Skip to the bonus · Pay 50x–200x stake
Bonus buys let you skip the base game and trigger the bonus round directly for a fixed price — usually 100× your stake. The mechanic was pioneered by Big Time Gaming around 2018-2019 and is now standard at Pragmatic Play, Nolimit City, Relax Gaming, and most major studios. This guide covers what they actually cost, why they almost always carry slightly higher RTP, and the risks the marketing copy doesn’t mention.
Short version: bonus buys are an entertainment-priced shortcut to the high-variance part of a slot. The maths is marginally better than base play; the volatility is dramatically higher. They’re a tool, not a strategy. The UK banned them in 2026 — Australia hasn’t, and they remain available at Spinago.
Quick stats
Typical cost
50x–200x bet
Most common
100x bet
Pioneer
Big Time Gaming
Volatility
Always high
RTP boost
Usually +0.1–0.5%
Bonus eligible
Often excluded
AU status
Allowed (2026)
UK status
Banned (2026)
How it works
Most modern slots have a base game (the spins you do for your normal bet) and a bonus round (free spins, hold-and-win features, pick-me games — the part with the big multipliers). Triggering the bonus organically is statistically rare; on a typical slot the trigger rate is around 1 in 100 to 1 in 250 spins. That’s a lot of base play before you see the “exciting” feature.
The bonus buy fixes that for a price. Click the buy button, your account is debited the buy cost (typically 100× your bet), and the game jumps directly into the bonus round. The round itself plays identically to a naturally triggered bonus — same RNG, same prize distribution, same maximum win. Only the path to get there changed.
The maths underneath: the bonus round has its own RTP, calculated separately from the base game. Many studios set the bonus-round RTP slightly higher than base play’s — typically by 0.1 to 0.5 percentage points. That’s why you’ll see things like Sweet Bonanza at 96.51% base and 96.65% on the buy. The improvement is real; the magnitude is small.
What the buy doesn’t change: the volatility. Bonus rounds are inherently the high-variance part of a slot — that’s where the big multipliers live, and where most rounds end with little to nothing. Buying isolates you to that segment. Even a low-volatility slot becomes high-volatility on the buy. This is the single most important fact about bonus buys, and the one most often glossed over.
Top bonus buy games
All RTPs and max wins below are verified from each studio’s official documentation. Operators sometimes host lower-RTP versions of the same slot — always check the in-game info panel before playing.
by Relax Gaming
Extreme volatility
Buy cost
100x stake
Base RTP
96.10%
RTP on buy
98.00%
Max win
150,000x
Feature: Hold & Win bonus only — no base game
Released 2024 as the latest entry in the Money Train universe. Money Cart games are bonus-only slots — there's no traditional base game, every spin is the Hold & Win feature with collector mechanics, sniper symbols, and persistent multipliers. Verified record hits at full 150,000x have happened during streamer sessions.
by Pragmatic Play
High volatility
Buy cost
100x stake
Base RTP
96.51%
RTP on buy
96.65%
Max win
21,100x
Feature: 10 free spins with stacking multipliers up to x100
The candy-themed cluster-pay slot that defined a generation. Bonus buy guarantees the free spins round; tumbling reels stack multipliers that combine for the dramatic 21,100x ceiling. The buy mode RTP is fractionally higher than base play.
by Pragmatic Play
High volatility
Buy cost
100x stake
Base RTP
96.50%
RTP on buy
96.50%
Max win
5,000x
Feature: 15 free spins with random multipliers x2–x500
Zeus thunderbolts, accumulating multipliers, scatter pays. The bonus buy delivers 15 free spins where every win can spawn random multipliers. Same RTP on buy as on natural trigger — rare honesty.
by Pragmatic Play
High volatility
Buy cost
100x stake
Base RTP
96.55%
RTP on buy
96.55%
Max win
12,305x
Feature: Free spins with sticky wilds and multiplier accumulation
Megaways engine (up to 117,649 ways) plus the dog-themed free spins round. The buy unlocks 12+3 free spins with sticky wild dogs that build multipliers (x2, x3, x5) the longer they stay on screen.
by Nolimit City
Extreme volatility
Buy cost
70x or 88x or 200x
Base RTP
96.03%
RTP on buy
96.03%
Max win
150,000x
Feature: Three buy levels: Fence, Riot, or Lockdown spins
Prison-themed dark fantasy with three escalating bonus buys: 70x for Fence Spins (cheap, basic feature), 88x for Riot Spins (mid-tier with enhanced mechanics), or 200x for the Lockdown Spins lottery — guaranteed access to the highest-tier feature with the 150,000x ceiling.
by Nolimit City
Extreme volatility
Buy cost
100x or 200x or 333x
Base RTP
96.08%
RTP on buy
96.08%
Max win
66,666x
Feature: Three buy tiers escalating in feature density
Asylum-themed extreme volatility slot with three bonus buy tiers. The 333x option guarantees an enhanced free spins mode with maximum multiplier potential. Not a slot for the faint of bankroll — Mental is built for high-risk, high-ceiling sessions.
by Hacksaw Gaming
Extreme volatility
Buy cost
100x stake
Base RTP
96.38%
RTP on buy
96.38%
Max win
12,500x
Feature: Choice of three different free spins modes
Western-themed slot with a mid-game choice — when the bonus triggers (or you buy it), you pick between Duel at Sundown, Dead Wilds, or Great Train Robbery, each with different mechanics and ceilings. The buy gives you the choice, the choice depends on your risk profile.
by Pragmatic Play
Medium-high volatility
Buy cost
100x stake
Base RTP
96.71%
RTP on buy
96.71%
Max win
4,000x
Feature: 10/15/20 free spins based on scatter count
Fishing-themed slot with money fish symbols that pay direct cash values. Bonus buy delivers 10 free spins guaranteed; landing more scatters during free spins extends to 15 or 20. Friendlier ceiling than the extreme-volatility options on this list — better suited to smaller bankrolls.
The maths
The buy cost scales with bet size. The expected return scales with the bonus-round RTP. Most bonus rounds either pay below the cost (more often) or pay multiples of it (rarely). The expected return below assumes RTP plays out over thousands of buys — single rounds vary wildly.
| Bet size | Buy multiplier | Total cost | Expected return | Reality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A$1 | 100x | A$100 | A$96.50 (96.5% RTP) | Need to win A$100+ to break even on the round |
| A$5 | 100x | A$500 | A$482.50 | Need ~A$500 win — single round on extreme-volatility slot |
| A$1 | 200x (Lockdown Spins) | A$200 | A$192.16 | Higher buys mean larger expected losses per round in absolute terms |
| A$2 | 70x (Fence Spins) | A$140 | A$134.44 | Cheaper buys often mean weaker features — read the maths before paying |
Expected return is the long-run average. In any single buy, you might win 0× or 100× — the average exists across thousands of attempts, not in one click.
Honest risks
A normal slot session of 1,000 spins distributes variance across many small wins and losses. Buying a bonus collapses 1,000 spins worth of expected outcomes into one round. You either hit a profitable bonus or you don't. The maths is the same; the emotional and bankroll experience is dramatically more intense.
On a A$1 bet slot at 100x bonus buy, you spend A$100 per round. A A$500 bankroll lasts 5 bonus rounds vs 500 base-game spins. Players accustomed to base play often misjudge how quickly their funds disappear at bonus-buy rates.
Most casinos exclude bonus buys from welcome bonus wagering contribution, or count them at 10-20%. If you're trying to clear bonus wagering requirements, bonus buys are typically the worst way — slots in regular play count 100% on most welcome offers.
Most bonus buys boost RTP by 0.1-0.5% over base play. That's a marginal mathematical improvement. The volatility increase is dramatic — easily 3-10x larger swings per A$ wagered. The 'better RTP' argument doesn't justify the variance unless you specifically want bigger swings.
Buy or pass
Buy makes sense
Buy probably doesn't make sense
FAQ
A bonus buy (also called feature buy) is an option in some slot games that lets you pay a fixed price — typically 50 to 200 times your base bet — to immediately trigger the slot's bonus or free spins round, skipping the base game entirely. The mechanic was pioneered by Big Time Gaming around 2018-2019 and has since been adopted by Pragmatic Play, Nolimit City, Relax Gaming, Hacksaw Gaming, and most major studios. The bonus round itself plays identically whether you buy in or trigger it through normal play.
Mathematically, marginal at best. Most bonus buys carry a slightly higher RTP than the base game — typically 0.1 to 0.5 percentage points higher. That's a real but small mathematical edge. The trade-off is dramatically increased volatility — you compress hundreds of spins worth of variance into a single round. For players who specifically want big swings and have the bankroll to absorb them, bonus buys deliver. For players trying to maximise playing time per dollar, base game spins are usually better value.
Almost always priced as a multiplier of your current bet. The most common cost is 100x your stake, but the range goes from 50x (cheap basic features) to 333x (extreme premium tiers like Mental's top buy). Some games offer multiple buy levels — Nolimit City's San Quentin has three (70x Fence Spins, 88x Riot Spins, 200x Lockdown Spins), each unlocking progressively rarer features. Always check the cost relative to your bet size before clicking — a A$5 stake at 100x is A$500 per round.
Sometimes, yes, but only slightly. Pragmatic Play's Sweet Bonanza is 96.51% in base play vs 96.65% on the buy — a 0.14% improvement. Relax Gaming's Money Cart series can show larger gaps because they're bonus-only games where every spin is essentially a buy. Many slots have identical RTP for buy and base (Gates of Olympus, The Dog House Megaways). The 'higher RTP' argument is real but the magnitude is small. Always check the in-game info panel for the specific RTP your variant uses — operators sometimes offer lower-RTP versions of the same slot.
Yes, bonus buy slots are currently allowed at offshore-licensed casinos serving Australian players, including Spinago. The UK Gambling Commission banned them in 2026 over concerns about excessive cost compression and impulsive spending — Australia's regulatory landscape is different and bonus buys remain available here. The trend, however, is toward more restriction globally. Whether AU will follow the UK's lead is an open question; for now, the feature is part of the standard slot offering.
Usually not, or at a heavily reduced rate. Most casinos exclude bonus buys from welcome bonus wagering contribution entirely, or count them at 10-20% of normal slot play (which contributes 100%). The reason: bonus buys collapse playthrough into a few high-stakes rounds, which the bonus terms aim to prevent. Always check the specific bonus T&Cs before opting in. If you're working through wagering requirements, base slot play is dramatically more efficient than bonus buys.
The top tier is around 150,000x stake — held by Money Cart 4 (Relax Gaming) and San Quentin xWays Lockdown Spins (Nolimit City). Mental by Nolimit City reaches 66,666x. Most popular bonus buys (Sweet Bonanza, Gates of Olympus, The Dog House Megaways) cap between 5,000x and 21,100x. Higher max wins almost always come with higher volatility — most rounds on a 150,000x slot pay nothing or very little. The ceiling exists in theory, not in routine outcomes.
No. Buying every time is one of the fastest ways to drain a bankroll. The honest framing: bonus buys are entertainment-priced shortcuts to the most exciting part of the slot. They're not a strategy and they don't beat the house edge. Use them when you have the bankroll to absorb the variance, the patience to stop after one or two buys, and the discipline not to chase. Otherwise, base play stretches your money further and the dopamine of an organic bonus trigger is genuinely better than a bought one.
Yes. Almost every slot with a bonus buy feature has a free demo mode that includes the buy option. The demo uses virtual credits but runs the identical maths and RNG. Spend 10-20 demo buys on a slot before committing real money — you'll quickly see how often the buy pays back vs how often it doesn't, and whether the volatility profile suits your risk tolerance. Demo buys cost no real money and are the single best way to evaluate whether a specific bonus buy is worth your bankroll.
Because the buy isolates the round to its highest-variance segment. In normal play, a slot's overall RTP and volatility blend the base game's small frequent wins with the bonus round's rare big wins. The base game smooths variance; the bonus round concentrates it. When you buy a bonus, you're paying upfront to access only the volatile part. Even a low-volatility slot becomes high-volatility on the buy because the bonus mathematics is what creates the volatility in the first place.
Try a buy in demo first.
Every bonus buy slot at Spinago has a free demo mode that includes the buy option. Spend 10-20 demo buys to feel the volatility before committing real money. Note: bonus buys typically don’t count toward welcome wagering — see the Bonuses page for details.
18+ only. T&Cs apply. Bonus buy slots are high-volatility products — never bet more than you’d be comfortable losing in a single round. See our responsible gambling guide. AU support: 1800 858 858 · betstop.gov.au. Last updated: 24 April 2026.