Many websites repeat statistics for NetEnt's 2024 sequel that conflict with the company's own publications. This guide to Starburst Galaxy RTP, max win and Australian online gambling law explained weighs frequent assertions against the developer's official game page. It also examines how the Interactive Gambling Act affects Australian residents.
The core details are confirmed. Starburst Galaxy, a space-themed slot from NetEnt, debuted on 26 November 2024. It exists as a distinct title from the first Starburst. Gameplay occurs on a 5×5 layout, featuring a mechanic NetEnt labels Avalanche where winning symbols vanish and are replaced. A specific bonus can increase the grid size to 7×7.
Online slots and the law in Australia
People physically in Australia may not be provided with online slots and online pokies, or other online casino games, as per section 15 of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. Both offshore and Australian providers are subject to this, and advertising these games here is not permitted.
The player is not the one committing the offence; it is the provider. A site that offers these games for money might be unreachable from Australia simply because ACMA blocks illegal offshore operators' websites.
No Australian stake cap or minimum RTP for online slots exists because no online casino can be licensed here. Only the game's own limits, listed below, apply to the game.
Licensed phone and online wagering is covered by the national self-exclusion register, BetStop. No one will be excluded from a slot like this by it, as casino games aren't covered.
What NetEnt publishes
| Specification | NetEnt's figure |
|---|---|
| RTP | 96.00% |
| Hit frequency | 24.00% |
| Maximum payout | 17,288× bet |
| Grid | 5×5, expanding to 7×7 |
| Minimum / maximum bet | €0.20 / €20.00 |
| Feature buy | Yes (Elevate Feature) |
NetEnt's page also lists a demo using play coins instead of money.
The figures other pages get wrong
Maximum win: 17,288×, not 25,000×
Often claimed: the bet multiplied by 25,000× as a maximum win.
What NetEnt says: a maximum payout reaching 17,288× the bet.
Likely reason: NetEnt's page provides no support for 25,000×, and no reviewed source clarifies its origin. Such a round figure tends to be passed between reviews without being checked against the provider. Use 17,288×.
Stakes: €20 top bet, in euros
Often claimed: figures between 0.20 and 28 are cited as bets, with euros and dollars appearing together on some pages.
What NetEnt says: the maximum is €20.00, while the minimum is €0.20.
Likely reason: the dollar symbol is probably a mistake, since those same amounts are shown in euros in other areas of those pages. A ceiling of €28 might be caused by the way a specific operator has configured it. Since NetEnt's page isn't clear about whether different builds have varying limits, consider €20 to be the published maximum.
RTP: 96.00% is not the only number around
Commonly asserted: there's just one RTP for all instances.
According to NetEnt: 96.00%.
Evidence of the difference: at least one operator's page lists Starburst Galaxy at 94%, which indicates that a lower-RTP configuration is in circulation. NetEnt's public page omits its RTP versions; consequently, it is impossible to tell from that source how many exist. The figure for the version currently loaded is displayed on the in-game information screen.
Volatility: no official label
Often claimed: High or medium-to-high. One notable review lists "High" within its summary table, while its text describes it as "medium to high".
What NetEnt says: No rating is provided on its page, although a volatility field exists. A hit frequency of 24.00% is the figure it does publish.
Likely reason: Reviewers rely on their own assessments to compensate for the missing data. View any volatility label as an opinion rather than a specification.
Grid and paylines: not the original's
Often claimed: 10 paylines and a 5×3 layout.
What NetEnt says: a 5×5 grid that grows to 7×7. The original Starburst is what those numbers describe. Search results conflate the two titles, and certain lists place a page on the first game next to those for Galaxy.
The way wins work is also vaguely explained. "Cluster pays" is the term used by many pages. More precise is the phrasing from NetEnt: a win occurs when three or more symbols match in a vertical or horizontal line, and there are no fixed paylines.
How the features work
Avalanche and Wilds
Winning symbols vanish and the gaps refill. A Wild appears at the centre of each cleared combination.
- On a vertical line, the Wild is placed above centre, while on a horizontal line, it sits left of centre for wins of even length.
- At least one Wild is placed at the common centre where two wins intersect.
- Wilds act as substitutes for all symbols aside from Scatters.
- The paytable's top prize is awarded for a sequence of five, four or three Wilds that doesn't combine with other symbols to create a win.
Feature Generator
During the main game, a random selection from five modifiers is granted for every five-win streak:
- Upgrade: one or more symbols of a certain type are raised to a type that pays more.
- Line Transform: a reel or row is filled using one payout symbol.
- Expanding Wilds: a stack of three is created from every Wild.
- Random Wilds: between 3 and 9 payout symbols are converted into Wilds.
- Destroy: symbol types, one or several, are removed.
Galaxy Star
A 3×3 Starburst Wild is added and the grid becomes 7×7 if the fifth Feature Generator feature is triggered.
- Winning symbols are removed and 4 to 8 regular Wilds are spawned after every evaluation.
- Galaxy Star is given again at 50, with each win filling the Galaxy Metre.
- Any Feature Generator features that remain are fired when Galaxy Star concludes.
Mega Star
Landing three Scatters during one spin activates Mega Star, resulting in the placement of a 2×2 Starburst Wild.
- Regular Wilds, numbering from 2 up to 5, appear once winning symbols clear following every evaluation.
- Multipliers of ×2, ×3, ×5, ×10 or ×25 may be carried by some Scatters.
- For the remainder of the round, all wins are affected by these multipliers, which fill the Multiplier Collect Metre.
Elevate Feature
You can buy one of these per round:
- Bonus Boost (3× bet): increased odds of hitting Galaxy Star.
- Mega Star (10×): three Scatters are certain to appear on one spin.
- Boosted Mega Star (50×): the Multiplier Collect Metre is active, and three Scatters are guaranteed, with at least two having multipliers.
- Galaxy Star (100×): entry into Galaxy Star is guaranteed.
- Galaxy Star Bonanza (500×): five Feature Generator features are already given when Galaxy Star begins.
No price ceiling for these buys is established by Australian law. The prohibition prevents the entire game from being provided for real money, rather than specific features.
If you gamble in any legal jurisdiction, stick to a limit you set before beginning. Budgets are consumed rapidly because these buys are priced as multiples of your stake.