Bonus Buy Slots – Are Big Wins Really Big?

Bonus Buy Controversy

In any online space, there are topics that divide the community.

From pineapple on pizza to whether there are more doors or wheels in the world, people will find frivolous things to debate on a nearly daily basis.

But some debates stand the test of time, and it can feel like when you read the latest discourse you've been here a hundred times before.

For us in the online casinos and gambling space, one great example of this is the conversation surrounding a bonus buy feature. Namely, are they worth it, and if you get a big win on a bonus buy slot, is it really a big win?

So, let's dissect it.

If you're a player without access to a bonus buy feature, there's every chance you aren't familiar with what they are.

Bonus Buy Slots in the UK

Prior to 2019, a bonus buy – or a bonus feature buy – was widely available on many slots in almost every jurisdiction.

The concept, originally implemented by Big Time Gaming on online slots like Extra Chilli, was simple – pay an upfront cost, and fast track your way into bonus rounds.

This meant players could avoid a lengthy wait to trigger bonus rounds, and could instead enter into bonus spins and bonus features immediately.

Alongside buying a bonus, players were potentially offered an additional feature buy option – like buying re spins, buying base game features instead of bonus features, buying a higher multiplier than was normal, or paying for a guaranteed winning combination, perhaps through a wild symbol.

Generally speaking, many slots and their bonus buys sat at a cost of around 100x bet – that is, one hundred times the stake you wish to buy it on.

It's worth noting that whilst bonus buys have been removed from countries like the UK because of the United Kingdom Gambling Commission regulation, they still exist in many jurisdictions worldwide, and now the cost can be astronomical.

The highest cost of any bonus buy at the time of writing?

3,000x bet on Nolimit City‘s Tombstone RIP – a provider recognised for both their bonus buy functionality, their high volatility, the high costs associated.

In many ways, Nolimit City have become the main character in bonus buy discourse around the world, alongside providers like Hacksaw Gaming, Pragmatic Play and Relax Gaming – with releases like the Money Train series proving to be one of the most popular bonus buy slots.

Bonus Buy Variety

Indeed, Nolimit City, Hacksaw Gaming, Pragmatic Play and Relax Gaming all offer players multiple avenues into buying bonuses, include unique feature options and the ability to take a break from normal gameplay to take a risk on a bonus buy in the hope of massive payouts.

So first things first, the simple question – are bonus buys worth it?

The simple answer to the simple question is that yes, they are.

Bonus Round Testing

An online slot machine and bonus buy slots will go through rigorous testing to operate in licensed jurisdictions, including testing the RTP (Return to Player), ensuring it is fair.

Really, all tests exist to check online slots and casino games offer a fair experience to players.

All slots, even if they don't give players the opportunity to buy a free spins feature will be tested.

Whether you want to buy a free spins bonus, buy base game bonus games, or just play online slots the normal way, you can rest assured that the game you play will have been thoroughly tested.

As such, the cost of a bonus buy has been verified.

This means that when you are given the option to buy a bonus on an online slot machine, you know it is worth the price you are paying for it.

Where players often feel let down is in the return they'll see from one of these buys, especially from a highly volatile game, feeling like the bonus buy ‘wasn't worth it'.

The cost of a bonus buy is simple – it will be the average cost for any bonus.

Can Bonus Buy Slots Really Produce Big Wins?

Now that we know the cost is fair, let's tackle the big question – how big a return do you need to consider a bonus buy to be a ‘big win'?

The main breakdown of the argument is that if you buy a bonus for 100x bet and win 500x bet, you've ‘only won 5x bet, not 500x bet'.

Is this true?

Well, it's a bit of grey area for many players, but there are two distinctive sides, and we know which one we stand on – not true.

Base Bet, Not Total Bet

Let's cover the basics.

The cost of the bonus buy is the average cost, but the stake remains the same.

Spend €100 on a €1 bonus buy, your stake is €1.

Win €500, your stake is €1, ergo your win is 500x bet.

There are a few things to back this up – firstly, the pay table is readily available in the menu section of every video slot.

You might see, for example, that if you have a 5 of a kind win on a premium symbol, you can match it in the pay table and calculate that your stake is indeed €1.

Next, most releases these days have a maximum win, or a ‘win cap', so if the maximum win is 5,000x bet and you trigger this with a €5,000 win on a €100 bonus buy, your stake is again proven to be €1.

It isn't overly common to personally see the win cap on games, but many games actually offer a replay functionality, where you can watch back not only your own biggest wins, but other players wins too.

Finally, no bonus is free – bought or not.

Imagine a player spinning for a bonus, spending €80 on a €1 stake and winning €560.

It would seem silly to tell them ‘well you've only won 7x, because you spent €80', no?

How about a lottery winner who wins £100,000 after 10 years of playing, but who has spent £10 per week on their tickets? Would we tell them they've won 20x? Probably not.

Those lucky jackpot winners probably don't consider the cost from the few days prior, do they?

Bonus Bets in Slots

Similarly, many releases now offer what is known as a ‘bonus bet', wherein you can bet an additional amount – usually 20-100%.

This increases how often scatters land, therefore increasing your chance of triggering a bonus through scatter symbols naturally.

In spite of this though, your base bet remains the initial stake

If you bet £1 with a 25% extra chance for a total cost of £1.25 and you win the maximum win of 5,000x bet – you'll win £5,000, not £6,250.

How To Calculate a Winning Combination

This means you should calculate your win according to your base bet.

When we have a player upload a big win in our gallery, we consider their base bet when we calculate the size of the win – because this is how the casino and provider would calculate it.

The other side to the argument ignores most of this information and looks at the simple fact – you spent €100, you won €500, you've won five times your money back.

The same people would also argue a £5,000 win on a £1.25 stake, including a 25% bonus bet, is a 4,000x bet win.

Maximum Wins in Bonus Buy Slots

Whilst not strictly false, this approach does ignore the nuances of bonus buys and bonus bets.

Let's take the second example – if we say this is a 4,000x bet win but the game tells us ‘the maximum win has been reached' and terminates the bonus game, and the maximum win is really 5,000x bet.

Well, how does it work? You'd probably feel that you'd been conned out of 1,000x bet.

Similarly, if you were to buy the same bonus on €1 for €100 and have your round terminated due to the maximum win being reached at €5,000 but you only consider this to be 50x bet – suddenly you're missing €495,000. Quite a difference, right?

Putting aside the argument around feature buy slots for now, there are some limitations to be aware of if you are reading this and considering buying your way into a bonus.

When to Play Bonus Buy Slots

Firstly, if you are in the process of completing wagering requirements as a result of a deposit bonus, we recommend playing games normally – mostly because you probably won't be able to buy a bonus, as per your deposit bonus wagering terms.

We know the massive potential of certain slots and how much they can pay will be enticing to players, especially when you add in the more unique features, like a prison theme or a very fat Santa, but it is important – not just as a UK player – to stick to the terms you are bound by.

If you do not, you will not be able to make a withdrawal.

Secondly, paying more money is not always the best idea.

You may find out that certain bonus rounds increase the chance of triggering the max bet, or you may be disheartened by the base game hit frequency, instead opting to get straight into the thick of it in bonus rounds, but it might not always make sense for your budget.

Feature buy slots, and their bonus buys, are often extremely volatile – and you should not be surprised if you play feature buy slots, pay 100x bet and win 10-20x bet back again.

This is the reason many online casinos have opted to cut back on the number of slot machines offering players the chance of buy bonuses.

Don't be disheartened though – if you want to play slots that offer the chance to buy free spins rounds and bonus games, there's still plenty of them out there.