Short answer: An expanding wild fills its entire reel when it lands, turning one wild position into three and often triggering a re-spin.
Slots that use it
How it works in Starburst
- A wild lands on reel two, three or four.
- It expands to cover all three rows.
- The wild reel locks and the others spin again.
- A new wild expands and re-spins too, up to three times.
Why it suits a gentle slot
A full wild reel on a ten-line, both-ways game completes many small lines at once. That produces frequent modest wins instead of rare large ones, which is why Starburst is rated low volatility and capped at 500x.
Variants elsewhere
| Type | What it does |
|---|
| Expanding | Fills its reel |
|---|
| Sticky | Stays for several spins |
|---|
| Walking | Moves one reel each spin |
|---|
| Multiplier | Multiplies wins it joins |
|---|
| Collecting | Gathers values, as in fishing slots |
|---|
What it does not do
An expanding wild is part of the slot's RTP, not an extra. Starburst returns 96.09% by default with the feature included.
Where to play these slots
Ad 18+ only. We may earn commission from these links. Advertiser disclosure
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Significant terms: 18+. New UK customers only. Select the casino welcome bonus at sign-up and make your first deposit within 7 days. 100% bonus up to £25. Wager the bonus 10x on slots within 3 days. Maximum bonus winnings £1,000. Bonus is not redeemable. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
More mechanics: Tumbling reels in slots, Expanding symbols in slots and Multipliers in slots.
Related: volatility explained, reading a paytable and the slot finder.
Slot figures are developers' published defaults, each confirmed against two sources; a casino may run a lower RTP. Offer terms dated 5 October 2026. How we check. 18+. Free help: 0808 8020 133 or safer gambling.
