A bonus buy (sometimes called a feature buy) is an option built into certain video slots. Instead of waiting for the main bonus round, such as free spins, to be triggered randomly during ordinary play, the player pays a set price to enter that feature straight away. The price is usually expressed as a multiple of the current stake.
The appeal is immediacy: a player who enjoys a game’s bonus feature can access it on demand rather than relying on chance. However, this convenience comes at a significant cost, because the purchase price reflects the feature’s long-run expected return.
A crucial point is that buying the feature does not change the underlying mathematics in the player’s favour. In many titles the bonus-buy option has a similar, and occasionally lower, return-to-player percentage than base play. It simply concentrates outcomes: results tend to be more volatile, with the potential for both larger payouts and the complete loss of the purchase amount.
For example, a player might pay a multiple of their stake to enter a free-spins round. That round could return more than the price paid, nothing at all, or something in between, exactly as a naturally triggered feature would.
- Higher volatility: outcomes swing more sharply than in base play.
- Faster spending: the large upfront cost can deplete a balance quickly.
- Regulatory limits: several jurisdictions restrict or prohibit bonus buys.
A common misconception is that a bonus buy is a shortcut to winning. It is not; it only shortcuts access to the feature, not the result. Because the stakes involved are often large relative to normal spins, it can accelerate losses and warrants particular care around budgeting. Availability and rules vary by operator and jurisdiction.