Starburst in South Africa: Expanding Wilds, Re-Spins and Both-Ways Lines
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Hollywoodbets
Licensed in 5 provinces
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Betway SA
From R0.10 a spin
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Luckyfish
Licensed in 3 provinces
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Loads about 2 MB from playin.com, the studio's demo host.
Starburst is NetEnt's gem slot built around a single idea. There is no free spins round and no bonus buy: five reels, three rows, ten fixed lines that pay from both ends, and a wild that only lands on the three middle reels. When it does, it fills its reel, stays there and awards a free re-spin, up to three in a row. NetEnt rates the volatility medium and puts the hit frequency at 23%.
RTP (return to player): the share of bets the game pays back over time, as NetEnt publishes it.
On this page
In short
Starburst is a slot by NetEnt, released in 2012. Studio figures: RTP 96.08%. Found at 23 casinos we cover, from R0.10 a spin at Betway SA. No. 21 in our South African top 100. Try it on this page before you deposit.
Try Starburst before you deposit
NetEnt's own version of Starburst, from playin.com, the site of the Evolution Group's studios. It loads into this page only when you press the button; nothing comes from that site before. Playin asks you to confirm you are 18 or older.
Loads about 2 MB from playin.com, the studio's demo host.
What Starburst looks like
1 more images
Images: NetEnt, official game page (netent.com); Our still from NetEnt's official promo video (games.evolution.com).
Where Starburst comes from
NetEnt released Starburst on 23 January 2012. It has since become a family name: Starburst XXXtreme and Starburst Galaxy are separate NetEnt games with their own rules and figures. This page covers the 2012 original only, so if the tile in your lobby carries a longer name, the game's information screen tells you which one it is.
How Starburst works
Five reels by three rows carry ten fixed lines, so every spin covers all ten. Five coloured gems are the low symbols, a red seven and a gold bar pay the most, and the rainbow star is the wild. Lines pay both ways: from the leftmost reel to the right and from the rightmost reel to the left, as long as the matching symbols run without a gap.
The star is where the game happens. It only lands on reels 2, 3 and 4, never on the outer two, and when it does it covers its whole reel, stands in for every paying symbol and triggers a free re-spin with the wild reel held in place. Expanding wilds and re-spins are the whole feature set, and every win is a line win.
One wild sequence, step by step
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A star lands on reel 2, 3 or 4
Any paid spin can bring one. The star fills its reel, and because every line crosses every reel, it stands in on all ten lines. -
The wild reel locks
The expanded reel stays where it is and the other reels spin again. The re-spin costs nothing extra. -
Each new star adds one
A star on a middle reel that is still spinning expands and locks too, and the wilds already in place stay for one more re-spin. -
Three is the ceiling
With reels 2, 3 and 4 all wild there is no reel left for another star, so a sequence gives at most three re-spins. -
The sequence ends
A re-spin without a new star closes the feature, and the next spin is paid for as normal.
Why reels 1 and 5 decide the win
Because every line reads from both ends, reel 5 can start a win of its own and run leftwards. A win has to start on an outer reel, and the outer reels never hold a wild, so the symbol a line pays for always comes from reel 1 or reel 5.
The middle reels are the bridge. With all three of them wild, every line runs through three wilds and the whole screen comes down to what lands on reels 1 and 5.
Starburst in figures
The game's key facts in one place.
| Detail | Starburst |
|---|---|
| Released | 23 January 2012 |
| Grid | 5 reels, 3 rows |
| Paylines | 10, fixed, paying left to right and right to left |
| Wild | Starburst Wild, on reels 2, 3 and 4 only, expands over the whole reel |
| Re-spins | Started by a wild, repeated while new wilds land, three at most |
| Hit frequency | 23%, as NetEnt states it |
| Free spins round | None |
| Bonus buy | None |
How the numbers shape a session
A hit frequency of 23% means a little under one spin in four. NetEnt labels the volatility medium, and Evolution's games site puts it at low to mid. With no free spins round and nothing building up between spins, the balance tends to move in small steps between wild sequences.
A bigger stake makes every result bigger in rand, wins and losses alike, and does not change the odds. What it decides is how long your budget lasts.
Starburst RTP and volatility
NetEnt gives Starburst's return to player as 96.08%.
Volatility is medium: small wins mixed with occasional bigger ones.
Paying for Starburst in rand
We found Starburst at 23 casinos. All take cards, 21 take Ozow, 15 take Capitec Pay and 21 take cash vouchers.
The lowest minimum deposit among them is R1, at Luckyfish, World Sports Betting and Hollywoodbets.
Winnings are paid to a bank account in your own name, after the FICA check.
Get FICA done first (the ID and address check every licensed site runs) · How to deposit in rand · Every payment method
Is Starburst legal in South Africa?
Starburst is a slot. In South Africa you find it at licensed bookmakers, next to their sports markets.
All 23 operators we list for Starburst hold a South African provincial licence.
Before you play with real money
Set a budget and a deposit limit before your first round. If it stops being fun, the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation helpline is free on 0800 006 008.
Pros, cons and verdict
- One feature with short rules: wild reels that lock for up to three free re-spins
- Lines pay from both ends, so reel 5 can start a win too
- A 23% hit frequency, and no official volatility label above medium
- Nothing to decide inside the feature, and nothing in it costs extra
- No free spins round and no bonus buy
- Three wild reels at most, which limits how far one sequence can go
- Sequels share the name, so the lobby tile needs a second look
Starburst has lasted on one rule: a star on a middle reel fills it, holds and awards a free re-spin, up to three times, while every line counts from both ends. A win comes a little under one spin in four, and the swings are moderate by NetEnt's own scale. It suits anyone who wants a simple game, not someone waiting for free spins. NetEnt gives the return as 96.08% and Evolution's games site as 96.09%, and the game's help states the figure of your version.
Starburst FAQ
How many re-spins can you get in Starburst?
Up to three. A Starburst Wild on reel 2, 3 or 4 expands, locks and awards a re-spin, and a new wild during that re-spin earns another, with the earlier wilds staying in place.
Does Starburst have free spins?
Not as a separate round. Its two features are the expanding wild and the re-spin, which costs nothing beyond the spin that started it. There is no bonus buy either.
Why do wilds never land on reels 1 and 5?
The rules put Starburst Wilds on reels 2, 3 and 4 only. Because lines pay from both ends, the symbol a line pays for always comes from reel 1 or reel 5, and the wilds in the middle connect the two.
How often does Starburst pay?
NetEnt states a hit frequency of 23%, a little under one spin in four. That says how often a spin wins, not how much, so it tells you nothing about whether a session ends up or down.
Is Starburst XXXtreme the same game?
No. NetEnt lists Starburst XXXtreme and Starburst Galaxy as separate games with their own rules and figures. This page describes the 2012 original, so check the name on the tile.
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Where to play Starburst in South Africa
Licensed South African operators where we have found Starburst, with each one's licence and our score. Ordered by that score. How we score Offers checked September 2026.
Hollywoodbets
4.9
Betway SA
4.9
Luckyfish
4.9
SuperSportBet
4.9
Also carrying Starburst. Each one's terms are on its review.
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