Pros and Cons of the Online Bonus Feature Buy Options in Slots

Feature buy is a new betting option that’s become available in online slots within the past few years. Also referred to as bonus buy, it allows you to immediately unlock the bonus round.

This option is exciting from the perspective that it lets you play the bonus at any time. Furthermore, it gives you an opportunity to chase huge prizes whenever you feel like doing so.

However, bonus buy isn’t entirely perfect and does contain some downsides. That being said, I’ll cover more on feature buy along with its pros and cons.

How Does Bonus Buy Work?

Slots games have been offering bonuses for decades. Free spins were the first slots bonus and remain the most popular today.

Of course, slots don’t hand out free spins and other bonuses left and right. They require you to trigger the feature, usually by landing three or more scatter symbols anywhere on the reels.

The odds of naturally triggering a bonus generally range from 50:1 to 200:1. Therefore, you must play for between 5 and 20 minutes, on average, to unlock the feature.

Bonus buy ensures that you don’t need to wait on playing a bonus round. You pay a multiple of your stake to automatically trigger the feature.

Here’s an example:

• You bet $0.25 per spin.
• The feature buy option costs 100x your stake.
• 100 x 0.25 = $25
• You must pay $25 to activate this option.
• Three scatter symbols automatically land on the next spin.

The amount needed to use bonus buy differs based on the game. However, you’ll typically need to risk between 50x and 100x your bet size.

After using this option, all prizes are based on the triggering stake. Using the example above, prizes would be based on $0.25—not the $25 needed to unlock the feature.

Pros of Feature Buy

Slots developers keep putting bonus buy into games for a reason…or rather multiple reasons. You can see the biggest benefits of this option below.

No Wait on the Bonus

Again, you typically must wait several minutes or more before earning the feature. Most commonly, you need three scatter symbols to land anywhere before playing the bonus.

Perhaps you love the base game and don’t mind waiting. Other times, you may be itching to play the feature and don’t feel like spinning the reels for several minutes.

At this point, you can either:

• Continue spinning the reels manually.
• Activate autoplay and come back when the bonus has triggered.
• Purchase the bonus.

Nothing is wrong with spinning the reels manually or using autoplay. But you might see these routes as pointless when you’re just looking to enjoy the bonus round.

You can skip everything in between when buying the feature. You select the bonus buy option, pay the cost, and watch the required triggering scatters land on the following spin.

Chase the Biggest Prizes

Some slots feature their biggest payout through a progressive jackpot. However, many modern games tie their largest payout in with the feature.

For example, you may only be able to win 1,000x your stake through the base game. But you can play for up to 20,000x through the bonus.

Here’s an example on how this scenario can pay off:

• A game offers a top prize worth 20,000x your stake.
• You bet $1 per spin.
• You spend 75x your bet ($75) to activate the feature.
• You win the top payout and collect $20,000.
• 20,000 / 75 = 266.67
• You’ve won 267x your original investment.

Most slots offer maximum prizes worth anywhere between 5,000x and 50,000x your stake. Again, though, you must be playing the feature to achieve such a payout.

If you’re not, then you can still look forward to some nice prizes. The only problem is that your biggest wins won’t really be that big.

Have Fun with the Bonus

You probably don’t initially start playing an online slot for the feature alone. Instead, you’re likely attracted to the theme, graphics, animations, and/or music.

Eventually, though, you’ll long to trigger the bonus. Some features are action-packed and contain expanding wilds, multipliers, random wilds, and/or other modifiers.

Feature buy ensures that you have an option to enjoy the feature at any time. Often ranging between 50x and 100x your bet, this opportunity certainly isn’t cheap.

You do need to make a smart decision when choosing to activate it. But bonus buy definitely adds something to the game.

Cons of Feature Buy

The bonus buy option has gained plenty of popularity since its inception. As you can see below, though, it also remains quite controversial.

Bonus Buy is a Big Gamble

When playing slots online, the common betting range runs from $0.20 to $100. Anything close to the latter wager size is reserved for high rollers.

Feature buy automatically puts you into the high roller category for at least one round. Assuming you normally bet $1 per spin, you’ll risk between $50 (50x) and $100 (100x) to trigger the bonus.

This investment can pay off big time due to enhanced prizes in the feature. However, it can just as easily backfire too. You always have to keep the latter in mind before risking $50, $100, or whatever.

Of course, you can scale back your wager size to use bonus buy cheaper. The problem here, though, is that you also stand to win much smaller payouts too.

If you’re wagering $0.20, for instance, you may spend $20 (100x) to trigger the feature. You’ve now wagered $20 just to win prizes based on a small $0.20 wager.

You Could Lose Big

Bonuses usually pay off when triggered naturally. A standard bonus includes free spins with other modifiers, such as win multipliers and/or random wild symbols.

However, nothing guarantees that you’ll walk away a winner after purchasing the feature. You could easily win much less than you spend using this option.

Here’s an example:

• You wager $1 per spin.
• You spend 60x your stake ($60) to activate the bonus.
• You only win $10 through the feature.
• You’ve now lost $50 within a short time span.

Depending upon your bankroll, a $50 loss may not cripple you. But such a loss becomes far more difficult to bear when dealing with a $100 or $200 bankroll.

Another issue to think about is how quickly you can lose money. The time in between buying the feature and playing it is usually just a few minutes.

Slots are always volatile affairs. However, losing $50 or more within a few minutes goes beyond just high volatility.

Feature Buy Is Banned in Some Countries

The final downside to bonus buy is that, sometimes, it’s not even available when you do want to use it. Some online gaming jurisdictions have banned this option to protect problem gamblers.

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), for example, outlawed bonus buy in 2019. UKGC figureheads feel that compulsive gamblers face serious risk when this opportunity is available.

They’re right to worry about players who already have a problem with gaming. Using feature buy 1-2 times doesn’t seem like a huge deal.

However, a gambling addict probably won’t stop at just 1-2 uses. They’ll continue betting huge stakes if they fail to collect a large win.

Long story short, you can’t use feature buy in the UK and a few other countries. More gaming jurisdictions may ultimately get on board with this movement in the future too.

Should You Ultimately Use Feature Buy?

Whether or not you use bonus buy depends on a few factors:

• Your bankroll size.
• How much you enjoy playing the bonus vs. base game.
• If you enjoy the thrill of the chase more than instant gratification.
• How disciplined you are when it comes to gaming.
• If you love chasing big payouts.

Remember, this option presents considerable risk. I certainly don’t recommend using feature buy when your bankroll is only worth $20 or $30.

Otherwise, you’re essentially paying for an expensive lottery ticket. You’ll get far more play by spinning the reels manually and taking your chances at triggering the bonus.

Assuming you do have an adequate bankroll, you should weigh just how much you care about the feature. If you’re new to a game and still love the base game, then you have no reason to use this option.

You also need to consider if you have any tendency towards problem gambling. If so, you should do everything possible to avoid bonus buy.

Finally, you want to think about just how much the top prize means to you. Assuming it’s not everything, you can stretch your bankroll much further in the base game.

Conclusion

Feature buy presents a mixed bag regarding when you should or shouldn’t use it. I suggest that you play games naturally in the beginning.

As you grow tired of the base game, you might consider using bonus buy at least once. Whether you use it again should depend upon how much you win and/or your bankroll.

In summary, feature buy is a handy opportunity that lets you play the bonus whenever. It shouldn’t, however, form the backbone of your gaming sessions.