Games and product

Bonus buy: buying a slot's bonus round

Bonus buy (feature buy) is buying a slot's bonus round straight away at a fixed price, for example x100 the stake. Such a round costs as much as a hundred spins and has a much wider spread of wins, so volatility and hold swings go up.

Yevhen SychovOctober 2026

Formula and example

Buy price = stake x price multiplierFor example, a €1 stake and a x100 price: the bonus round costs €100. With a 96% buy RTP the player gets €96 back on average, but in a single round it can be a small fraction of the price or dozens of times more.

At the same RTP, the average loss is the same as over a hundred regular spins: €4 out of €100. But the whole result rides on one event, so volatility per round is many times higher. Providers often state the buy RTP separately, and it can be higher or lower than the base game: check it in the game description.

Bonus buy and bonuses

With bonus money, buying is usually prohibited or does not count towards wagering. One buy at x100 turns a €100 bonus into a lottery ticket: most often the balance is lost, sometimes the player cashes out big. This is exactly what the max bet rule during wagering protects against.

The best option is to disable the buy button while a bonus is active. If the platform cannot do that, write the ban into the terms and show it in the offer. Keep the contribution of buys to wagering at zero or low.

Hold, markets and responsible gambling

  • Hold: a few big wins from buys move the monthly hold of a game and a provider. Track buy turnover separately from spins if the provider gives that breakdown.
  • Markets: in some markets the licence prohibits bonus buys, and providers release versions of their games without them. Check which version is enabled in each geo.
  • Responsible gambling: frequent buys and rising buy prices within a session are a signal for a check, not a reason for an offer.

Common mistakes

  • The max bet rule does not see the buy price. With a €5 limit, a x100 buy on a €1 stake costs €100. The rule must count the full buy price as the bet.
  • Allowing buys while a bonus is active and then voiding the winnings. Blocking in the interface is cheaper than disputes and complaints.
  • One game version for every market. Where buys are prohibited, you need a version without them.
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