Bonus buy slots explained

How a bonus buy works

In a standard slot, the bonus round, often free spins, appears only when special symbols land. A bonus buy button replaces that wait with a payment. You choose the option, confirm the price and the game starts the feature straight away.

The price is a multiple of your current bet. A common range is somewhere between 50 and 150 times the bet, though it differs by game, and some games offer several versions of the feature at different prices. The cost is shown on the button, and it is taken from your balance at once.

Here is an example. With a 0.50 EUR bet and a feature priced at 100 times the bet, the purchase costs 0.50 × 100 = 50 EUR. That is the stake for one round, and the round can return less than 50 EUR as easily as more.

Cost and variance

Buying the bonus replaces many small base-game spins with one large payment. If you play the base game, some spins return something and the balance moves gradually. With a bonus buy, the whole stake is exposed to a single feature, so the balance can swing sharply in either direction.

Imagine a 200 EUR budget and a 50 EUR feature price. You can afford 4 purchases in total. With a 1 EUR spin in the base game, the same budget would cover 200 spins. The two ways of playing can produce very different experiences even when the long-run return is the same.

That is why bonus buys suit a larger budget and a real tolerance for loss. They do not give a better chance of a profit. For more on how the spread of results works, see slot volatility.

Because each purchase is large, losses can build up quickly. Set a firm limit before you play and do not buy again to recover a loss.

The RTP of the buy can differ

The RTP of buying the feature is not always the same as the RTP of playing the base game. In some games it is slightly higher, in some it is lower, and in others it is identical. The figure should appear in the game's help or rules screen, sometimes as a separate line for the purchase.

Do not assume that buying is the better value because it gets you to the bonus faster. Read both figures when they are listed. If the game states only one RTP, check whether it covers purchases as well.

Where it is limited or banned

Some regulators ban bonus buy features, and others restrict how they can be offered. Because rules change, we do not list them here. What matters for you is that the same game can appear with the buy button in one country and without it in another.

Casinos can also disable the feature on specific titles, and many bonus terms prohibit it while a bonus is active. A bonus that was placed on your balance may be forfeited if you use the buy function against the rules. See our bonus terms checklist for the clauses worth checking.

If your game does not show a buy button, do not look for ways around it. The restriction is part of the rules where you are playing.

Finding and judging games with the feature

You can see which games carry the mechanic on our bonus buy slots list. When you compare titles, check these points:

• The price of the feature as a multiple of the bet, and whether more than one tier exists.
• The RTP listed for the purchase, if it is given separately.
• The stated volatility of the game.
• The maximum win and how the feature's results are capped, if the rules mention it.

A note on safer play

A feature that skips the waiting can make play feel faster, and fast play can make it harder to keep track of spending. Pay attention to the total, not to the size of each purchase, and use session reminders or deposit limits where they are offered.

Our responsible gambling page lists tools and sources of support if you feel your play is getting out of hand.