Game file
Starburst slot: expanding wilds, both-ways lines and six RTP versions
NetEnt's low-volatility classic: lines that pay both ways, expanding wilds with respins and no free spins at all.
The legal status of casino-style games offered by bookmakers is disputed in South Africa and depends on the province that licenses the bookmaker.
Starburst at a glance
Starburst is a NetEnt slot played on 5 reels, 3 rows and 10 fixed paylines that pay both ways; NetEnt's own page dates its release to 23 January 2012. There are no free spins. Its one feature is the Starburst wild: it lands on the middle three reels, expands to fill the reel and triggers a respin, up to three in a row. Volatility is low. NetEnt's page lists an RTP of 96.08%, a hit frequency of 23% and a maximum payout of 800x the bet, the RTP and top win on the spec card. An older reference source gave 500x and six RTP versions from 96.09% down to 90.05%, and lower versions can still run in a lobby.
Starburst is the opposite of most slots in this guide: low volatility, a modest top win and frequent small wins. That makes it a useful reference point. If you want to see what "low volatility" means in practice, this is the game to look at. This file explains the both-ways lines, the expanding wild and respins, why the top win is so low, where NetEnt's own figures differ from an older reference source, and what the RTP versions cost in rand.
The spec card takes its RTP, top win and release date from NetEnt's own Starburst page, which we could read on 13 November 2026. That page confirms the 5x3 grid, the 10 lines, the expanding wild and the respin. Other details, such as the lower RTP versions, come from an established slot reference source. Where the two differ, this file says so and gives NetEnt's figure as the provider's statement.
Where to play Starburst for real money
Provincially licensed South African bookmakers whose published game lobbies list Starburst, ordered by our score. Check that the game is in the lobby of your account before you deposit.
| # | Bookmaker | Score | Welcome offer | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  World Sports BettingWestern Cape licenceRead review | None on file | Play now | |
| 2 |  YesPlayWestern Cape licenceRead review | 100% deposit bonus up to R3,000, minimum deposit R20, valid 7 days | Play now |
18+ Casino-style games at bookmakers are offered under provincial licences, and their legal status is disputed nationally since a 2025 appeal court ruling on Gauteng bookmakers. Welcome offers have terms; read them first. Set a limit and never play to win back losses. Help: National Responsible Gambling Programme, 0800 006 008, responsible gambling.
Ten lines that pay both ways
Starburst has the standard 5x3 grid with 10 fixed paylines, but each line pays in both directions: from the leftmost reel and from the rightmost reel. A combination of three matching symbols on reels 3, 4 and 5 counts, where in most slots it would not. More ways for a line to count is part of why the game feels steady.
The Starburst wild and respins
- Wild lands on reels 2, 3 or 4. The Starburst wild appears only on the middle three reels.
- It expands. The wild grows to cover its whole reel.
- Respin. The expanded wild stays and the other reels spin again.
- Up to three. Each new wild adds another respin, to a maximum of three, when all three middle reels are wild.
NetEnt's page describes the same mechanism in its own words: the Starburst symbol is a wild that expands to cover the whole reel when it lands, substitutes for paying symbols, and triggers a respin. The middle-reels-only rule and the limit of three respins come from the reference source.
With three expanded wilds in the middle and lines paying both ways, the outer reels decide the win. That is the route to the game's top results, and it is also as big as Starburst gets.
How big a Starburst win can get
An older reference source worked the ceiling out from the paytable: the largest line combination pays 250x, and because lines pay both ways the most a spin can reach is twice that, 500x the stake. NetEnt's own page lists a maximum payout of 800x the bet, and the spec card now uses NetEnt's figure. The provider's figure is the one to rely on. Either way the ceiling is low. Compared with the 5,000x or more of most games here, that is small. It is the trade-off for low volatility: the return is spread across many modest wins rather than concentrated in rare huge ones.
What NetEnt's Starburst page lists
The spec card now uses NetEnt's figures for the release date, the RTP and the top win. The right-hand column shows what an older reference source gave.
| Item | NetEnt's game page | Older reference source |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | 23 January 2012 | 20 June 2012 |
| RTP | 96.08% | 96.09%, lower versions to 90.05% |
| Maximum payout | 800x the bet | 500x |
| Hit frequency | 23% | not listed |
| Lines | up to 10 | 10 fixed, both ways |
| Bet range | 0.10 to 100 euro | not listed |
Hit frequency is the share of spins that return some win: at 23%, roughly one spin in four pays something, and the other three return nothing. The bet range is quoted in euro on NetEnt's page; a bookmaker's rand lobby shows its own limits. NetEnt's page does not list the lower RTP versions; the reference source does, and a bookmaker can still run one of them, so the info screen in the lobby remains the only way to know which.
Six RTP versions in rand
NetEnt's own page gives 96.08% for the top version, the figure on the spec card. The reference source lists the top version at 96.09% and lower versions at 95.05%, 94.05%, 93.05%, 92.05% and 90.05%. (It also mentions a 98.05% exclusive version at one UK operator, which is not included here.) The bookmaker chooses which version runs.
On a low-volatility game, the RTP version shows up sooner than on a swingy one, because results stay closer to the average. Over a few hundred spins, the gap between 96.09% and 90.05% is the kind of difference you can feel.
Tool
Starburst RTP explainer
- Total staked
- R1,000.00
- Average returned
- -
- Average cost
- -
- Per R100 staked
- -
An average over a very large number of spins, not a prediction. A real session can end far above or far below it, and the more volatile the game, the wider that spread.
Low volatility: what it does and does not mean
Low volatility means small wins come often and a balance tends to drift rather than swing. It does not mean a game is cheap: a 90.05% version of Starburst keeps far more over time than a 96.5% very high-volatility slot. Low volatility also does not protect a budget from a long session. Frequent small wins make it easy to keep spinning, and every spin carries the same average cost. The slots page shows volatility side by side with RTP for all games.
Is there a Starburst demo?
NetEnt lists a demo of Starburst on its own website, but at the time of writing that demo does not start: NetEnt's game server returns an error instead of the game. We only embed a provider's own demo, never a copy from a casino or affiliate site, so there is no demo on this page until NetEnt's version works again. Some licensed bookmakers offer demo mode in their lobby; it uses play credits, cannot pay out and predicts nothing. The demo modes page explains the limits.
Where Starburst is listed
World Sports Betting and YesPlay name NetEnt among their game providers on their published pages; they are listed at the foot of this page. Whether Starburst is live in a lobby is shown on the bookmaker's site. The legal status of casino-style games at bookmakers is disputed and depends on the province: a 2025 Supreme Court of Appeal ruling bars Gauteng bookmakers from casino games, while the Western Cape board says its licensees are not affected.
For another NetEnt classic with a very different profile, see Gonzo's Quest.
A low-volatility budget
What helps
- Checking which of the six versions runs
- Counting time as well as money
- A stop-loss set in advance
What does not
- Treating frequent small wins as profit
- Assuming low volatility means low cost
- Raising the stake to reach a bigger win
Responsible gambling
Starburst spin budget
- Spins if nothing comes back
- -
- Staked per hour
- -
- Average cost per hour
- -
- Stop-loss to set
- -
- Set the deposit limit in your bookmaker account before you start, not during a session.
- Use a timer: the clock runs faster than it feels when rounds take seconds.
- Never raise the stake to win back a loss.
Averages only: a single session can lose the whole budget much faster. Free, confidential help: National Responsible Gambling Programme, 0800 006 008. 18+ only.
Slots are for adults aged 18 and over. For limits, self-exclusion and free counselling, see responsible gambling.
Listed in the game lobbies of
Names only, from the bookmakers' published game lobbies. Not a recommendation to play.
Questions and answers
Who makes Starburst?
NetEnt. NetEnt's own page and the spec card date the release to 23 January 2012; an older reference source gave 20 June 2012.
What is the RTP of Starburst?
NetEnt's own page and the spec card give 96.08% for the top version. An older reference source lists the top version at 96.09%, with lower versions at 95.05%, 94.05%, 93.05%, 92.05% and 90.05%. The bookmaker chooses one.
Does Starburst have free spins?
No. Its feature is the expanding Starburst wild on reels 2 to 4, which triggers up to three respins.
What does win both ways mean?
Each of the 10 lines pays from the leftmost reel and from the rightmost reel.
What is the maximum win in Starburst?
NetEnt's own page lists 800x the bet, the figure on the spec card. An older reference source gave 500x: a top line of 250x, doubled because lines pay both ways.
Is Starburst low volatility?
Yes. Small wins come often and big ones are capped low, so balances drift rather than swing.
Is a low-volatility slot cheaper to play?
Not necessarily. Cost depends on the RTP version; volatility only shapes how results are spread.
What is Starburst's hit frequency?
NetEnt lists 23%: roughly one spin in four returns some win.
What RTP does NetEnt list for Starburst?
96.08% on its own game page, the figure on the spec card. An older reference source gives 96.09% as the top version and lower versions down to 90.05%; the bookmaker's info screen shows which one runs.