Bonus Buy (Feature Buy)

The studio prices the buy so that the expected return of the purchased bonus sits at or near the game's published RTP. Many games list a separate RTP for the bonus buy, which can be slightly higher or lower than the base game. Variants include buying with a guaranteed number of scatters, choosing between cheaper and more expensive tiers with different volatility, or a gamble to upgrade the purchased feature.

Because a single buy stakes what would otherwise be 50 to 200 spins, the transaction size is large relative to the base bet. That interacts with operator controls: maximum bet limits during bonus play, wagering requirement rules and deposit limits all need to treat the buy price as the stake.

Great Britain prohibited bonus buys in 2021 under the Gambling Commission's game design rules, along with autoplay and turbo spin, on the grounds that they intensify play. Studios ship UK versions without the button. Other regulated markets and Curaçao-licensed operators generally allow it.

For operators, bonus buys raise turnover per session sharply and appeal to streamers and high-intent players, but they concentrate risk: a purchased bonus that pays its maximum win is a large single liability, and the feature is a flashpoint in responsible-gambling reviews. Bonus terms usually exclude feature buys from wagering.

For studios, the feature is near-standard in the high-volatility segment and a differentiator in how it is priced and presented. Certification covers the buy variant separately, and market-specific builds are needed where it is banned.

A slot's base game returns 96.2% with a bonus triggering on average once every 180 spins. The bonus buy costs 100x the bet and has a listed RTP of 96.5%. A player betting €0.50 who would need about €90 of base-game spins to see one bonus can instead pay €50 for a guaranteed one. Over many buys the return is 96.5% of the €50. In any single buy the outcome ranges from nothing to the game's 5,000x cap.

• Volatility / Variance — a bonus buy is a purchase of volatility.
• RTP (Return to Player) — the buy has its own published figure.
• Wagering Requirement — buys are usually excluded from bonus play.
• Hit Frequency — what the buy lets the player skip.

Compare studios in the Game Development category and tools in the Responsible Gaming category.