Two published numbers, two scopes
OLG’s Ontario Starburst listing describes five reels, ten fixed paylines and a 95.05% return to player. NetEnt’s own Starburst page identifies the original five-by-three game and lists 96.08%. Those figures belong to different published contexts. For a wager at OLG, the operator’s game information and live help screen govern the version in that account.
RTP is a long-run mathematical average across many simulated outcomes, not a return promised to one player or session. A 95.05% game can still produce an individual loss or win of any size within its rules.
How the expanding wild works
The Starburst wild appears on the middle reels, expands to fill a reel and can trigger a respin. A wild substitutes for paying symbols according to the game rules. A respin changes the grid but does not guarantee a winning line.
Read the sequence as landing wild, expansion, respin, then payline evaluation. The sequence explains rules and does not reproduce an actual OLG screen.
A practical comparison
Suppose two operators show the same game name but different RTP labels. First open each game help panel, record the supplier/version, then compare its paytable and return percentage. Do not transfer the higher supplier figure to an Ontario casino merely because the name and artwork match.
Ontario access
OLG casino games require an Ontario resident aged 19 or older who is physically in the province. A NetEnt demo demonstrates mechanics only and does not create Ontario eligibility.
A percentage comparison without a session forecast
Worked mechanics example
The difference between the two published figures is 1.03 percentage points: 96.08 minus 95.05. That comparison is useful only after identifying the configuration. It does not mean a person will receive an extra C$1.03 after depositing C$100 at a different site. RTP concerns total stakes over a very large number of outcomes, and a deposit may be wagered more than once or not at all.
In OLG’s description, the expanding wild is limited to reels two, three and four. It holds during the respin sequence, with up to three respins described. That is a bounded feature, not an indefinitely repeating promise. Compare the selected-symbol expansion in Book of Dead to see why two expanding-reel games require different explanations.
Questions, answered
Which Starburst RTP does OLG publish?
OLG lists 95.05% on its Ontario page. NetEnt’s general supplier page lists 96.08%; consult in-game help for the live account.
Does an expanding wild guarantee a win?
No. It changes the reels and may trigger a respin, but the paytable still determines the result.
Is Starburst a cluster-pay game?
No. The original game evaluates paylines; merely touching matching gems does not establish a win.
Sources
- OLG Starburst game listingReviewed
- NetEnt Starburst supplier pageReviewed
- OLG account termsReviewed
