What Are Bonus Buy Slots?
Skip the base game entirely. Bonus buy lets you purchase direct entry into the bonus round, but the cost, mechanics, and legality aren’t always what they seem.
TYPICAL COST
75x - 100x+
UK STATUS
Banned
ALSO CALLED
Feature Buy
Available Slots
Almost 90%
Definition: What Actually is a Bonus Buy Slot?
A bonus buy slot also called a feature buy, bonus purchase, or instant bonus, is an online slot that lets you pay a fixed multiplier of your bet to trigger the bonus round immediately, without playing through the base game.
Instead of waiting for three scatters to land organically, you click a button, pay the cost (typically 75–100×+ your stake), and you’re straight into the free spins or bonus feature. The same bonus round you would have triggered naturally just accessed on demand.
The core trade-off: You pay a large lump sum upfront for guaranteed bonus access. Whether that’s worthwhile depends on the slot’s volatility, your bankroll, and critically, whether the RTP changes when you buy in.
How does bonus buy work?
- Set Your Stake: Choose your bet per spin first. The bonus buy cost is calculated as a multiplier of this stake, so a higher base bet means a higher purchase price.
- Click “Buy Bonus” or “Feature Buy” Icon: Look for the button in the slot’s UI, usually labeled Buy Bonus, Feature Buy, or Bonus Buy. Some games show the exact cost before you confirm.
- Choose Your Bonus Tier: Some slots offer multiple buy options, a standard bonus at 75×, or a “guaranteed big win” version at 200×. The pricier option typically locks in a minimum scatter count.
- Bonus Triggers Immediately: You skip the base game and land directly in free spins or the special feature. From here it plays out exactly as if you’d triggered it organically, same mechanics, same max win potential.
- Collect Your Winnings: Wins are credited to your balance at the end of the feature. Some slots also offer an xBet option, a cheaper ante bet (~10–25% stake increase) that boosts organic bonus frequency instead of buying directly.
The RTP difference nobody explains properly
This is the detail most guides skip. When you buy a bonus, you are often playing at a different RTP than the base game, and it’s not always higher.
Developer Perspective
Slots have separate RTP calculations for base game play and bonus buy. The bonus buy RTP must be at least as high as the base game RTP to be certified in most markets, but it’s often only marginally higher, and in some games, it’s configured lower. Always check the paytable or in-game information screen for the bonus buy RTP specifically.
BASE GAME RTP
96.06%
Playing normally through base game
BONUS GAME RTP
96.10%
When purchasing the bonus directly
Example figures, always confirm your specific slot’s RTP in the game’s paytable before buying.
There’s a second nuance: even with a slightly higher theoretical RTP, bonus buy concentrates your variance massively. You’re betting a large chunk of your bankroll on a single feature outcome. High-volatility slots can return 0–3000× on any given bonus, the RTP is a long-run average across millions of spins, not a per-session guarantee.
Pros and cons of bonus buy
✅PROS
✅ Skip hours of base game dead spin
✅ Test a slot’s bonus potential quickly
✅ Useful for content creators and reviewers
✅ Some games offer better entry states at higher buy tiers
✅ Efficient for high-bankroll sessions targeting big hits
❌CONS
❌ Costs 75–100× your stake per attempt
❌ Banned in the UK, Netherlands, and other markets
❌ High variance — can bust a bankroll fast
❌ RTP advantage over base game is minimal
❌ Not available at all casinos, even where legal
Where is bonus buy banned?
Several regulated markets have restricted or outright banned bonus buy features, citing concerns about accelerated gambling and problem gambling risk. If you’re in a restricted market, the button simply won’t appear in the game UI, the casino’s geo-restriction handles it.
🇬🇧
United Kingdom
Banned Since 2019
🇳🇱
Netherlands
Banned
🇩🇪
Germany
Banned
🇸🇪
Sweden
Restricted
🇨🇦
Canada
Available
🇳🇿
New Zealand
Available
🇫🇮
Finland
Available
🇦🇺
Australia
Restricted
Even in permitted markets, not every casino enables feature buy some operators choose to disable it. Always confirm availability in the casino lobby before depositing.
Best bonus buy slots right now
These slots are known for strong bonus buy features a combination of the bonus being genuinely worth buying, max win potential justifying the cost, and a bonus round that actually delivers variance rather than flat returns.
Best casinos for bonus buy slots
Not every casino enables feature buy even where it’s legal. These casinos have confirmed bonus buy availability and offer strong welcome packages to get started.
Up to $5,000
Up to $1,000
Up to $1,000
Up to $1,400
Up to $2,000
Up to $1,500
+ 300 Free Spins
Up to $1,550
FAQs
What is bonus Buys in Slots?
Bonus buy (also called feature buy) is a slot feature that lets you pay a lump sum — typically 75–100× your bet — to trigger the bonus round instantly, skipping the base game entirely. You get the same bonus feature you’d land organically, just on demand.
Is Bonus Buy Worth It?
Mathematically, bonus buy is almost never a positive expectation play — you pay a premium for convenience, not edge. Its real value is in saving time (useful for content creators or players testing a slot), or in concentrated high-variance play when you specifically want to chase a big bonus outcome without grinding base game.
How much does Bonus Buy Costs?
The standard cost is 75–100× your bet per spin. Some slots offer a cheaper ante bet (10–25% stake increase) that only boosts bonus frequency, not instant access. Premium entry tiers — guaranteeing a minimum scatter count — can cost 150–200× your stake.
Is Bonus Buy Banned in UK?
Yes. The UK Gambling Commission banned bonus buy features in October 2019. If you’re accessing a licensed UK casino, the feature buy button will be hidden or disabled regardless of the slot. It also remains banned or restricted in Germany, the Netherlands, and several other regulated markets.
Does Bonus Buy Change the RTP?
Often yes, slots maintain separate RTP calculations for base game and bonus buy mode. In most certified games the bonus buy RTP is equal to or slightly higher than the base game RTP. However, this varies by title and some games have a marginally lower bonus buy RTP. Always check the in-game paytable for the specific RTP that applies when purchasing.
What is the difference betewwn Bonus Buy and Ante Bet?
Bonus buy gives you instant guaranteed access to the bonus round at a cost of 75–100× your stake. Ante bet (or xBet) is a smaller stake increase usually 10–25% that increases the probability of landing the bonus organically during normal play. It doesn’t buy the bonus directly; it just makes it land more frequently. Ante bet is often still available in markets where outright bonus buy is banned.
Which Slot Provider offer the best Bonus Buy?
Nolimit City, Hacksaw Gaming, Relax Gaming, Push Gaming, and Pragmatic Play all offer strong bonus buy implementations with genuinely high-volatility features worth purchasing. Nolimit City in particular is known for xSplit and xWays mechanics that make the bonus round highly variable and potentially huge.
About Author:
My name is Manish, and I’ve spent the last 6+ years working at the heart of the iGaming industry, not only as a reviewer, but as a developer building slot clients for some of the industry’s top providers. Read More→