What Is a Bonus Buy?
A Bonus Buy (also called Feature Buy, Ante Bet, or Bonus Purchase) is a slot mechanic that lets you pay a lump sum — typically 50–200× your stake — to jump directly into the free spins round, skipping the base game entirely.
It was popularised by Pragmatic Play and Big Time Gaming (where it's called Feature Drop) and is now offered by almost every major studio.
How Is the Price Calculated?
The cost is set to reflect the expected value of the bonus round. If free spins have an average win of 80× stake, the buy price is roughly 80–100× stake (the provider adds a margin). In practice:
Buy price = (Average bonus win ÷ RTP of bonus) × markup
A 100× buy on a game where the bonus averages 80× stake means you're overpaying by ~25% relative to organic play — the bonus buy always has a slightly lower effective RTP than the base game.
Is It Worth It?
When it might make sense:
- You have a fixed session budget and want to compress variance — fewer spins, bigger potential swings
- You're playing on a demo to evaluate the free spins mechanic
- The base game is boring and the bonus is the entire reason to play (e.g. Wanted Dead or a Wild, Money Train 2)
When it doesn't make sense:
- You want to extend your session — bonus buy burns budget fast
- You're already on a reduced bankroll — a 100× buy on a £1 stake is £100 gone instantly
- The game's bonus has high variance itself (like NoLimit City xWays titles) — you can easily lose the entire buy with a bad run
Effective RTP on Bonus Buy
Providers are not required to publish a separate RTP for the Bonus Buy feature. However, regulators in some markets (UK, Sweden) require the base game RTP to be displayed and the bonus buy to be no lower than 96% effective RTP. In practice many are in the 94–97% range.
Assume you're paying a slight premium vs. organic play. Factor that in.
Top Bonus Buy Slots
| Slot | Studio | Buy Price | RTP | |---|---|---|---| | Wanted Dead or a Wild | Hacksaw Gaming | 100× | 96.38% | | Money Train 2 | Relax Gaming | 100× | 96.40% | | Tombstone No Mercy | NoLimit City | 100× | 96.05% | | Gates of Olympus | Pragmatic Play | 100× | 96.50% | | Chaos Crew | Hacksaw Gaming | 100× | 96.34% | | White Rabbit | Big Time Gaming | varies | 97.72% |
Regional Restrictions
Bonus Buy is banned in the UK — UKGC-licensed casinos cannot offer the feature to UK players. Players in Sweden, Germany, and several other regulated markets may also find it unavailable or restricted to specific RTP configurations.
Play responsibly. Bonus Buy accelerates both wins and losses.