The Bonus Buy option lets you jump right into a slot game’s most exciting part. Instead of waiting for the bonus round to trigger, you pay a fee to start it right away. Big Time Gaming started this trend in 2017 with White Rabbit, and now it’s a common thing in many online slots. Though the UK stopped it in 2021, it’s still allowed in places like Malta, Curacao, and Canada.
How it works and what it costs
You press a button, pay a set amount, and the bonus round begins:
- Cost: Usually 50 to 150 times your initial bet (if you bet $1, you might pay $50 to $150).
- Variable prices: Some games change the price depending on how risky the game is (80x for less risky, 200x for high-risk).
- Activation: Just click the button, and the money is taken from your balance.
The bonus round you buy works just like one that triggers naturally, with the same number of spins and potential payouts. These days, most games use pop-ups for things to run smoothly.
Return to Player and volatility
The overall return to player (RTP) stays around 96 to 97%, but this option changes when you experience the highs and lows. Here’s the breakdown:
- Regular play: 60 to 70% of the return (reduced to fund the bonus).
- Bonus round: 30 to 40% with bigger win potential.
You skip the less exciting spins and go straight to the good part. But, a bad bonus round can drop your return on that purchase to 90-94%.
- Typical outcome: 0.92 to 0.98 times the purchase price.
- Big win chance: About 1 in 500 to win 1,000x or more.
High rollers like this because it’s faster, but it can be risky if you don’t have a lot of money.
Top Bonus Buy games
- Money Train 4 (Relax Gaming): Max win of 150,000x, 96.5% RTP. Options: 100x for a sticky collector, 500x for a transformer.
- Fury Dragon (Betsoft): Max win of 4,000x, 96.07% RTP. Hold & Win for 80x; three respins to collect dragon coins.
- Gates of Olympus 1000 (Pragmatic Play): Max win of 15,000x, 96.5% RTP. 100x gets you 15 spins with random multipliers.
- Deadwood R.I.P. (Nolimit City): Max win of 100,000x, 96.1% RTP. Options: 66x for nudging wilds, 666x for more ways to win.
Smart strategies
- Budget: Risk only one per cent of your bankroll per purchase (if you have $1,000, risk $10 max).
- Match the game: Save it for high-risk games that can pay out big.
- Know when to quit: Stop after three failed bonus buys.
Bonus Buy lets you get straight to the action, but be careful. Play at trusted casinos, keep your buys cheap, and know the RTP.
