Expanding wild
In Starburst a wild on reels 2, 3 or 4 expands over the reel and grants a respin with the wild held in place.
Symbols · Expanding
Slots with expanding symbols
An expanding symbol grows to cover its whole reel when it lands. On some slots it is a wild, as in Starburst; on others it is an ordinary symbol picked before free spins, as in Book of Dead.
By
Aaron Mitchell
Updated 6 Oct 2026
Short answer
What is an expanding symbol?
A symbol that fills its reel, so it counts on every row. An expanding wild completes more lines at once; an expanding paying symbol in a 'Book of' slot pays on all lines, even across reels that are not next to each other.
Slots
Expanding-symbol slots we list
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Free demo
Starburst
NetEnt
96.00%
Medium
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Book of Dead
Play'n GO
96.21%
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Free demo
Book Of Fallen
Pragmatic Play
95.50%
High
How it works
Two common forms
Expanding bonus symbol
In Book of Dead one symbol is chosen at the start of free spins and expands whenever enough of it lands.
What it means: The expanding paying symbol is what gives 'Book of' slots their high volatility.
NetEnt, Starburst game rules; Play'n GO, Book of Dead game rules.
Slot sites Live ranking
Slot sites for Kenyan players
Live ranking for Kenyan players. The ticks show whether a casino lists M-Pesa and Airtel Money today. None of the casinos we rank lists a Kenyan GRA licence, so check the operator's licence and terms before you deposit.
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1
BC.GAME KSh 3,000,000 + 1 free spin
- M-Pesa
- –
- Airtel Money
- –
- Cards
- ✓
18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
2
1xBet KSh 190,000 + 150 free spins
- M-Pesa
- ✓
- Airtel Money
- ✓
- Cards
- –
1xBet review 18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
3
GoldPari KSh 70,000 + 150 free spins
- M-Pesa
- –
- Airtel Money
- –
- Cards
- ✓
18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
4
22BET KSh 40,000
- M-Pesa
- ✓
- Airtel Money
- ✓
- Cards
- –
22BET review 18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
5
Captainsbet 30 free spins
- M-Pesa
- ✓
- Airtel Money
- ✓
- Cards
- ✓
Captainsbet review 18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
6
AvaBet KSh 190,000 + 300 free spins
- M-Pesa
- ✓
- Airtel Money
- –
- Cards
- ✓
AvaBet review 18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
7
888STARZ KSh 213,000 + 150 free spins
- M-Pesa
- ✓
- Airtel Money
- ✓
- Cards
- –
888STARZ review 18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
8
Ivibet KSh 13,000 + 120 free spins
- M-Pesa
- –
- Airtel Money
- –
- Cards
- –
Ivibet review 18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
9
Betwinner KSh 200,000 + 150 free spins
- M-Pesa
- ✓
- Airtel Money
- ✓
- Cards
- –
Betwinner review 18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
10
Betum KSh 25,000
- M-Pesa
- ✓
- Airtel Money
- –
- Cards
- ✓
Betum review 18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly
Payment ticks come from each casino's live payment list; a dash means it is not listed, not that it is missing.
FAQ
Is an expanding symbol the same as a stacked symbol?
No. A stacked symbol lands already filling several rows; an expanding symbol lands on one position and then grows.
Do expanding wilds lead to free spins?
Not always. Starburst has no free spins round; its expanding wilds trigger respins instead.
18+
Responsible gambling
Play only with money you can afford to lose
Slots are for adults aged 18 and over. Decide your budget in shillings before you open a game, keep sessions short and never top up to win back a loss. Every cost on this page is an average over many spins: a single session can end well above or well below it.