You’re spinning an online slot, watching your balance slowly decline, when that tempting button catches your eye: “Buy Bonus – 100x.” With a single click, you can skip the tedious base game and jump straight to the exciting free spins feature. No more waiting, no more grinding through dead spins. Just instant gratification and the chance at a massive multiplier.
But should you click it?
The bonus buy feature has become one of the most controversial innovations in modern slot design. Some players swear by it as the most efficient way to play. Others see it as a dangerous trap that accelerates losses. Let’s explore the mathematics, psychology, and practical considerations of bonus buying to help you decide whether it’s right for your playing style.
What Exactly Is a Bonus Buy?
For those new to the concept, a bonus buy feature (also called “feature buy” or “bonus purchase”) allows you to pay a premium to immediately trigger a slot’s bonus round instead of waiting for it to occur naturally through gameplay.
The cost is typically expressed as a multiplier of your base bet. Common prices range from 50x to 300x your bet, with 100x being very common. So if you’re betting $1 per spin in the base game, buying the bonus might cost you $100.
When you purchase the bonus, you’re immediately taken to the free spins, pick-and-win game, or whatever special feature that slot offers. You skip all the regular spins that would normally occur before the bonus triggered naturally.
Bonus buys were pioneered by Big Time Gaming and have since been adopted by many providers including Pragmatic Play, Nolimit City, Hacksaw Gaming, and others. They’re particularly common in high-volatility slots aimed at experienced players.
The Mathematics: Are Bonus Buys Worth It?
Here’s the crucial question: does buying a bonus give you better value than spinning normally?
In theory, the answer is no—or at least, not significantly. Reputable slot providers price their bonus buys to maintain the same overall RTP (Return to Player) as the base game. If a slot has a 96% RTP whether you buy bonuses or spin normally, the expected value is identical.
Think of it this way: if you spend $10,000 buying bonuses at $100 each (100 bonus purchases), you should get back approximately $9,600 on average, reflecting the 96% RTP. If you instead spent $10,000 spinning the base game at $1 per spin (10,000 spins), you should also get back about $9,600 on average.
The house edge is the same either way. You’re not getting better odds by buying bonuses—you’re just compressing the same expected value into fewer, larger bets.
However, there’s a wrinkle: some slots actually have a slightly higher RTP when you buy bonuses compared to the base game. For example, a slot might have 96% RTP in normal play but 96.5% RTP when buying bonuses. These differences are usually small but can add up over time.
You can typically find this RTP information in the slot’s paytable or information section. If the bonus buy RTP is higher, it’s marginally better value in the long run—though the difference is often too small to overcome variance in shorter sessions.
The Variance Factor
While the expected value might be the same, the variance is dramatically different between buying bonuses and playing normally.
When you buy a bonus for 100x your bet, you’re making a single large wager with high variance. You might win 500x and make a huge profit. Or you might win 20x and lose 80% of your bonus buy cost. The swings are enormous.
Playing the base game with smaller bets creates much smoother variance. You’ll have many small wins and losses, gradually trending toward the RTP over thousands of spins. The peaks and valleys are less extreme.
For players with limited bankrolls, this variance is crucial. If you have $500 and buy five bonuses at $100 each, you could easily lose all five and be broke. If you instead played at $1 per spin, that same $500 gives you 500 opportunities to hit the bonus naturally, smooth out variance, and potentially extend your playing time.
High-variance play is exhilarating when it works but devastating when it doesn’t. You need to honestly assess your bankroll and risk tolerance.
When Bonus Buying Makes Sense
Despite the risks, there are situations where bonus buying can be a rational choice:
Time Efficiency: If you have limited time to play, bonus buying lets you experience the best part of a slot without grinding through the base game. Hitting a bonus naturally might take 100-200 spins. Buying it takes one click.
Testing New Games: When trying a new slot, buying one or two bonuses lets you quickly see what the feature is like without committing to a long session. This can help you decide if you want to play that slot regularly.
Bonus Hunting: Some slots have bonuses that are statistically due to hit soon. While slots don’t have memory and each spin is independent, some features operate on networks or pools that make certain bonuses more likely. Experienced players sometimes buy bonuses strategically based on these mechanics.
Pure Entertainment Value: If you find the base game boring and only enjoy the bonus features, paying to skip the parts you don’t like can be worth it for pure entertainment purposes—as long as you accept the cost.
Higher RTP Features: If a slot offers meaningfully higher RTP when buying bonuses (some do), and you’re playing long sessions, the mathematical advantage might justify bonus buying despite the variance.
Bankroll Building: Ironically, some players use bonus buying to try to quickly build their bankroll. If you’re starting with $100 and want to reach $500 to withdraw, a few successful bonus buys might get you there faster than slow base game play. Of course, you’re just as likely to lose it all faster too.
When You Should Avoid Bonus Buying
Limited Bankroll: If you can’t afford to lose the bonus buy cost multiple times in a row, don’t do it. As a rule of thumb, you should have at least 20-30 times the bonus buy cost in your bankroll to survive the inevitable cold streaks.
Chasing Losses: Never buy bonuses to try to recover losses quickly. This is one of the fastest ways to completely drain your bankroll. The temptation to “just buy one more bonus” when you’re down is strong, but it’s usually the wrong move.
Lack of Self-Control: If you find yourself repeatedly buying bonuses beyond your budget, you should avoid this feature entirely. The instant gratification of bonus buying can be addictive, and it eliminates the natural pacing that spinning provides.
Regulated Markets That Ban Them: Some jurisdictions like the UK have banned or restricted bonus buy features due to concerns about problem gambling. If your region prohibits them, obviously don’t circumvent these protections by playing at unregulated casinos.
When Tilted or Emotional: Emotional decision-making and high-variance gambling are a terrible combination. If you’re frustrated, angry, or desperate, step away from bonus buying.
Slots with Poor Bonus Buy Value: Not all bonus buys are created equal. Some slots have bonus features that rarely pay well, making the buy particularly poor value. Do your research—take a look at Casino Whizz that includes information about which slots have good vs. poor bonus buy value in their reviews.
The Psychology of Bonus Buying
Bonus buying exploits several psychological principles that make it potentially problematic:
Instant Gratification: The ability to skip ahead to the reward eliminates the delayed gratification that serves as a natural brake on gambling behavior. You can chase that dopamine hit continuously without the pacing of normal gameplay.
Loss of Perspective: When you buy a bonus for $100 and win $80 back, it feels like you “almost broke even.” But you just lost $20 in a single transaction. The perception of near-success can obscure the reality of continuous losses.
Sunk Cost Fallacy: After buying several bonuses that didn’t pay well, you might feel compelled to buy more to “make up for” the poor bonuses. This is irrational—each bonus is an independent event.
Removal of Natural Stopping Points: In normal play, you might hit a bonus, enjoy it, and decide to cash out. With bonus buying, there’s no natural rhythm. You can continuously buy bonuses until your money is gone.
Escalation: Players often start buying bonuses at modest bet sizes, but as their bankroll grows or shrinks, they might escalate to larger bonus buys. This escalation can happen gradually without the player fully recognizing how much their stakes have increased.
The Regulatory Perspective
Gambling regulators have taken notice of bonus buy features, with mixed responses:
The UK Ban: The UK Gambling Commission banned bonus buy features in October 2021, citing concerns that they increase the risk of gambling harm. The ban applies to UK-licensed casinos serving UK players.
Other Jurisdictions: Some other countries have followed suit or are considering similar restrictions. The concern is that bonus buys accelerate play, increase stake sizes, and remove natural breaks that help players maintain control.
Industry Debate: The gambling industry has pushed back, arguing that bonus buys simply give players choice and that the RTP remains the same. However, regulators counter that the feature’s design encourages more intense, riskier gambling behavior.
This regulatory attention suggests that even gambling authorities recognize the unique psychological impact of bonus buying compared to traditional slot play.
The Streamer Effect
Online casino streaming has made bonus buying immensely popular. Streamers regularly buy bonuses on camera, creating exciting content as they chase massive multipliers.
However, there are crucial differences between streamers and regular players:
Bankroll: Many streamers play with sponsored money or have massive bankrolls specifically for content creation. They can afford the variance.
Entertainment Value: Streamers get paid through subscriptions, donations, and sponsorships. A $500 bonus buy that results in a $100 win might still be profitable content for them. For you, it’s just a $400 loss.
Selection Bias: Streamers often show their biggest wins in highlight reels. You don’t see the hours of dead bonuses they didn’t include in videos.
Psychology: Watching successful bonus buys creates the illusion that they hit more often than they do. This can lead players to overestimate their own chances.
Don’t try to replicate streamer gameplay with a recreational player’s bankroll. It’s a recipe for disaster.
Practical Guidelines for Bonus Buying
If you decide to buy bonuses, follow these guidelines to minimize risk:
The 1% Rule: Never buy a bonus that costs more than 1% of your total bankroll. If you have $1,000, cap bonus buys at $10.
Set a Limit: Decide before you start how many bonuses you’ll buy in a session, and stick to it. Three to five is reasonable. Twenty is reckless.
Track Results: Keep a record of what you spend on bonus buys and what they return. This reality check helps prevent the illusion that you’re “due” for a big hit.
Mix with Normal Play: Don’t buy bonuses exclusively. Play the base game too, which creates better pacing and reduces the intensity of your gambling session.
Cash Out Wins: If you buy a bonus and hit a nice multiplier that puts you in profit, cash out immediately. Don’t give it back by buying more bonuses.
Avoid Tilt Buying: If you buy a bonus that pays poorly, resist the urge to immediately buy another. Take a break, play some base game, or log off.
The Math of Multiple Bonus Buys
Let’s look at what actually happens when you buy multiple bonuses. Assume a slot with 96% RTP and 100x bonus buy cost:
- Buy 10 bonuses at $1 each ($1,000 total): Expected return is $960
- Most likely outcome: Some bonuses pay well (150x-300x), some pay poorly (10x-50x), and you end up down $40-100
- Best case (top 10%): Multiple bonuses hit big multipliers, you end up significantly ahead
- Worst case (bottom 10%): Most bonuses are dead or low-paying, you lose $300-500+
The variance is enormous. Even with a 96% RTP, you can easily be down 30-40% after ten bonus buys due to bad luck. You can also be up 50%+ with good luck.
This rollercoaster is what makes bonus buying exciting for some and terrifying for others. You need to be comfortable with this variance.
Alternatives to Bonus Buying
If you want the excitement of bonus features without the risks of buying them, consider:
High Hit-Frequency Bonuses: Some slots trigger their bonus features much more frequently than others. You can get bonus action without buying by choosing games that naturally hit bonuses often.
Lower Volatility Slots: Less volatile slots might have less spectacular bonuses, but they hit more frequently and drain your bankroll more slowly.
Free Spins Bonuses: Many casinos offer free spins bonuses that let you experience bonus features without spending your own money.
Demo Play: Most slots can be played in demo mode for free. You can experience bonus features without any financial risk.
Turbo Spin: If time is your concern, use turbo or quick spin features to speed through the base game rather than buying bonuses.
The Verdict
So should you buy bonuses? There’s no universal answer—it depends entirely on your circumstances:
Buy bonuses if:
- You have a substantial bankroll relative to the bonus cost
- You can handle extreme variance emotionally and financially
- You understand the mathematics and aren’t expecting better odds
- You find the base game tedious and value time efficiency
- You have strong self-control and can stop after a set number
Avoid buying bonuses if:
- Your bankroll is limited
- You’re prone to chasing losses
- You have difficulty stopping once you start
- You’re currently in a hole and trying to recover quickly
- You’re in a jurisdiction where they’re prohibited
For most recreational players, bonus buying should be an occasional treat rather than a primary playing style. The variance is simply too high to sustain with a typical bankroll, and the psychological aspects can lead to faster and more significant losses than traditional play.
If you do buy bonuses, treat each purchase as a discrete entertainment expense. Don’t view bonus buying as a strategy to win money—view it as paying for the excitement of immediate bonus access, and anything you win back is a bonus (pun intended).
The Future of Bonus Buying
As more jurisdictions examine these features, we may see:
- Additional regulatory restrictions
- Warning messages before purchasing
- Mandatory cool-down periods between purchases
- Limits on the maximum bonus buy cost
- Required RTP disclosure for bonus buy vs. normal play
The feature is controversial enough that its long-term availability isn’t guaranteed. If you enjoy bonus buying, make peace with the possibility that it might become increasingly restricted.
Final Thoughts
To buy or not to buy? Shakespeare’s Hamlet agonized over a life-or-death question. Your decision about buying slot bonuses probably isn’t quite that dramatic (unless your bankroll management is truly terrible), but it does require honest self-assessment.
Bonus buying isn’t inherently good or bad—it’s a tool that can provide entertainment efficiency for disciplined players with adequate bankrolls, or it can accelerate problem gambling for vulnerable players with limited resources.
Know yourself. Know your limits. Understand the mathematics. And if you decide to buy bonuses, do so as a conscious choice with full awareness of the risks, not as an impulsive attempt to force a slot to pay you what you think it “owes” you.
The slot owes you nothing. The RTP is what it is. And whether you buy bonuses or spin the base game, the house edge remains. Make sure the entertainment value justifies the cost, because in the long run, the math always wins.
Choose wisely, gamble responsibly, and may your bonus buys be blessed with maximum multipliers.
