Slots Bonus Buy Features – What Do They Really Cost?

Recent years have seen a proliferation of slot games being released that offer players the option to ‘buy’ the bonus feature rather than having to play the main game until the feature triggers. As bonus features are the part of the game that tends to give the player the best chance of hitting a big win, this option is naturally very attractive to players.

If bonus features are where you are most likely to win and this feature offers you the option to skip straight to the bonus feature, aren’t players better off doing this? Won’t more players win?

The truth is that any time you play a casino game you are playing a game where the house has the advantage. In the long run the casino will win no matter what you do. Casinos would not be a viable business if this were not the case and Bonus Buy slots games are no exception to this rule. But are these features better for players than playing the standard slot game and simply waiting for the bonus feature to trigger naturally?

Most Bonus Buy slot games require the player to place a significantly larger wager to ‘buy’ the bonus feature than they would on an individual spin. This is logical. If the bonus feature gives you a higher chance of receiving a big win, the game will need you to risk more to access the feature if the game is to remain profitable. Most Bonus Buy games sweeten the deal by reducing the RTP figure – meaning the game should be cheaper – when players use the Bonus Buy option. But does the reduced RTP figure really balance out the increased wager? Does it result in the game costing the player less? That is what we’re going to explore below.

To determine whether Bonus Buy features are in fact the better option for players, we need to take into consideration the amount of money wagered alongside the RTP figure for the bets.

Below we’re going to look at a number of popular Bonus Buy slot games. In each we will choose the minimum possible stake. We will time how long it takes to play the Bonus Buy feature at the minimum stake. We will then test the game to see how many spins at the equivalent stake can be played in the same time.

In this manner we will know how much is wagered in the same amount of time using the Bonus Buy option and the standard spin option, and with the RTP figures for each option can determine what the cost is over the same time period for each option.

EuphoriaiSoftBetStake for Bonus Buy€ 30RTP for Bonus Buy96.97%Time of Bonus Buy01:21:04Cost of Bonus Buy€ 0.91Stake/Spin€ 0.30Spins Completed27Total Wagered€ 8.10RTP for Standard Spin95.99%Cost for Standard Spins€ 0.32

So above we can see that when playing Euphoria, we managed to play 27 spins in the same time it took to play the Bonus Buy feature, resulting in a total of €8.10 wagered. That means that the game cost us €0.32 when playing in regular mode compared to €0.91, nearly 3x as much, when using the Bonus Buy feature.

Rise of the Mountain KingWMS GamingStake for Bonus Buy€ 30RTP for Bonus Buy96.85%Time of Bonus Buy01:54:43Cost of Bonus Buy€ 0.95Stake/Spin€ 0.30Spins Completed56Total Wagered€ 16.80RTP for Standard Spin96.31%Cost for Standard Spins€ 0.62

So above we can see that when playing Rise of the Mountain King, we managed to play 56 spins in the same time it took to play the Bonus Buy feature, resulting in a total of €16.80 wagered. That means that the game cost us €0.62 when playing in regular mode compared to €0.95 when using the Bonus Buy feature, over 50% more expensive.

East Coast vs West CoastNo Limit CityStake for Bonus Buy€ 84RTP for Bonus Buy96.89%Time of Bonus Buy03:51:36Cost of Bonus Buy€ 2.61Stake/Spin€ 0.20Spins Completed43Total Wagered€ 8.60RTP for Standard Spin96.04%Cost for Standard Spins€ 0.34

So above we can see that when playing East Coast vs West Coast, we managed to play 43 spins in the same time it took to play the Bonus Buy feature, resulting in a total of €8.60 wagered. That means that the game cost us €0.34 when playing in regular mode compared to €2.61, over 7x as much, when using the Bonus Buy feature.

Medusa MegawaysWMS GamingStake for Bonus Buy€ 25RTP for Bonus Buy97.63%Time of Bonus Buy01:17:37Cost of Bonus Buy€ 0.59Stake/Spin€ 0.25Spins Completed18Total Wagered€ 4.50RTP for Standard Spin96.29%Cost for Standard Spins€ 0.17

So above we can see that when playing Medusa Megaways, we managed to play 18 spins in the same time it took to play the Bonus Buy feature, resulting in a total of €4.50 wagered. That means that the game cost us €0.17 when playing in regular mode compared to €0.59, over 3x as much, when using the Bonus Buy feature.