How much does a bonus buy typically cost?

Commonly between 50x and 200x your base stake, depending on the game and how strong the bonus round's expected payout is. It's priced by the studio to reflect the bonus round's average return, not as a discount.

Why did the UK ban bonus buy slots?

The UK Gambling Commission banned the feature in 2019 under its Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards, because paying to unlock more of the game conflicts with rules against encouraging players to increase their stake or gamble beyond what they'd planned.

Does buying the bonus give better value than playing normally?

Not on average. The buy price reflects the bonus round's expected payout, so it carries the same underlying house edge as reaching it naturally — it converts a spread-out spend into one lump sum, it doesn't discount the odds.

Bonus buy slots explained (and why the UK banned them)

Last updated: 2026-07-29 · Written by Priya Nair

Most slots reward the bonus round randomly, after enough spins. A bonus buy slot skips the wait entirely: pay a set multiple of your base stake and the bonus feature triggers immediately, no random landing required. It's a real option on many slots — and one that regulators in some countries have banned outright, for reasons worth understanding before you use it.

How bonus buy actually works

On a bonus buy slot, alongside the normal spin button there's an option to purchase direct entry into the bonus round — typically free spins, a pick-a-prize feature, or whatever that game's headline bonus is. The price is set as a multiple of your base stake, commonly somewhere between 50x and 200x depending on the game and how strong that bonus round's expected payout is. Pay it, and you go straight into the bonus without spinning the base game at all.

The real cost most players underestimate

A 100x bonus buy on a €1 stake is a single €100 spend, all at once — a completely different risk profile from grinding the base game toward the same bonus over dozens of smaller spins. The bonus buy price is calculated by the game studio to reflect the bonus round's average expected return, so on average it isn't a shortcut to better value than playing normally toward the same RTP — it's a way to convert a slow, spread-out spend into one lump sum, with all the same house edge baked in. Treat the buy price the same way you'd treat any single stake of that size, not as a discount.

Why the UK banned it outright

The UK Gambling Commission banned bonus buy features on UK-licensed online slots in 2019, under the Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards. The stated reason: the feature requires a player to increase their stake specifically to unlock more of the game, which conflicts with the regulator's standard against encouraging players to gamble more than they'd planned. A licensed UK casino simply cannot offer a bonus buy option — if you see one advertised to UK players, that's a signal the site isn't operating under a UK licence.

Where it's still offered, and the alternative feature

Malta Gaming Authority-licensed casinos, among others, haven't banned bonus buy — it remains a normal option on many international slot sites. Where bonus buy isn't available, some games offer an ante bet instead: a smaller, ongoing increase to your base stake (rather than one large lump-sum purchase) that improves the odds of triggering the bonus naturally on any given spin. It's a softer version of the same idea — paying more for a better shot at the bonus — spread across many spins instead of committed all at once.

Payment speed doesn't change the maths of gambling — only bet what you can afford to lose; gambling should be entertainment, never a way to make money. Set limits and get help here.

FAQ

How much does a bonus buy typically cost? Commonly between 50x and 200x your base stake, depending on the game and how strong the bonus round's expected payout is. It's priced by the studio to reflect the bonus round's average return, not as a discount.
Why did the UK ban bonus buy slots? The UK Gambling Commission banned the feature in 2019 under its Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards, because paying to unlock more of the game conflicts with rules against encouraging players to increase their stake or gamble beyond what they'd planned.
Does buying the bonus give better value than playing normally? Not on average. The buy price reflects the bonus round's expected payout, so it carries the same underlying house edge as reaching it naturally — it converts a spread-out spend into one lump sum, it doesn't discount the odds.

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