 figure repeated in various write-ups is incorrect. It is worth getting right, because the release year is often used to place the game in the history of online slots and the expanding-wild mechanic it helped popularise.
Is it a good choice for clearing wagering?
Better than most. Low volatility keeps small wins recycling through the counter, and with no ante bet and no buy button there is nothing that can breach our C$5 cap by accident. The catch is balance growth: steady turnover rarely builds enough to finish 25–35× inside twenty days.
Why is Starburst offered with so many free-spins deals?
Practical reasons. The file weighs around 4.7 MB, so it loads fast on any connection and runs smoothly on older phones. Low volatility also makes spin values predictable for the casino offering them. Nothing about it is a better deal for you than another low-volatility title would be.
Read the panel, then spin
Starburst runs in demo without an account, and the paytable names which rung of the six-step RTP ladder your session is on.
Open Starburst18+ / 19+ by province. Not available in Ontario. Slots count 100% toward welcome-bonus wagering; C$5 max bet and a 20-day expiry apply for as long as wagering runs. Full terms apply.