Player Experiences with Bonus Buys
This doesn’t mean you can’t play these bonuses though, you just can’t pay extra money to trigger them. BetMGM makes it easy for you to find slot games with bonus features. On each game’s individual page, you’ll find a table with key information about the slot, including whether it is eligible for MGM Millions.
- Feature Buy is another common name for the Bonus Buy mechanic.
- Ante Bet is a related feature that increases your bet to raise the chance of triggering the bonus, not an instant buy.
- Multi-Buy options allow purchasing different versions of the bonus round with varying costs and potentials.
- Some games have a "Bonus Guarantee" where a certain number of buys triggers the feature automatically.
- "Double Chance" features are a milder form, offering two simultaneous spins to increase trigger odds.
Even more information about bonuses and how they are triggered is available inside the game itself. You can access this without placing a bet or staking money, simply click on the gold Play button and the game will usually show the paytable, symbols, and bonus features after it has loaded.
- Bonus Buy allows instant access to a slot's free spins or bonus round for a fixed price.
- The cost is typically a multiple of your current bet, often 50x to 200x.
- This feature is common in high-volatility online slots from providers like Pragmatic Play and NoLimit City.
- Buying the bonus usually guarantees the feature will trigger, skipping base game play.
- Return to Player (RTP) for the bonus buy can differ from the base game RTP.
- Some jurisdictions, like the UK, have banned the feature due to responsible gambling concerns.
When comparing games, factor in the volatility and variance, the RTP, maximum payout, and whether there are jackpots, in addition to what bonus features are included as this will make for all-round better slot playing.
What exactly is a slot with a Bonus Buy feature?
The number of free spins you receive, the number of reels, the value of symbols, whether there are expanding reels or giant symbols, the inclusion of wilds, multipliers, the ability to unlock additional free spins, and re-spin options all affect how attractive free spins are to players. How you trigger free spins varies from game to game, but it usually involves landing a certain number of a particular symbol on the reels. Scatter and wilds are the most common triggers, but games with several bonus features may create special symbols specifically for each bonus. There’s no definitive answer as to what a ‘good’ slot game bonus feature is as it depends on your own preferences. However, there are some key factors that you’ll want to consider when browsing options.
Still a normal slot game
Firstly, it’s important to be able to understand the bonus. One of the reasons free spins are so popular is that they’re easy to understand, so it’s logical that complicated bonus features are not as attractive. Most games do make their bonuses easy to work out and provide clear instructions to help you understand the rules. Another key thing to consider is how often does the bonus feature(s) trigger? A bonus is no good if you never get to play it, so this is something to examine. If you’re new to online slots, you might be wondering how bonus features work and what terms like “bonus buy” actually mean.
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Thankfully, most games aren’t stingy with triggering bonuses, but the frequency does vary from slot to slot, so pick games that trigger as often as you like them to. Connected to this is what is required for the bonus feature to trigger. It’s usually landing certain symbols on the reels but it can vary. That said, if a slot is designed to trigger bonuses regularly, the mechanism for doing so will be made easy to obtain. Once you get into the bonus feature, how much you can win can vary from just a few quid to hundreds of multiples of your wager.
8. Magic Spins – Wazdan
Of course, the latter occurs much less frequently, even if it’s possible so you definitely shouldn’t bank on it. However, if a bigger win potential is attractive to you, then be on the lookout for slots that offer this. If you’ve been playing slots for a while, you may remember a feature called Bonus Buy, which, as the name suggests, allowed you to purchase a bonus feature instead of waiting to trigger it in the base game. Thanks to the robust rules set by the Gambling Commission in Great Britain that are designed to protect players and promote responsible gaming, Bonus Buy cas best online casino games slots has been banned since 2019. It’s one of the many measures designed to safeguard vulnerable players, alongside self-exclusion, limits, and reality checks. These features can be a key part of how some slot games are designed, offering an additional element beyond the standard spin. In this guide, you’ll find clear explanations tailored specifically for UK players. We’ll break down what a bonus buy feature is, how it used to work in certain slot games, and why it’s no longer available under current UK gambling regulations. You’ll also learn how slot features now operate within licensed games and where to look if you want to understand the rules of any slot before playing. Whether you’ve never played a slot game before, or you’re just trying to understand what’s changed in recent years, this guide can help you get familiar with the key terms and rules that apply to bonus features in the UK.
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Common giant symbols can be 2x2, 3x3, and 4x4. Free spins are, by far, the most common and most popular bonus feature in slot games. There are several reasons for this, including the fact that they’re simple to implement. Getting to spin the reels for free just involves creating a function in the game’s code that triggers a number of spins without any additional wagers. They use the same graphics (more or less) and underlying mechanics, making them an easy addition to any slot game.
Typical Bonus Buy Price Ranges:
Everyone loves getting something for free, so it’s easy to see why players are big fans of free spins. They give you more opportunities to win and the chance to make your bankroll stretch further. This universal popularity and simple implementation means you can find free spins in almost every slot, even ones that don’t have many augmentations to the base game. Not all free spins are the same, they can vary greatly between games. They may also be different within a single slot game as some developers include multiple free spin bonus features, each with a different name and trigger. Bonus buy slots were once a type of online slot game where you had the option to pay an extra cost to access the bonus round straight away. Rather than waiting for certain symbols to appear during a spin, the game allowed you to buy direct access to the feature. For example, in some games, triggering a free spins round might usually require three matching scatter symbols. With a bonus buy, this step was skipped by paying a fixed amount upfront. This amount often varied depending on the game. In some cases, the cost to activate a bonus was shown as a multiplier of your chosen stake. If the bonus cost was 75x and your stake was £1, you would have paid £75 to trigger the feature instantly. These types of slots typically appealed to players who didn’t want to wait for bonus features to land naturally.
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Re-Spins: Re-spins are a bonus that let you re-spin a specific reel in the hopes of landing different symbols on the paylines to unlock a payout. Pick‘em: Pick’em bonuses work a little differently across games but they all follow the same basic principle of presenting several options with a prize assigned to each one. Your task is to pick one, with the corresponding payout being awarded afterwards. Special Wilds: Wild symbols can serve several functions in a slot game, including substituting for another symbol on a payline or by unlocking a bonus round. Some wilds will expand to fill an entire reel, making it easier to pick up wins, especially if they lock into place over multiple spins.
1. Gods of Giza – Pragmatic Play
Cascading Reels: Cascading, tumbling, or avalanche reels can be used in the base game or a bonus feature, replacing the traditional spin mechanic with one where the symbols fall from the top of the screen. Instead of matching symbols on a payline, you need to make groups of them together. Once you get a match, they explode, making way for more to fall from the top, creating additional opportunities to win. Gamble: The gamble feature gives you the opportunity to increase your winnings, often by a multiple of two or three, but with the chance that you’ll also lose them. Giant Symbols: Giant or Colossal Symbols are symbols that take up more than one space on a reel, often spanning multiple reels, rather than just several rows on a single reel. However, this also meant spending larger amounts. Because of that, access to bonus buy slots is no longer available in the UK due to changes in gambling regulation.
- In some regions, the feature must display a warning message about the increased financial risk.
- The UK Gambling Commission banned "Autoplay" and "Bonus Buy" features that skip game rounds.
- In Sweden, players must set deposit and time limits before accessing bonus buy slots.
- Other markets, like Malta and Curacao-licensed casinos, generally permit the feature.
- Always verify local regulations and the casino's terms regarding bonus buy availability.
In short, no—you cannot buy bonus features in slots in the UK.
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Feature Buy | Paying a premium to trigger a game's bonus round directly. | Buying free spins for 100x the bet. |
| RTP (Buy Mode) | The theoretical Return to Player percentage when using the bonus buy. | 96.5% RTP in buy mode vs 96% in base game. |
| Ante Bet | An additional side bet that increases the chance of triggering a bonus, often used as an alternative to a direct buy. | Increase bet by 50% to double bonus trigger chance. |
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), which regulates online gambling in Great Britain, does not permit bonus buy mechanics on licensed casino sites.
What Are Bonus Buy Slots
Slot games bonus features are a great way to do this as they create new and unique mechanics that go beyond the standard features of the base game. Each slot game has its own distinct combination of bonus features, the most common of these mechanics can be found below. Free Spins: Free spins are the most common of bonus slot machine features. When triggered, they grant you a certain number of spins of the reels for free. These spins might use the same reels as all other spins or they may feature different symbols and/or combine with other bonus features to mix up the gameplay.
9. Megaways Jack (Iron Dog Studio)
Multipliers: Multipliers are a bonus feature that award you a payout proportionate to your wager. For example, a 2x multiplier will return £2 on a £1 wager whilst 5x would yield £5. Games that include this mechanic will usually offer ways to unlock different sizes of multipliers and combine them together. Jackpots: Jackpots are a common slot game bonus feature that come in many different sizes. Some slot games offer their own in-game jackpots, whilst others are included in the MGM Millions eligible slots that grow progressively bigger until a player triggers it. This rule was introduced to support safer gambling.
| Region/Country | General Availability | Common Restrictions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Banned | Not permitted by UKGC licensees. | Complete prohibition on feature buys. |
| Sweden | Restricted | Must be inactive by default; player must activate. | Spelpaus check required. |
| Canada (Ontario) | Available | Subject to operator implementation. | Common in most licensed casinos. |
| Germany | Restricted | Limited to certain bet limits and game types. | Part of the Interstate Treaty regulations. |
| International Casinos | Widely Available | Depends on casino and game provider. | Most common in Curacao/JC licensed sites. |
When players are allowed to pay directly for features, it can lead to faster spending than intended. Removing this option helps reduce the risk of financial harm by ensuring all features occur within the game itself, without requiring additional payments. If you’re playing on a UK-licensed platform, bonus rounds can only appear through standard play.
- Popular Bonus Buy slots include "Sweet Bonanza," "Gates of Olympus," and "Dead or Alive 2."
- Prices can range from 50x your stake for a simple feature to 500x+ for enhanced versions.
- Some games offer multiple buy options, like a standard or a super bonus with higher multipliers.
- Always check the game's paytable for the specific RTP of the bonus buy option before purchasing.
That means waiting for certain symbols or combinations to land naturally. Buying access to those rounds is not possible, even if you’ve seen such features in games from other regions. The UKGC made the decision to restrict bonus buy features in order to promote fair and responsible gameplay. Paying to enter bonus rounds removes a layer of chance and increases the possibility of spending large amounts quickly. Bonus buys typically gave access to features that could include things like free spins, multipliers, or special symbols.
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