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Can any of the upcoming slots dethrone Starburst in 2021
Starburst is the video slot created by NetEnt back in 2012. Despite its age, it is still one of the most popular slots currently, and probably the most played video slot game of all time! What makes this classic 5×3 slot so special that is still played by millions today, and can anyone find the secret behind its success, and create the slot which can dethrone Starburst in 2021? We will analyze the facts of what makes Starburst that popular, and take a look at some of the upcoming slot releases from the first quarter of 2021 and try to give an answer to that question. Also, if some of you, by any chance, still haven’t tried this amazing slot, Starburst free play is available. Try it now and see why it is so popular.
The Building Blocks behind Starburst Popularity
At first glance, we can see that Starburst’s graphics and design are impeccable. It is still modern, although it is more than eight years old! Although this is just makeup, it is very important for slot longevity.
With the fast evolution of technology and the fact that graphics are becoming more sophisticated, even slots that are only two or three years old can look outdated. After that, their player counts go to the abyss. With Starburst this didn’t happen, and we even believe that it won’t, because graphics are that sophisticated, and yet so simple, that we won’t see a huge dip in their popularity anytime soon.
The second reason behind Starburst slot popularity is its simplicity. Some of the slot game providers experiment with a huge number of reels and rows, many different features, and various cosmetic additions to keep the players entertained and happy. Starburst makes all the things simple, with its classic 5×3 design. Some players argue that Starburst is boring, but it is not a coincidence that the 5×3 design is the most popular slot design ever. It is not too plain and boring, and not too complicated as well, because slot game players want to win some cash, and not feel overwhelmed by design and gameplay.
Starburst has a huge betting range, from €0.01 to €100. That allows both casual players and high-rollers to play this slot. Although high-rollers don’t like this slot very much, because it is not volatile, casuals adore it. There are many more casual players than high-rollers, so they again targeted a broad audience.
We mentioned that Starburst has low volatility and therefore is not that popular with the players who want to win big. However, casuals love to see many small wins, because they have a feeling that they are generally winning, although they actually don’t – the wins you will get will often be smaller than the bet you made, but some of the players somehow don’t notice it. The sessions are usually long if you play for the smallest amounts, so you can have fun, even if you lose money.
For all these reasons, Starburst retained its popularity over the last eight years. Although it is not the best slot in terms of the chances of winning big, all the reasons we mentioned make it appealing for most players, which happen to be casuals.
We will now take a look at some of the upcoming slot releases and try to guess whether or not they have a chance for dethroning Starburst.
The Most Anticipated Slot Releases 2021
January is not over yet, and we already got some exciting slots this year. For example, we got an exciting video slot from Gamomat, an independent slot game provider, called Crystal Strike. It is a highly volatile slot, beautifully designed, with classic features such as respins and wilds.
Nolimit City released San Quentin xWays. This slot is based on the infamous US jail, which is a theme that wasn’t widely used, so it can be hit or miss, but we expect to be popular, especially among the younger audience.
iSoftBet, another award-winning games supplier, released Mighty Stallion Hold & Win, the Wild West theme-based video slot. It is another slot that uses their Hold & Win mechanic, but the theme is not inventive, nor the slot itself is offering something new – it is basically the type of slot we get from them all the time, only with a slightly altered theme.
Play’n GO released Miner Donkey Trouble, while Pragmatic released Mysterious Egypt. These slots feel like they were already seen before, and there is no chance that slots that use the same, boring theme, such as the Ancient Egypt flourish and dethrone Starburst.
Pragmatic Gaming has a more interesting release scheduled for February – Dragon Kingdom: Eyes of Fire. This slot should be way better and way more popular than Mysterious Egypt because it has a flawless design and many features attached. Dragons are still a popular topic, and they aren’t overused in video slots such as Ancient Egypt, so we can see this release gaining popularity right off the bat.
Another highly anticipated release should be the Playtech Age of the Gods series’s next release – Book of Oracle. This slot should be the first to come from Playtech in 2021, and they decided to go big right away. Age of the Gods series gained a significant amount of players which is getting bigger with every new slot release. We expect that this slot will be masterfully done in terms of the graphics and interface (since we still didn’t have an opportunity to see it), and the features should be similar to the ones from the previous slots. This is a volatile, progressive jackpot slot, so it will draw attention from the high-rollers.
What Features Should a Slot Have to Beat Starburst
Since we know what is behind Starburst’s popularity, and we saw what the first slot releases are in January 2021, the question arises – does any slot from this list have the features and traits required to dethrone Starburst? We can never know for sure, but the answer is probably – no.
To be as popular as Starburst, the audience must be predominantly casual players. There are some amazing, volatile slots you can make a fortune on, but there are not enough people who would risk big money to try it out. Long, interesting sessions, with lots of small wins, which give you the false impression that you are an overall winner, are the key to the slot popularity.
After that, the slot must have an impeccable design that will age well, so it can stay relevant with time, and must have simple, but yet unique and interesting features. You should overcomplicate, but the slot can’t have a dull theme or average graphics.
Summary
We eagerly expect more great slot releases in 2021. In January and February, we should get several amazing slots from the biggest slot games providers, but in terms of popularity, we don’t think that any slot will be able to dethrone Starburst anytime soon.
However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try out new slot additions, especially if you are a high-roller. There is a trend of more progressive jackpots, mega ways, and other great features incorporated in new slot releases, and in general, it seems that the average volatility is getting higher, which is excellent news for the ones chasing big wins.
Latest News
Loud Launches, Quiet Exits Why Partner Culture Outlasts Partner Acquisition
London is a city built on institutions that never needed to announce themselves. The law firms on Chancery Lane, the private clubs in St. James’s they endure not through attention, but through trust accumulated over decades. Quietly. Consistently. Without a rebrand every two years. Which makes London an interesting backdrop for the affiliate industry’s annual conversation with itself. Because iGaming, by contrast, has mastered the art of attention.Conference floors are fluent in volume: oversized visuals, stacked merchandise, account managers with pitch decks and a practiced sense of urgency. Every programme is premium. Every stand is exclusive. What it rarely produces is what the spreadsheet actually needs: long-term ROI, partner retention, relationships worth more in year three than month one.
The Market Learned to Perform Premium. It Forgot to Practice It.
When an entire market adopts the same vocabulary premium, VIP, exclusive, top-tier the signal stops carrying information. The gifting mechanics follow the same logic: items chosen for the photograph rather than the relationship. With this approach the partner is the audience, not the counterpart.
The structural problem is this: markets that compete on noise attract partners who respond to noise, and lose them the moment a louder offer comes along. Attention is not loyalty. Activation is not retention.
High-performing affiliate partnerships share a different architecture: predictability over promises, honest communication over promotional language, consistency whether a relationship is new or years old. Strong partners don’t leave for marginal CPA improvements when the relationship itself has value they’d be giving up. That dynamic reduces churn, extends LTV, and compounds over time in ways no single activation can replicate.
Manor as Model: The Economics of Restraint
PlayamoPartners’ presence at iGB London stand H-60, 1–2 July operates on this logic. The Manor concept takes the British manor as its central metaphor: not a venue, but a model of relationships. There is an etiquette, a code, standards that everyone inside understands. Membership implies alignment.
The aesthetic is restraint. The underlying logic is economic. Trust, in this industry, has a measurable ROI that most programmes never stop to calculate because they’re too busy announcing it.
The Code of Honor: Giving the Industry Its Memory Back
At the centre of the Manor experience is a physical book not a lookbook or catalogue, but a Code of Honor: partner feedback, written by partners themselves, accumulated across events and years. A physical record implies that what partners say is worth keeping in a form that persists that the relationship has a history worth preserving.
The iGaming industry has become extremely efficient at forgetting. Campaigns replace campaigns. Account managers cycle through. Programmes pivot quarterly. The Code of Honor is a deliberate counter to that tendency. It treats reputation not as a marketing asset but as something that grows through repeated honest interaction. An archive of trust, built over time.
Recognition Over Raffle
Partners who contribute to the Code of Honor become eligible for recognition items including a MacBook Neo 13, iPhone Air, and iPad Air. Come by on 02.07 at 14 o’clock and collect your prize.
The framing matters. These are not raffle prizes. Recognition is relational: you are who you are, and that is acknowledged. One is a CPA model applied to gifting. The other is how relationships between people who respect each other actually function.
The partners the Manor is designed for are not the ones who show up for a giveaway they’re the ones who show up to engage, to leave something of their own behind, to participate in the ongoing record of what this programme is.
Continuity of Standards
This approach isn’t new for PlayamoPartners. Past recognition has included Samsonite, Hugo Boss, TAG Heuer, Cartier, YSL. At iGB London, partners at H-60 will find Cartier wallets and MacBooks among the acknowledgements.
Premium gifting delivered consistently, to partners aligned with programme standards, across multiple years and conferences, reads differently from a one-time budget line. It signals a stable set of values with no particular need for an audience.
What Remains After the Conference Floor Clears
Rates, tools, tracking platforms are table stakes. Any serious programme can match them within a quarter. What cannot be quickly replicated is culture: honest communication, payments that arrive without chasing, account managers who know your business well enough to have an opinion about it.
Manor of PlayamoPartners arrives at iGB London not as an activation, but as a position. Behind it: a system, a reputation, a code of conduct that predates this event and will outlast it.
Stand H-60 | 1–2 July | iGB London
Contact the team:
- Edgar @Nertevics — CEO, PlayamoPartners
- Slava @AMOSLAVA — Affiliate Manager Team Lead
- Anna @anna20bet — Affiliate Manager
- Andrey @Andrey_playamo — Affiliate Manager
- Barbara @BarbaraPlayamoPartners — Affiliate Manager
The post Loud Launches, Quiet Exits Why Partner Culture Outlasts Partner Acquisition appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Asia
PhilWeb Showcases Technology-Driven Growth Vision at SiGMA Asia 2026
PhilWeb Corporation has reinforced its position as a technology-driven company at SiGMA Asia 2026, highlighting its continuing transformation through digital innovation, scalable platform solutions and strategic technology investments aligned with the rapidly evolving digital economy in Asia.
As one of the Philippines’ established technology and platform providers, PhilWeb participated in SiGMA Asia 2026 to showcase its long-term vision centered on digital infrastructure, operational scalability, customer engagement technologies and future-ready platform development. The company’s presence at the international event reflects its broader strategy of strengthening its role within the growing technology, digital entertainment and fintech ecosystem in the region.
With more than 25 years of operational experience, PhilWeb continues to evolve alongside changing market demands and technological advancements. Over the years, the company has steadily expanded its capabilities through investments in platform modernization, integrated digital systems, payment technologies and data-driven operational tools designed to support scalable and efficient business operations.
As industries across Asia continue to undergo digital transformation, PhilWeb sees increasing opportunities in technology-enabled ecosystems where connectivity, automation, customer experience and operational efficiency play increasingly important roles in long-term business growth.
At SiGMA Asia 2026, the company highlighted initiatives focused on strengthening its digital ecosystem through improved platform capabilities, enhanced payment integration infrastructure and technology solutions designed to support seamless experiences across both physical and digital customer environments.
PhilWeb also emphasised the growing importance of integrated platforms and scalable digital operations as consumer behaviour continues to shift toward more connected and technology-driven experiences. The company continues to adapt to these evolving trends by exploring innovations that improve accessibility, operational flexibility and customer engagement.
Participation at SiGMA Asia 2026 also provided PhilWeb with opportunities to engage with international technology firms, fintech companies, digital infrastructure providers, payment solutions companies and regional business partners as it continues to strengthen its long-term growth strategy.
Beyond technology expansion, PhilWeb continues to prioritise governance, compliance-driven systems, operational transparency and sustainable business.
The post PhilWeb Showcases Technology-Driven Growth Vision at SiGMA Asia 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Balkans
Strong Customer Response Marks Successful Belgrade Future Gaming 2026 for NOVOMATIC
NOVOMATIC concluded a highly successful participation at Belgrade Future Gaming 2026, further reinforcing its strong presence in the Southeast European market. Throughout the exhibition, the company welcomed a steady stream of visitors to its stand, providing an excellent platform for strengthening existing partnerships, establishing new business contacts and discussing future opportunities with customers from across the region.
The comprehensive product showcase featured a broad selection of NOVOMATIC’s latest gaming innovations. Among the highlights were Impera PROLINK 2 and the internationally successful XTENSION LINK series, including Volumes 2, 3, 4 and 5 as well as XTENSION LINK Ultimate, all of which attracted strong interest from visitors thanks to their proven performance and engaging feature mechanics. Visitors also explored VISION LINK, NOVOMATIC’s latest multi-feature linked progressive concept, alongside the versatile GAMINATOR X5, renowned for its flexible game mix and customization options.
A particular highlight for the regional market was the Impera Line HD Edition 10 – Balkan Special, which generated significant interest thanks to its carefully selected game mix tailored specifically to local player preferences.
Taking center stage was the award-winning DIAMOND X QUATTRO 1.55J, whose striking design and immersive player experience made it a standout attraction on the show floor. The portfolio was further complemented by a premium V.I.P. X setup, including the V.I.P. X Royal 1.85 and, for the first time at a Balkan trade show, the V.I.P. X Galaxy 2.65, both showcasing NOVOMATIC’s commitment to delivering high-end gaming experiences for modern casino environments.
As in previous years, NOVOMATIC’s successful cooperation with long-standing partner FAZI contributed to a strong exhibition presence, while the popular ADMIRAL Bet Pub catering concept once again provided a welcoming atmosphere that encouraged networking and business discussions in a relaxed setting.
“The positive response we received throughout the show was truly outstanding. Belgrade Future Gaming remains one of the most important industry events in Southeast Europe and provides an excellent opportunity to engage directly with our customers and partners. We were delighted by the strong interest in our product portfolio, particularly the Impera Line
HD Edition 10 – Balkan Special and the first presentation of the V.I.P. X Galaxy 2.65 in the region. The many valuable conversations and promising business opportunities generated during the event once again demonstrated the strength of the Balkan market and the value of close collaboration with our customers. I would like to sincerely thank all visitors, customers, partners, and our dedicated team for contributing to another successful edition of Belgrade Future Gaming,” said Miloš Pejić, Regional Manager SEE at NOVOMATIC.
With a comprehensive portfolio of internationally proven products, regionally tailored solutions and premium gaming innovations, NOVOMATIC once again demonstrated its ability to meet the diverse requirements of the Balkan market. The successful outcome of Belgrade Future Gaming 2026 further highlighted the company’s strong momentum across Southeast Europe and created a solid basis for future growth and collaboration with customers and partners throughout the region.
The post Strong Customer Response Marks Successful Belgrade Future Gaming 2026 for NOVOMATIC appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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