Slot of the Week: Starburst

Make a wish upon a Starburst and you could win up to $50,000! There’s a reason this slot is still one of the world’s favorites. Come and find out what it is as we take a tour of this very special Slot of the Week.

Almost 10 years on from its first appearance, Starburst is still a firm favorite with players from all over the world thanks to its magical mix of cosmic colors, electric sounds, and enriching wins. Read on to learn more about this perpetual gem of the slots universe!

In Short:

• Starburst is a 10-payline online slot by NetEnt.
• It is available to play at 20 New Jersey online casinos including Golden Nugget, Virgin Casino, SugarHouse and Unibet Casino.
• Features of this slot include Both Ways Pay and Starburst Wild Respins.
• The maximum payout of a single line in Starburst is $2,500.

The Basics

Launched in 2012 by NetEnt, Starburst is one of the most popular slots in the world, most likely due to its unique combination of simple gameplay, vibrant design, and rewarding features.

Currently the 5th most popular game in New Jersey, Starburst boasts a particular payout setup that changed the face of slots and the industry in general, not to mention making the title an instant hit with players.

As a result, you will find the cosmic-themed slot at virtually every online casino in the world. Let’s find out what’s so appealing about this game!

First Impressions

When the game launches, you’ll be met by a dark purple background that’s pin-pointed with floating yellow stars and sliced to one side by the sunlit curve of a planet of some sort, all of which give the distinct impression you’re in space.

Placed in the foreground is the reel set, which is transparent and consists of five reels, with each of them delineated by a curved purple line. Each of the game’s 10 paylines is indicated by the numbers to both the left and right of the reels, with a mouse-hover over each revealing its placement. The fact that the numbers are duplicated hints at one of this slot’s most appealing features, which we’ll cover later.

Another fan-favorite aspect of the game is its soundtrack and effects. The background music when the game is idle sets a futuristic, anticipatory atmosphere with synthesizer tones in erratic but muted patterns. Spin the reels and a brief blipping will be emitted followed by gentle whirring then a soft clack as each comes to rest. Each win is announced with a celebratory outburst whose length and complexity increases with the win size.

Trigger the game’s main feature to experience the music and sound effects on overdrive!

Symbols

There are only seven main symbols in this game and most of them are colorful gems, making it very easy to track them as they appear on the reels. The high value symbols are the gold bar orb and the red and blue 7 orb, while the lower value symbols are the sparkly gems in yellow, green, orange, blue, and purple.

The most important symbol in the game, bar none, is the multicolored Starburst Wild, which stands in for all other symbols to help you make up winning lines. It also triggers the game’s main feature, which we’ll look at next.

Starburst Features

Starburst isn’t jam-packed with a multitude of features like other slots, but that’s part of what makes it so special. There are two main aspects of this game that make it stand out above the rest: Both Ways Pays and Starburst Wild Respins. Let’s check them out in more detail.

Both Ways Pay

Both Ways Pay refers to a game-changing mechanism that really set this game apart from others when it was first released. Whereas most slots pay out for matching symbols along a set payline from left to right, the Both Ways Pay mechanism in Starburst means matches pay when lined up from right to left too, as in the image above.

Starburst Wild Respins

The main attraction of this slot is the Starburst Wild Respins feature. Those colorful wilds do much more than just stand in for other symbols to boost your payouts. While they only appear on reels 2, 3, and 4, when one does land on a reel, it instantly expands to cover the entire reel and triggers a respin too!

Land another wild and the same will happen again. If your luck comes in threes, you’ll be looking at big payouts thanks to all three center reels boasting expanded wilds!

Starburst Payouts

So what kind of payouts does this game have in store for you? The answer to that depends on a few factors such as your level, how many symbols you’ve matched along a payline, and the value of those symbols.

Here’s a breakdown of the various Starburst symbol payouts:

Symbol	3x	4x	5x
Bar	250x level	200x level	50x level
7	120x level	60x level	25x level
Yellow gem	60x level	25x level	10x level
Green gem	50x level	20x level	8x level
Orange gem	40x level	15x level	7x level
Blue/purple gem	25x level	10x level	5x level

There are 10 levels you can choose from in Starburst, which, when used in conjunction with the Coin Value options, determine your bet per spin value in dollars. At level 1 you’ll be betting one coin per payline for a total of 10 coins per spin, while at level 10 you’ll be betting 100 coins per spin. All payouts are in coins, with their values determined by the Coin Value option you’ve chosen from $0.01 to $1.

What this means is that the game’s maximum payout of 2,500 coins translates to between $25 and $2,500, depending on your chosen Coin Value.

Of course, as the game itself states, your coin win can be much higher than that, up to 50,000 coins in fact, thanks to the Both Ways Pay mechanism and the Starburst Wild Respins feature!

Starburst RTP and Volatility

How do the payouts of Starburst compare to those of other games? In order to make such a comparison, we need to use two industry standard metrics: Return To Player (RTP) and Volatility (aka Variance).

The RTP of a game is defined as the percentage of played funds that is returned to players over time. It’s basically the opposite of the house edge. Starburst has a stated RTP of 96.1%, which is a shade above the industry average of 96%, making the game rather attractive to play in terms of payouts over time.

The Volatility or Variance of a game, on the other hand, is a measure of the balance between small, frequent wins and larger, less frequent wins and where on that scale the payouts of the game lie. Usually classed as Low, Medium or High, the volatility of a slot can give you an idea of how “hot” or “cold” it is. For example, the payouts of a low volatility slot tend to be pretty stable and on the small side, whereas those of high volatility slots are much more variable in both size and frequency, making the game more energetic. Starburst has a volatility rating of Low, meaning you can expect a steady stream of smaller wins together with the occasional big win, making the game perfect for beginners and those looking for a longer gaming session.

Cash In On Cosmic Wins!

Starburst is one colorful, cosmic slot that has certainly earned its place as one of the hottest games in the universe. Its bright and vibrant design combined with a punchy, electric soundtrack and effects give the slot pizazz, while the Both Ways Pay mechanism has you watching those symbols at both ends of the reel set!

Seeing those multicolored Starburst Wilds appearing on subsequent reels to trigger a cascade of respins is enough to get your heart pumping in anticipation of the big wins that are in store for you, an adrenalin-infused feeling that will have you coming back for more!

Starburst is available at all the best New Jersey online casinos including Golden Nugget, Virgin Casino, SugarHouse and Unibet Casino.

Ready to trigger truly stellar rewards? Click on any of the links above to check out our in-depth casino reviews, then join the one that best suits you. Claim the site’s welcome bonus, where available, then open Starburst and discover this slot’s magic for yourself!