Starburst
- RTP
- 96.10%
- Volatility
- Low
- Max win
- 500x stake
- Reels
- 5
- Lines
- 10
- Released
- 2012-06-20
- Theme
- Space
Provider
NetEnt
- Founded
- 1996
- Games in catalogue
- ~365
- Typical RTP
- 96.0–96.8%
- Signature style
- Benchmark video slots
NetEnt is one of the longest-established names in online slots. Founded in Sweden in 1996, it spent two decades as an independent supplier and did more than most to define what a video slot looks like — the layout conventions, the free-spins structures and the presentation standards that newer studios still work inside. Evolution acquired the company in 2020; it continues to release under its own name, alongside Red Tiger, Big Time Gaming and Nolimit City in the same group.
Game Style
NetEnt built its reputation on polish rather than volume. The catalogue of roughly 365 games spans genuinely low volatility to genuinely punishing, which is unusual — most suppliers pick a lane. Starburst is a ten-line game with expanding wilds that pays both ways and is about as gentle as a slot gets; Dead or Alive 2 is a sticky-wild free spins game with a six-figure ceiling that will happily eat a bankroll for hours.
That spread makes NetEnt a reasonable starting point for a newer player, because the back catalogue contains games at every risk level rather than one house temperament.
Signature Mechanics
Several NetEnt mechanics were copied so widely that they now read as generic. They were not:
- Avalanche — introduced in Gonzo’s Quest in 2011: winning symbols crumble away, new ones drop in, and a multiplier steps up with each consecutive win. Every cascading slot since owes it something.
- Starburst wilds — an expanding wild that fills its reel, sticks, and grants a respin, combined with win-both-ways payouts.
- Twin Reels — adjacent reels linked to spin identically, expanding from two up to five.
- Cluster Pays — payouts by adjacent groups rather than lines, used in Aloha! and its successors.
- Progressive jackpots — the Mega Fortune network held the record for the largest online slot payout for years; Divine Fortune carries the current version.
Licensing and Fair Play
NetEnt is licensed and certified across a long list of regulated markets, including Malta, the UK, Gibraltar, Alderney, Spain, Romania, Belgium, New Jersey and British Columbia. It is one of relatively few suppliers cleared for regulated US and Canadian jurisdictions, which imposes an additional layer of testing on top of European requirements.
The catch is RTP configuration, and NetEnt is the textbook example. Starburst alone has shipped in versions ranging from roughly 90% to over 99% depending on the operator’s licence and choice. Two casinos can offer what looks like the same game with a return difference of several percentage points. The information screen inside the game is the only reliable source; a figure quoted anywhere else — including this page — describes the version we sampled, not necessarily yours.
Games Worth Knowing
Beyond the five titles listed below, a handful of NetEnt releases are worth knowing on their own terms. Blood Suckers is still cited for its 98% published return, which made it a standing recommendation for clearing wagering requirements. Mega Fortune paid a €17.8 million jackpot in 2013 and held the world record for years. Guns N’ Roses and Jumanji showed that a music or film licence could be more than a skin. Aloha! Cluster Pays and Finn and the Swirly Spin are the studio at its most inventive, and Jack Hammer remains the cleanest demonstration of the sticky-win mechanic.
Mobile Play and Demos
The modern catalogue is HTML5 and works across devices, and NetEnt’s Touch versions of its older hits were among the first mobile slot conversions that did not feel like compromises. Free demos are available for essentially the whole library, and given how much the RTP varies between installations, playing the demo at a specific casino is also a quick way to see which version that casino runs.
What the Numbers Say
Our selection covers 2012 to 2025 and runs from 96.04% to 96.82% RTP. The spread of volatility is unusually wide for a single supplier: Starburst is genuinely low-variance, Divine Fortune sits in the middle with its progressive jackpots, and Dead or Alive 2 is as punishing as anything on the market.
NetEnt remains a dependable starting point. The reservation is not about quality — it is that the brand’s reputation for consistent maths no longer holds when the same title can be installed at wildly different returns.
Popular NetEnt Games
Dead or Alive 2
- RTP
- 96.82%
- Volatility
- High
- Max win
- 111,111x
- Reels
- 5
- Lines
- 9
- Released
- 2019-04-24
- Theme
- Wild West
Gonzo’s Quest 2
- RTP
- 96.06%
- Volatility
- High
- Max win
- 15,825x
- Reels
- 6
- Lines
- Up to 262,144
- Released
- 2025-09-25
- Theme
- Adventure
Twin Spin Megaways
- RTP
- 96.04%
- Volatility
- High
- Max win
- 38,000x
- Reels
- 6
- Lines
- 117649
- Released
- 2020-11-12
- Theme
- Retro
Divine Fortune
- RTP
- 96.59%
- Volatility
- Medium
- Max win
- 600x
- Reels
- 5
- Lines
- 20
- Released
- 2018-01-01
- Theme
- Mythology
NetEnt — FAQ
What is NetEnt known for?
Being one of the earliest studios to establish the modern video slot format, and for a catalogue known for polish and strong branded titles. Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, Dead or Alive 2 and Divine Fortune are the games it is most often recognised by.
Is NetEnt a licensed provider?
Yes. It is certified across a long list of regulated markets including Malta, the UK, Spain, Romania, Belgium, New Jersey and British Columbia, and now operates as part of the Evolution group.
Is NetEnt still independent after the Evolution takeover?
Not corporately — Evolution acquired it in 2020 — but the studio continues to develop and release under its own brand, with its own catalogue and roadmap. Red Tiger, Big Time Gaming and Nolimit City sit in the same group under the same arrangement.
Why does Starburst have so many different RTP values?
NetEnt ships its games in multiple return configurations, and Starburst is the widest example: published versions range from roughly 90% to over 99%. The operator chooses which build to install. Always read the figure in the game’s own information screen — a number from a review describes whichever version that reviewer played.
What is the Avalanche feature?
Introduced in Gonzo’s Quest, Avalanche removes winning symbols and drops new ones into the gaps, with a multiplier that increases on each consecutive win in the same paid spin. It is the direct ancestor of every tumbling-reel and cascading slot released since.
Which NetEnt game is best for a small bankroll?
Starburst, by a wide margin. It is genuinely low-volatility, pays both ways across ten lines, and produces frequent small wins rather than long dry spells — which is exactly why operators use it as a default game for free-spin bonuses. Dead or Alive 2 sits at the opposite end and is not a sensible place to start.