Starburst

Starburst is one of the most played online slots in the world — and over a decade after its 2012 release by NetEnt, it still holds up. Part of its enduring appeal is its simplicity: no complicated bonus rounds, no multi-layered features to decode, just clean arcade-style gameplay built around a genuinely exciting expanding Wild mechanic and a both-ways pay system that doubles your chances of landing a winning combination on every spin.

This review covers everything you need to know before playing Starburst at Amazon Slots Canada — the RTP, how the Wild mechanic works, what the symbols pay, and how the game performs on mobile. Whether you're playing for the first time or coming back to a favourite, here's what to expect.

The essentials briefly — everything from RTP and volatility to betting range and bonus format.

 

Provider	NetEnt
Release Year	2012
Slot Type	Video Slot — Both Ways Pay
Theme / Setting	Cosmic / Gemstone / Arcade
Reels & Rows	5 Reels × 3 Rows
Paylines / Ways to Win	10 Fixed Paylines (pays left-to-right & right-to-left)
RTP	96.09%
Volatility	Low
Free Spins	No traditional free spins round
Bonus Rounds	Starburst Wild — expanding Wild with up to 3 re-spins
Min Bet	$0.10 per spin
Max Bet	$100.00 per spin
Max Win	500x your bet
Experience Level	Beginner-friendly

Starburst lives in a glittering cosmic space—reels set against a deep starfield, gemstones, and lucky sevens radiating light against a dark, jewel-toned backdrop.

•       Look & Feel: Deep space setting with bold, luminous gem symbols. The colour palette — purples, blues, and golds — gives the game a premium feel that has aged remarkably well for a 2012 release.

•       Animations: Clean and satisfying. Winning paylines illuminate brightly; the expanding Wild sequence has a distinctive starburst flash effect that remains one of the most recognisable moments in online slots.

•       Sound: Upbeat electronic soundtrack with a retro-arcade quality. Win sounds are sharp and gratifying — particularly during the Wild re-spin sequence, where the audio builds with each held spin. 

Starburst keeps its symbol set tight — seven icons in total, each styled as a vibrant cosmic gem or arcade classic. Every symbol can pay in both directions, which effectively doubles the payline value of each hit.

 

Symbol	Type	Description	Payout
Starburst Wild	Wild	Expands to fill the entire reel. Triggers a re-spin with the Wild held in place. Up to 3 re-spins if multiple Wilds land simultaneously.	Wild / Re-spin trigger
Lucky Seven	Premium	Highest paying regular symbol. Classic arcade bar-seven designs. 5 of a kind pays up to 250x stake.	Up to 250x stake
Gold Bar	Premium	Second highest paying symbol — bold gold bar icon. 5 of a kind pays up to 120x stake.	Up to 120x stake
Purple Gem	Mid	Rich amethyst gemstone. Solid mid-tier pay for 4–5 of a kind — one of the more frequently appearing premium symbols.	Up to 60x stake
Blue Gem	Mid	Sapphire-blue gemstone. Similar appearance frequency to Purple Gem, slightly lower pay value.	Up to 40x stake
Orange Gem	Low-Mid	Warm amber gemstone. Appears regularly across all reels, contributes to both-ways payline hits.	Up to 20x stake
Yellow Gem	Low	Lowest regular paying symbol. Common on reels — useful in both-ways chains but modest individual value.	Up to 10x stake

 

 

Pros	Cons
RTP of 96.09% — solid for a low-volatility slot	No traditional free spins bonus round
Both-ways pay doubles win opportunities per spin	Max win capped at 500x — limited ceiling vs modern slots
Expanding Wild re-spins add excitement without complexity	Low volatility means smaller wins — not suited to bonus hunters

 

Starburst's feature set is deliberately lean. There are no free spins, no pick-me rounds, and no progressive jackpot — and that's entirely the point. Two mechanics carry the entire game, and both are executed with precision.

Starburst Wild

The star symbol is Starburst's headline feature. When it lands on reels 2, 3, or 4, it expands to fill the entire reel and triggers a re-spin with the Wild held in place. If a second Wild lands during the re-spin, it too expands and locks — triggering another re-spin. This continues for up to three re-spins in total

Both Ways Pay

All 10 paylines in Starburst pay from left to right and right to left simultaneously. A matching combination starting on reel 5 and running toward reel 1 pays the same as one running in the conventional direction.

In practical terms, this doubles the number of active win paths on every spin — making wins more frequent than the 10-payline count suggests and contributing directly to the game's low-volatility character.

Log into your Amazon Slots Canada account, search for Starburst in the game lobby, and set your stake anywhere between $0.10 and $100.00 per spin. Hit Spin— or activate Autoplay for a set number of spins.

There are no complex decisions to make mid-game: wins pay automatically in both directions, and the Wild re-spin sequence triggers and resolves on its own whenever a star symbol lands on reels 2, 3, or 4.

Starburst is available for real money play at Amazon Slots Canada, with all transactions in Canadian dollars. Deposit using Interac, Visa, or Mastercard, with a minimum stake of $0.10 per spin. Winnings are fully withdrawn once your account is verified.

The game is available to players across Canada's ROC provinces — including British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and the Atlantic provinces.

Starburst is one of the smoothest mobile slot experiences available — its clean design and simple layout translate perfectly to smaller screens. No download is required; the game loads instantly in your mobile browser.

If you enjoy Starburst's style, these titles share its spirit — whether through the same provider, a comparable gem theme, or a similarly relaxed pace.

·         Starburst XXXtreme Slot —The high-volatility upgrade. Same expanding Wild concept but with multipliers and a much higher max win ceiling

·         Hotline Slot — Another NetEnt both-ways-pay slot with a retro 1980s Miami theme. Shares Starburst's clean mechanic approach.

·         Jammin' Jars Slot Game — Gem and candy theme with a cluster pays engine. Similar visual energy, slightly more complex bonus structure.

Starburst has been a top online slot for over a decade, and its popularity is well-deserved. NetEnt built something close to perfect for a specific type of player: someone who wants a clean, fast, genuinely enjoyable session without having to navigate layers of bonus mechanics or wait through long dry spells for the game to deliver.

As an accessible, well-crafted low-volatility slot that plays beautifully on mobile and suits any budget from $0.10 upward, Starburst remains one of the best options at Amazon Slots Canada — for new players and experienced ones looking for a reliable, enjoyable session.

 

Q. What is the RTP of Starburst?

Starburst has a published RTP of 96.09%, which is above average for a low-volatility slot.

 

Q. Does Starburst have free spins?

No — Starburst does not have a traditional free spins round. Instead, its bonus mechanic is the expanding Starburst Wild, which triggers re-spins of up to three consecutive rounds when a star symbol lands on reels 2, 3, or 4.

 

Q. Who developed Starburst?

Starburst was developed by NetEnt, one of the most respected names in the online casino industry. Released in 2012.