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Starburst Slot Review 2024

Contributors
Published November 13, 2024
9 min read

Starburst by NetEnt has been a player favorite since 2012, known for its vibrant graphics and simple gameplay. With expanding wilds, respins, and low-to-medium volatility, this stone cold classic continues to offer an engaging experience for players of all levels, and my Starburst review explains exactly why.

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Starburst Slot Overview

Starburst Quick info
RTP 96.06%
Software provider NetEnt
Slot Type Video Slots
Special feature Re-spins, wild substitutions, win-both-ways
Paylines 10
Reels 5
Rows 3
Jackpot 5,000x
Minimum bet $0.10
Maximum bet $100

Starburst has a sleek and minimalist 5x3 reel grid and 10 paylines that offer wins in both directions. The game’s RTP of 96.06% aligns with industry standards, while its low-to-medium volatility ensures frequent wins, even if they’re typically smaller. 

Players can expect simple yet dynamic features, like expanding wilds that trigger free re-spins, adding excitement to every spin. With a betting range from $0.10 to $100 per spin, Starburst appeals to both casual players and high rollers alike, and its maximum jackpot of 5,000x can still deliver big rewards.

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Starburst Slot Pros and Cons

Pros Expanding wilds trigger respins
Pros Pays both ways
Pros Bright and vibrant theme
Cons No free spins bonus round

Starburst Slot Demo

Starburst will soon be playable for free right here on WSN. In the meantime, check out top NetEnt casinos to try out the Starburst demo version.

Best Online Casinos To Play Starburst

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Where to Play Starburst Casino Game?

As one of the most popular games of the last decade, Starburst can be found in the “Favorites” section of most top of the line online casinos, making it easy to spot when browsing through top games. 

Personally, I find FanDuel online casino to be the most intuitive platform for playing Starburst, especially on mobile. The layout is clean, and the app runs smoothly, which makes it my go-to option when I’m on the move.

Online casinos frequently provide free spins on Starburst as part of welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions. For instance, I recently picked up 50 free spins for BetMGM online casino in exchange for betting $20 in their BetMGM sportsbook.

BetMGM promo giving 50 free spins on Starburst

This promotion was for a limited time only, but it’s a perfect example of the kind of promos you can find for Starburst. 

It makes sense that they would choose Starburst. The simple gameplay and low volatility are ideal for casual players who might only be playing because they picked up some free spins along the way.  

All the casinos above are fully licensed and regulated in the US, availability varies from state to state. Make sure you are playing in a state that allows legal online gambling or you won't be able to access the casino.

If you prefer not to wager real money, or regular online casinos aren't avilable in your state, McLuck sweepstakes casino is an excellent option to play Starburst for free. Social casinos and sweepstakes casinos offer casino-style games online for free, including games like Starburst that also appear on real money casinos. 

Since they don’t offer real money gambling, sweeps sites are widely available in most US states, including in states without legal gambling options. In case of McLuck, you can find it in all states except AL, GA, DE, ID, KY, MI, MT, NV, WA, and NJ.

Starburst Slot RTP, Payout, and Volatility

Starburst has an RTP of 96.06% and features low-to-medium volatility, which makes the maximum payout of 5,000x all the more impressive. Lower volatility slots tend to go hand in hand with smaller jackpot payouts, so I was pleasantly surprised to find I had the potential to wind up such a big winner.

If some of these terms aren’t familiar, let me unpack them. 

RTP stands for Return to Player and tells us how much, on average, a slot pays out in wins from the money it takes in in bets. Starburst’s RTP of 96.06% is pretty much bang on the industry standard and means that for every $100 you bet, $96.06 dollars will be paid out in wins over time. 

This puts Starburst on par with other popular NetEnt slots like Gonzo’s Quest (96%) or Twin Spin (96.55%), making it a solid choice for casual players looking for regular small wins.

Volatility refers to the size and frequency of the payouts. As a low-to-medium volatility slot, Starburst provides smaller, more frequent wins. In contrast, high volatility slots are more likely to feature big, one-off jackpot wins. 

Personally, I found Starburst perfect for long sessions without taking too big of a hit to my balance. While playing, I was consistently hitting combinations that kept the game flowing without many dead spins. However, don't expect huge wins every few minutes. This is a game more about building up your balance slowly over time.

The payouts in Starburst are straightforward but rewarding. The most valuable symbol in the game is the BAR, which can pay up to 250x your stake for five on a payline. Other notable symbols include the lucky Seven, which rewards up to 120x for a five-symbol combination. These two symbols are what you’re hoping to land if you're aiming for the bigger wins. 

The five colored gems, while lower in value, also form frequent winning combinations. The yellow gem offers the highest payout among them at 60x for five, while the purple gem pays the least at 25x.

The maximum payout for Starburst is 5,000x your stake, achievable if you manage to fill the screen with BAR symbols, especially when combined with expanding wilds. 

While hitting this max payout may seem unlikely, the wild respin feature keeps your hopes alive, especially during longer play sessions. 

Starburst Bonus Features

Starburst keeps things straightforward, but its core bonus features—expanding wilds, re-spins, and win-both-ways—make gameplay engaging without being overly complex. Below are the key bonus features and how they can maximize your winnings.

Wild Symbols

The Starburst Wild appears on reels 2, 3, and 4. When it lands, it expands to cover the entire reel and triggers a free re-spin. I’ve personally had some thrilling moments when multiple wilds appeared back-to-back, triggering consecutive respins. This mechanic doesn’t just offer the chance for additional spins but also significantly boosts your payout potential if you’re lucky enough to land the right symbols during the respin.

Re-Spins

Re-spins occur each time a wild lands and expands. You can trigger up to three re-spins in a row if more wilds appear, which can significantly boost your winnings. I've found this feature to be the highlight of the game, as it can quickly turn a simple spin into a more rewarding chain of events.

Win-Both-Ways

Starburst pays out both from left to right and right to left, doubling your chances of hitting winning combinations. This feature consistently turns near-misses into extra-valuable wins during my sessions, enhancing the overall game-time by offering more frequent payouts.

Starburst User Experience

Starburst Slot reels

Starburst is classic and universally appealing slot, featuring straightforward yet visually striking graphics and fast-paced gameplay.

One of the first things that struck me about Starburst is its timeless design. Despite being over a decade old, the game’s graphics still feel fresh and engaging. The cosmic backdrop and vibrant, jewel-like symbols create a clean, arcade-in-space style atmosphere that’s immersive but not overwhelming. The smooth animations and sharp visuals keep the gameplay lively and polished.

The expanding wilds burst with color and light, adding excitement to the gameplay. Compared to modern slots like Cosmic Fortune, which uses more elaborate visuals, Starburst’s minimalist approach remains appealing, especially for longer sessions. The ambient, spacey soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, enhancing the experience without being distracting. Every win is celebrated with a pleasant chime, making even small victories feel satisfying.

The layout is intuitive, with all controls easily accessible. Adjusting bet levels and coin values is simple using the buttons at the bottom of the screen, and the game runs seamlessly on both desktop and mobile. 

While the lack of a bonus games means the visuals can feel a bit repetitive over long sessions, Starburst’s appeal lies in its simplicity. It's no surprise that this slot remains one of the most popular on the market, offering a balance of engaging visuals, smooth gameplay, and a relaxing atmosphere.

Starburst Final Thoughts

After thoroughly testing Starburst for more than 7 days, it’s clear to me why this game has stayed so popular over the years. The sleek graphics and vibrant colors immediately drew me in, and the space-themed setting, combined with the smooth animations, creates a simple but enjoyable experience. The sound design works well too. It’s subtle but gives a nice boost to the excitement whenever I hit a win. The game is still as good as when I played it for the first time back in 2020.

In terms of gameplay, Starburst is all about keeping things easygoing. With low-to-medium volatility, I noticed that I was getting small, frequent wins, which kept my balance steady.

The 96.06% RTP isn’t the highest, but it’s solid, and I felt like I was getting decent returns, especially with the help of the expanding wilds and re-spins. The win-both-ways mechanic was a nice touch too, doubling the chances of payouts.

That said, Starburst does have some drawbacks. The lack of a free spins bonus became more noticeable the longer I played, and while the re-spins kept things interesting, I missed the extra excitement that free spins or other bonus rounds could have brought. 

Some kind of bonus round, or even the addition of some cutscene animations, would break up the repetitiveness, but it does go against Starburst’s minimalist ethos. 

Overall, Starburst is great for players like me who enjoy straightforward, low-risk games that still feel rewarding. While it doesn’t offer massive bonus rounds or complex features, its polished visuals, steady payouts, and smooth mechanics kept me engaged.

If you're looking for a simple, visually appealing game with consistent action, Starburst is definitely worth a spin—but if you crave bigger payouts and more variety, you might find yourself wanting more after a while.

Starburst Slot Review FAQ

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Tiernan Allen

Tiernan Allen

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