Starburst slot review 2025
Key information
Discover more NetEnt games
Popular in South Africa
Where to play Starburst for real money
Our verdict of Starburst
There are many reasons why Starburst became and then remained one of the most popular online slots for over a decade. Aside from its eye-catching and enthralling galactic theme, it offers simple, exciting and fast-paced gameplay.
The bet limits also make it perfect for players of all budgets, and while the top prize of 500x your stake isn’t the most lucrative around, the fun in-game bonuses and win-both-ways paylines ensure there are constant chances for sizeable payouts.
Pros
Hugely popular title with slots fans
Win-both-ways paylines
Top prize of 500x your stake
Colourful and immersive graphics
Betting limits to suit all players
Cons
No free spins bonus
Gameplay can become repetitive
Starburst slot overview
Starburst is a video slot originally released by NetEnt in 2012. It has 5x3 reels with 10 fixed paylines that have a win-both-ways feature, effectively doubling your chances of landing a payout on every spin. The game welcomes players of all budgets, with the option to bet anything from R0.10 to R100 per spin.
While Starburst doesn’t come with an in-game free spins bonus, you can still take advantage of the Starburst expanding wild, which triggers an instant respin whenever it appears.
Starburst game features
| 📈 RTP | 96,1% |
| 💵 Min bet | R 0,10 |
| 💸 Max bet | R 100 |
| 💰 Max win | R 50 000 |
| 📊 Volatility | Low |
| 🤑 Paylines | 10 |
| 🎰 Reels | 5 |
| 🔥 Jackpot | No |
| 🎮️ Software | NetEnt |
Starburst theme & graphics
Starburst has a captivating outer space theme, complete with top-quality graphics and an immersive soundtrack. Set in the cosmos, the game has a neon arcade feel with dazzling light effects and flickering animations every time you land a win. The gripping experience is brought further to life with the synth-inspired and somewhat eerie music.
How to play Starburst
If you’re ready to play Starburst at the best online casinos in South Africa, getting started is pretty easy. You can hit the reels in minutes by following our simple steps below:
Choose one of our recommended Starburst casinos listed above and sign up for an account.
Find Starburst in the slots lobby or search and load for the game directly if that function is available.
Use the toggles under the reels to set your bet level and coin value. The bet level can be set from one to 10, while the coin value can be set from 0.01 to 1.
Click the green Spin button to start the game. Alternatively, you can also select the Autoplay feature to run up to 1,000 automatic spins.
Wait for the reels to spin and see if you’re lucky enough to get a payout!
Starburst bonus features
Compared to other popular video slots, Starburst is light on in-game bonuses, but the available features do offer more ways to win. Here’s a quick guide as to how they work:
Starburst wilds
The Starburst wild is a multi-coloured symbol that can appear on the middle three reels. It acts as a standard wild by substituting for other symbols to help create winning combinations. However, whenever it appears, it also automatically expands to fill the whole reel and trigger an instant respin.
If another Starburst wild appears on the respin, a second respin will be activated. This offers the chance to turn all three middle reels wild, which significantly increases your chances of landing a huge payout.
Win both ways paylines
Starburst’s 10 paylines are win-both-ways, which means you’ll get a payout if you get three or more of the same symbol on a payline running from either left to right or right to left. In other words, you can take advantage of two chances to win on every payline.
Starburst paytable & symbols
Starburst has a relatively simple paytable containing just seven symbols, of which you must get three or more on a payline to earn a payout. The low to mid-value symbols are the five coloured gemstones: yellow, green, red, blue and purple in order of value. Meanwhile, the 7 ball and golden BAR ball are the higher-value symbols, with the latter awarding 25x your bet if you’re lucky enough to get five on a payline.
The only other symbol in the game is the Starburst expanding wild, which can substitute for any other symbol to help produce winning spins. Here is the full paytable for Starburst:
| Symbol | 3 symbols | 4 symbols | 5 symbols |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAR | 5x | 20x | 25x |
| 7 | 2.5x | 6x | 12x |
| Yellow gem | 1x | 2.5x | 6x |
| Green gem | 0.8x | 2x | 5x |
| Red gem | 0.7x | 1.5x | 4x |
| Blue gem | 0.5x | 1x | 2.5x |
| Purple gem | 0.5x | 1x | 2.5x |
Starburst RTP & volatility
Starburst boasts a return to player (RTP) rate of 96.09%, slightly higher than the 96% average for online slots. The game has a low to medium volatility, so expect small wins fairly regularly.
As the game accepts a maximum bet amount of R100 per spin and the biggest possible payout is 500x your stake, the most you can win on a single spin is a massive R50,000.
How to win at playing Starburst
It’s important to remember when playing online slots such as Starburst that there’s nothing you can do to influence the outcome, as wins are entirely based on luck. However, by following our tips and tricks listed below, you can help your bankroll to last a little longer:
Try the Starburst demo: This allows you to play for free and get used to the game without risking your own money.
Use casino bonuses: Claiming casino bonuses you can utilise on slots such as free spins offers extra chances to win at no additional cost.
Keep it sensible: Gamble responsibly by sticking to a bet amount that you’re comfortable with and not exceeding your budget when playing.
Starburst slot app & mobile experience
Given Starburst’s enduring popularity among slots fans, it’s no surprise that the game is mobile-friendly and caters to gamblers wanting to play where and when they like. NetEnt builds its games on HTML5 technology, ensuring Starburst runs smoothly on smartphones and tablets with high-quality graphics.
To play Starburst at the best mobile casinos in South Africa, all you have to do is load your casino’s mobile site on your iPhone or Android browser or download its casino app if one is available.
Best casino bonuses for Starburst
Other Starburst variants
Starburst has since gone on to inspire a sequel and Slingo spin-off. If you’re interested in space-themed slots, you can hit the reels of plenty of other great options:
Browse more slot reviews
Starburst FAQs
Sign up for one of our recommended Starburst casinos, open the game and choose your bet amount before clicking the spin button.
You can find the best online casinos in South Africa that host Starburst right here on this page. Our top-rated Starburst casinos include Springbok Casino.
To win a payout on Starburst, you need to get three or more of the same symbols on a payline. The game uses win-both-ways paylines, meaning winning combinations can run from left to right or right to left.
Absolutely not. NetEnt is a licensed software provider that uses random number generator (RNG) software to ensure fair game outcomes for players.
Yes, you can hit the reels on Starburst at the best mobile casinos in South Africa by loading the casino’s mobile site on your smartphone or downloading its app.
Yes, you can try Starburst for free on this page. Most casinos in SA that host Starburst also allow you to play the game in demo mode.
Starburst has an RTP of 96.09%, meaning that for every R100 you wager on the game, you’re expected to win back R96.09 on average.
