Starburst slot – NetEnt’s gem classic online in the UK
Five reels of jewels, ten lines that pay in both directions and one feature: a rainbow wild that fills its reel and buys you a respin. Starburst has barely changed since 2012, and it is still the slot most British players meet first.
Reviewed by Judy Ward on
See the wild respin
Spin until a Starburst Wild lands on a middle reel. Watch it expand and hold while the other reels spin again.
Illustration only: wilds land far more often here than in the game, where one appears about once every 12 spins.
Where to play Starburst for real money
Starburst is in the lobby of practically every UK-licensed casino. These four hold Gambling Commission licences; their welcome spins are for the slots named, and Starburst itself is played from your balance.
-
BetMGM
200 free spins
- Stake a £10 deposit one time
- Spins land on Big Bass Splash (10p)
- Nothing to wager on what they win
-
Admiral Casino
100 free spins
- First deposit from £10
- Shared between two Novomatic slots
- Spin wins need one playthrough
-
William Hill Vegas
200 free spins
- Play £10 on qualifying slots
- 10p spins for Big Bass Splash
- Bonus code shown with the offer
-
888casino
100% up to £100
- Minimum deposit £10
- Valid on chosen slots
- Matched bonus needs 10 playthroughs
Checked on 5 November 2026. British rules have limited bonus wagering to ten times the bonus since January 2026, but conditions still differ, so read them before joining.
Starburst in numbers
There are no hidden layers here. What you see on the first spin is the whole game: gems, BARs, sevens and a wild that only ever lands on the three middle reels.
- Studio
- NetEnt
- Released
- 2012
- Layout
- 5 × 3, 10 lines
- Pays
- Both ways
- RTP
- 96.09%
- Volatility
- Low
- UK stakes
- 10p to £5
- Top win
- 500x
Why winning both ways matters
Most slots only count a line from the left. Starburst also reads every line from the right, so three matching gems on reels 3, 4 and 5 pay just as they would on reels 1, 2 and 3. The line count stays at 10, but the number of ways a spin can pay roughly doubles.
That is a big reason the game feels busy. Around one spin in four and a half returns something, though plenty of those wins are smaller than the stake.
The Starburst Wild and its respins
The rainbow star appears only on reels 2, 3 and 4. When one lands it grows to fill the reel, substitutes for every other symbol and locks in place. The remaining reels then spin once more for free.
If that respin brings another wild on a different middle reel, it expands and locks too, and you get another respin. The sequence can run to three wild reels and three respins. With all three middle reels wild, every line pays whenever reels 1 and 5 hold matching symbols, which is how the 500x top win happens.
According to independent testing, these respins provide a little over a quarter of the game’s total return.
Starburst paytable
Wins as multiples of your total stake for one line. Because lines pay both ways, the same combination can pay twice on one line.
| Symbol | 3 in a row | 4 in a row | 5 in a row |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAR | 5x | 20x | 25x |
| Lucky 7 | 2.5x | 6x | 12x |
| Yellow gem | 1x | 2.5x | 6x |
| Green gem | 0.8x | 2x | 5x |
| Orange gem | 0.7x | 1.5x | 4x |
| Blue gem | 0.5x | 1x | 2.5x |
| Purple gem | 0.5x | 1x | 2.5x |
Return, volatility and how often it pays
NetEnt’s standard version pays back 96.09% over the long run. About 69 points of that come from ordinary line wins and about 27 from the wild respins. Some casinos run lower editions between 90.05% and 95.05%; the figure in use is shown in the game’s help screen.
Volatility is low. The trade-off for steady wins is a modest ceiling: 500x is small next to modern slots that advertise 10,000x or more. Starburst suits long, relaxed sessions on a small budget rather than chasing one huge hit.
Playing the demo
The free version is identical to the real game apart from the play-money balance. Because Starburst is so even, a hundred demo spins give a fair picture of how it behaves, and you will usually see the wild respin several times. British casinos verify your age before any demo opens.
Starburst under UK rules
- Stakes are capped at £5 a spin, or £2 for players aged 18 to 24.
- Autoplay and quick spin are not available; every spin is started by hand and lasts at least 2.5 seconds.
- Bonus wagering cannot exceed 10x, and many free spins offers pay out without any wagering at all.
- Starburst has no bonus buy anywhere, so nothing is removed for British players apart from autoplay.
- A GamStop self-exclusion covers every UK-licensed casino.
Starburst on your phone
The game runs in any mobile browser with no download. In portrait the reels sit across the full width of the screen and the spin button stays under your thumb; landscape gives a little more room to the paytable and settings.
Starburst XXXtreme and Starburst Galaxy
| Game | What is different | Top win |
|---|---|---|
| Starburst | Expanding wilds, respins, wins both ways, low volatility | 500x |
| Starburst XXXtreme (2021) | Wilds carry multipliers up to 150x, very high volatility, left-to-right wins only | 200,000x |
| Starburst Galaxy (2024) | Cluster pays on a grid that grows from 5×5 to 7×7, with avalanches | 25,000x |
XXXtreme’s paid feature spins are not offered to UK players.
Getting started
- Pick a UK-licensed casino from the list above and register.
- Complete the age and identity check.
- Open Starburst and play a few demo rounds.
- Choose a stake that lets your budget cover a long session.
- Deposit, play and stop at the limit you set beforehand.
Our verdict
Starburst is not exciting in the way modern bonus-heavy slots are, and it does not try to be. It is fast, clear and easy on a bankroll, which is exactly why it has lasted.
Strengths
- Pays from both sides of the reels
- Frequent small wins
- 96.09% in the standard edition
- No rules to learn
Weaknesses
- Maximum win of only 500x
- No free spins round
- Can feel repetitive in long sessions
Starburst questions
Who made Starburst and when?
NetEnt released Starburst in 2012. More than a decade later it is still one of the slots British casinos use most often for welcome free spins.
Does Starburst have free spins?
No. There is no scatter and no free spins round. The only feature is the Starburst Wild with its respins, which is why the game is so quick to learn.
How does the Starburst Wild work?
It lands only on reels 2, 3 and 4. When it appears it expands to cover the whole reel, stays in place and gives you a free respin. Each new wild on another middle reel adds another respin, up to three wild reels.
What does “win both ways” mean?
Each of the 10 lines pays from left to right and from right to left. A run of three or more matching symbols can start on reel 1 or on reel 5.
How much of each stake does Starburst pay back?
The standard version returns 96.09%. Casinos can also choose lower versions between about 90% and 95%, so check the figure in the game’s information screen.
What is the most you can win on one spin?
500x your stake. That needs the BAR symbol on reels 1 and 5 with all three middle reels wild, so every line pays in both directions.
What are the UK stake limits on Starburst?
Between 10p and £5 per spin, or up to £2 if you are 18 to 24. Autoplay and quick spin are switched off for British players.
Is Starburst a good slot for beginners?
Its low volatility means frequent, mostly small wins, and there are no bonus rules to learn. That makes it a gentle first slot, though wins above 100x are rare.
Safer gambling
Low volatility does not mean low risk: small, regular losses still add up. Set deposit and session limits in your casino account, take breaks, and never play with money meant for bills.
Confidential help is free on the National Gambling Helpline, 0808 8020 133, at any hour. GamCare and BeGambleAware offer advice and chat, and GamStop blocks all UK-licensed gambling sites with one registration.
Light up the reels
Play Starburst at a UK-licensed casino, in demo mode or for real money.
Play Starburst