The Basic Idea
Starburst is a five-reel, ten-payline video slot from NetEnt. You pick a bet size, hit spin, and the reels stop to reveal a combination of symbols. If matching symbols line up on a payline — running left to right or right to left — you get paid.
The one feature worth knowing is the Starburst Wild. When that multicoloured star lands on reel 2, 3, or 4, it expands to fill the whole reel, locks in place, and triggers a re-spin. You can chain up to three re-spins this way, with all locked wilds staying put throughout. That's the entire feature set — simple, fast, and satisfying once you see it fire.
Not ready to bet real dollars yet? Start with the free demo and get comfortable before you put any money on the line.
Step by Step: How a Spin Works
- Open the bet size selector and choose your stake per spin. The minimum is $0.10 CAD.
- Press the Spin button. The five reels start spinning.
- The reels stop, one by one, left to right.
- The game checks all ten paylines in both directions. Any winning combinations are highlighted and the payout is added to your balance automatically.
- If a Starburst Wild landed on reel 2, 3, or 4 during that spin, the re-spin feature kicks in before your total is settled.
There is no free-spins bonus round in Starburst and no scatter symbol. The only feature this game has is the expanding wild re-spin. When a Starburst Wild appears, it expands to cover its reel completely, then locks. The game awards one re-spin. If another wild lands during that re-spin, it also expands and locks, and you get another re-spin. This can repeat up to three times total. Once no new wilds appear, the feature ends, all wins are paid, and the locked wilds release for the next spin.
Symbols, Paytable and Features
Starburst keeps its symbol set small. The lower-paying symbols are five coloured gems in different shapes. Above those sit two premium symbols: the BAR and the Lucky 7. The wild is the multicoloured Starburst star, which only appears on reels 2, 3, and 4. There is no scatter and no free-spins symbol anywhere on the grid. That's the full list — don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
The Starburst Wild is the game's only feature, and it does two things at once. First, it substitutes for every other symbol on the reels, which means it can complete or extend a winning payline. Second, it expands to fill its entire reel and triggers a re-spin with the wild locked. If a second or third wild appears on subsequent re-spins, those lock too. All locked wilds stay active until the re-spin chain ends, which can produce some genuinely large hits when two or three wilds cover the middle reels simultaneously.
Win Both Ways is always active — no need to trigger it. Every payline pays from left to right and right to left on every single spin. To see exact coin values for each symbol at your current bet size, tap or click the Paytable or Info button (usually a small 'i' icon or a menu icon in the corner of the game window). The values scale with your bet, so always check the paytable after changing your stake.
Common Controls and Settings
The Starburst interface is about as clean as slots get. Here's what each control does and when you'd actually reach for it.
| Control | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Bet size selector | Sets your total stake per spin, starting at $0.10 CAD | Before your first spin, and any time you want to adjust for your remaining bankroll |
| Spin button | Starts one spin at your current bet | Every time you want manual control over each round |
| Autoplay | Spins automatically for a set number of rounds or until a loss/win limit is hit | When you want to play hands-free, but always set a stop-loss limit before you start |
| Quick / Turbo spin | Shortens the reel animation so results appear faster | If the standard spin speed feels slow; has no effect on outcomes |
| Paytable / Info | Shows symbol values, feature rules, and RTP at your current bet | Whenever you change your bet size or need to double-check a payout |
| Sound settings | Mutes or adjusts game audio independently of music and effects | Playing in a shared space, or any time the soundtrack gets repetitive |
A Simple Example Session
Say you load Starburst with $20 CAD and set your bet to $0.40 per spin. That gives you 50 spins if every single one is a loss, which won't happen — but it's a useful way to frame your session length. The first fifteen spins come back quiet. A few small gem matches return $0.20 here, $0.60 there, and your balance sits around $18.50. Nothing dramatic. That's normal for a low-volatility slot.
On spin 16, a Starburst Wild drops on reel 3. It expands, locks, and the re-spin fires. The re-spin brings another wild on reel 2. Both reels are now covered, a second re-spin triggers, and the reels stop with no new wilds. The feature ends. With two locked wilds covering reels 2 and 3 and win-both-ways active across ten lines, the game pays out 25x your $0.40 bet — that's $10 credited to your balance in one go. Your balance jumps to roughly $28.50.
That single feature hit more than covered your quiet opening stretch. You still have well over 50 spins worth of runway at $0.40. This is how Starburst tends to play: long flat patches punctuated by a re-spin chain that resets your balance. The max win is 800x your bet, so a $0.40 spin could theoretically return $320 — but that's the ceiling, not an expectation. Play for the entertainment, not the number.
Common Beginner Mistakes
A few habits will drain your bankroll faster than the game ever needs to. Worth knowing before your first real-money spin.
- Betting too big for your bankroll. If your session budget is $20, spinning at $2 a pop gives you ten spins before you're done. Drop the bet size so you have at least 40-50 spins in the tank.
- Expecting a free-spins bonus round. Starburst doesn't have one. The only feature is the expanding wild re-spin. If you're waiting for a bonus screen, you'll wait forever.
- Thinking the game is 'due' a win. Each spin is decided by a random number generator the moment you press spin. A long losing streak doesn't make the next spin more likely to pay. It never works that way.
- Ignoring the paytable after changing your bet. Symbol values scale with your stake. Always check the paytable when you adjust your bet so you know what you're actually playing for.
- Leaving autoplay running without loss limits. Autoplay is convenient, but without a stop-loss set, it's easy to blow through your budget while you're not paying attention. Set a limit before you walk away from the screen.
- Chasing losses with bigger bets. Doubling your bet after a losing run is one of the fastest ways to empty your balance. The RTP is 96.09% over millions of spins — it doesn't owe you a recovery in your session.
For more on managing your budget across a session, the strategy guide covers bet sizing and session limits in detail.