NetEnt Studio Profile
NetEnt: The Studio Behind Starburst
The company behind Starburst, and what else it has built.
- Theoretical RTP
- 96.08%
- Reel count
- 5×3
- Volatility level
- low
Starburst was built by NetEnt, a Swedish studio founded in 1996 and now operating as part of Evolution following the 2020 acquisition. NetEnt's catalogue runs to more than 250 titles, with Starburst as its most recognisable flagship.
- Studio HQ: Stockholm, Sweden
- Parent group since 2020: Evolution AB
- Catalogue size: 250+ released titles
NetEnt's Path from Cherry AB to Evolution
NetEnt began life as Net Entertainment, spun out of the Cherry AB group in Stockholm under founder Pontus Lindwall. Its early focus was building casino platform infrastructure, including the CasinoModule back-office system, before the studio shifted decisively toward video slot content as its main product line.
By the time it was a standalone listed company on Nasdaq Stockholm, NetEnt had grown into a mid-sized but globally significant supplier, reporting SEK 1,793 million in sales and around 1,100 employees across offices in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malta, Sofia, Gibraltar, Kiev, Krakow and New Jersey. That footprint reflected a business built to serve regulated markets across Europe and beyond, not just a single home territory.
The 2020 acquisition by Evolution AB folded NetEnt into a larger live-casino and iGaming group, alongside sister studios Red Tiger and Big Time Gaming. Corporate leadership moved under Evolution's Martin Carlesund rather than a standalone NetEnt chief executive, but the NetEnt brand and its classic slot catalogue, Starburst included, continued operating largely unchanged for players.
What this history means for someone checking a slot before playing is straightforward: NetEnt is not a fringe or short-lived label. It has three decades of continuous output behind it, survived a public listing and an acquisition without disappearing, and remains active inside a much larger regulated group today.
Terms Worth Knowing About the Studio
A company that provides game software to casino operators rather than running its own casino brand; NetEnt licenses content to over 200 operator partners.
NetEnt's early back-office and platform product, predating its focus on video slot content.
An operating licence issued by the Malta Gaming Authority, one of several regulatory approvals under which NetEnt content, including Starburst, is distributed.
Third-party certification bodies such as eCOGRA, iTech Labs and GLI that verify game fairness and RTP compliance.
A game type, exemplified by NetEnt's Mega Fortune, where prize pools accumulate across multiple linked casinos rather than a single game instance.
Where Starburst Sits in NetEnt's Broader Catalogue
NetEnt's portfolio spans classic and video slots, RNG table games, video poker and live casino, but slots remain the studio's core output. Alongside Starburst, titles such as Gonzo's Quest, Twin Spin, Dead or Alive, Divine Fortune and Space Wars are consistently cited as signature releases. NetEnt is credited with popularising mechanics that later became industry standards, including win-both-ways paylines and expanding wilds, both of which appear in Starburst itself, and the Avalanche cascading feature seen in Gonzo's Quest. Compared to those other flagship titles, Starburst stands out for staying deliberately simple: no free spins round, no bonus buy, a fixed low-volatility profile built around one core mechanic rather than several. That restraint is part of why it has remained a stable reference point in the catalogue rather than being replaced by newer, more feature-heavy releases from the same studio.
Studio and Game Milestones
- 1996 · Net Entertainment founded in Stockholm, spun out of the Cherry AB group.
- 2012 · Starburst released, built around expanding wilds and win-both-ways paylines.
- 2019 · NetEnt reports SEK 1,793 million in annual sales as a listed company on Nasdaq Stockholm.
- 2020 · NetEnt AB acquired by Evolution AB, joining sister studios Red Tiger and Big Time Gaming.
Questions About NetEnt and Starburst's Place in Its Lineup
Is NetEnt still an independent company running Starburst?
No. NetEnt AB was acquired by Evolution AB in 2020, and the studio now operates under Evolution's corporate structure while continuing to release and support its classic catalogue, including Starburst.
Did Starburst's mechanics influence other NetEnt titles?
NetEnt is credited with popularising the win-both-ways payline structure and expanding wild mechanics that appear in Starburst, and variations of these ideas surface across other NetEnt slots, though each title has its own specific math model.
Why does Starburst lack the free spins or bonus buy features found in newer NetEnt slots?
Starburst was released in 2012 as a deliberately streamlined design built around a single expanding wild mechanic. NetEnt has not added a free spins round or bonus buy option to it, keeping the game's structure unchanged since launch.
Does NetEnt's licensing cover Starburst specifically in Canada?
Starburst is distributed by NetEnt under licences including the Malta Gaming Authority and UK Gambling Commission; in Canada it reaches players through operators regulated provincially (for example AGCO/iGaming Ontario, Loto-Québec, BCLC) or under offshore licences, depending on the operator.
Is Mega Fortune's record jackpot connected to Starburst in any way?
No. Mega Fortune is a separate NetEnt pooled jackpot title that produced a Guinness World Records-recognised €17 million win; Starburst uses a fixed-line, non-jackpot math model with no connection to that pooled prize structure.
Does NetEnt still develop new content for the Starburst line, or is it a closed catalogue title?
NetEnt has released a sequel, Starburst XXXtreme, with a different math model and features, while the original Starburst remains available unchanged as a separate, older title in the catalogue.
How many operators actually offer NetEnt games like Starburst?
NetEnt describes serving more than 200 active B2B operator partners, and Starburst, as a flagship title, tends to appear wherever NetEnt content is integrated into an operator's platform.
Has NetEnt faced any major regulatory issues that affect trust in its games?
The sources reviewed describe no specific large-scale controversy or regulatory sanction against NetEnt; its licensing under bodies such as the Malta Gaming Authority and UK Gambling Commission, along with independent lab certification, supports its standing as a compliant supplier.
Studio Standing, Summed Up
NetEnt is an established, long-running supplier with nearly three decades of continuous slot output, a public listing history, and integration into Evolution's larger regulated group since 2020. Starburst functions as its most enduring flagship, a simple, low-volatility title that has outlasted many newer releases from the same studio without changing its core mechanics.
Made for Players who want assurance that a slot comes from a studio with a long, regulated track record rather than an obscure or short-lived developer.
Not made for Players looking for NetEnt's newest, feature-heavy releases rather than background on a 2012-era flagship title.
Check Starburst at a Regulated Operator
Play at partner casinoStarburst is distributed through licensed operators serving Canadian players, subject to provincial or offshore regulation depending on the site. Play remains 19+ (18+ in AB, MB, QC), and stake limits and specific RTP builds can vary by operator.