I’ve burned money on bad bonus buys more times than I’d like to admit. They look like a shortcut to the fun part of a slot, but most times, they drain your balance fast. The good news? With a few simple checks and smarter moves, you can make bonus buys deliver actual value. I’ll share those below.
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What Bonus Buy Slots Are
Bonus buy is a button that lets you skip the base game. You pay a set price, and the slot drops you straight into the free spins or feature round. Popular titles like Sweet Bonanza or Money Train 2 built their fan base around this option.
The price is usually 50x to 200x your bet. For example, betting €1 and buying the feature at 100x will cost €100 upfront. Some games even go higher, like 500x or more, but that’s extreme.
Why They’re Risky If You Don’t Know the Rules
Here’s the catch: you’re not guaranteed anything close to what you paid.
I once bought the feature in Fruit Party 2 for €80 and walked away with €6. The round ended in seconds. That’s the risk – high volatility means most buys lose, a few pay huge.
Another thing: not every feature purchase is fair value. Some slots have the same RTP for normal spins and for the feature. Others raise the RTP slightly if you buy. If you don’t check, you might be overpaying for nothing.
How to Check If a Paid Feature Is Worth It
This is where testing matters.
- Look at the RTP. Many providers list two numbers – the base game RTP and bonus buy RTP. If the paid side is higher, that’s a plus. For example, Money Train 4 bumps RTP by 0.5% if you buy.
- Check volatility. High volatility means long droughts and rare but massive wins. If you want steadier hits, look for medium-volatility games. The Dog House Megaways is brutal but can land 1000x wins in the bonus. San Quentin is even wilder.
- Try the demo. Most casinos let you run a free test. I always do this before putting real money in. I watch how often the bonus round actually delivers.
- Watch multipliers. If the slot’s feature relies on big multipliers, you know it’s feast or famine. If the feature gives steady free spins with sticky wilds, it’s more balanced.
Practical Tips for Smarter Play
Here’s what helped me avoid draining my wallet.
- Start small. If the buy costs €100, drop your base bet to €0.20 or €0.40. That way, the cost is €20–40 instead of something painful. You’ll learn the feature without going broke.
- Don’t repeat duds. If a slot kills you three buys in a row, stop. I used to chase wins in Chaos Crew. Ten purchases later, I hated myself. Now I just switch to another game after two or three bad runs.
- Mix spins and buys. Some slots throw base game hits often. I play a few normal spins between buys. Sometimes I even trigger the bonus for free while waiting.
- Track your buys. I use a simple notepad. Slot name, cost, return. After ten entries, patterns appear. Some games drain 8 out of 10 times. Others balance out better.
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Finest Types of Bonus Purchase for Different Players
For different types of gamblers, buy-in options play out differently. Here’s how I see it:
- Casual players: Look for low-cost feature buy-ins. Big Bass Bonanza Keeping It Reel has cheaper buys and moderate payouts. You won’t hit insane multipliers, but you’ll see action without stress.
- Thrill seekers: High-volatility monsters like San Quentin or NoLimit City’s Fire in the Hole are brutal but can drop 10,000x wins. Perfect if you want adrenaline and don’t mind risk.
- Grinders: Medium-RTP slots with decent balance retention. Money Train 2 fits here. It has bonus buys that usually return something, even if not massive.
When to Skip Bonus Buys
Sometimes the best move is not to touch the button.
- If the price is half your balance or more. Paying €100 when you only have €200 is asking for trouble.
- If the base game is already strong. Jammin’ Jars can drop huge cluster wins without the bonus. Buying isn’t always better.
- If the feature is weak. I once tried a buy on a slot where the “bonus” was just 10 free spins with a small multiplier. I could’ve hit the same thing by spinning normally.
Know When to Purchase, Know When to Spin
Feature buys aren’t shortcuts to riches. They’re just tools. Some games make them worth it, others don’t.
What changed my results was testing first, tracking outcomes, and picking games that match my style. Now I know when it makes sense to pay for the bonus, and when it’s smarter to just spin.
