Bonus buy slots allow you to skip the base game and get straight into the bonus action. Below, we’ll show the best options for buy slots, where to play and how they work.
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Bonus buy slots allow you to pay a one-off fixed amount to access a bonus feature instantly. If you take the option, you’ll skip the base game and use the buy bonus to get a feature drop. Essentially, you’re getting access to high volatility features where larger potential payouts are available. Using feature buy mechanics changes the risk and cost, but it offers rewards by allowing you to buy free spins and other bonuses.
The best bonus buy slots are available in demo mode, allowing you to play for free and test the mechanics without risking your cash. If you want to see how feature buy slots work on a slot, playing a demo shows you:
The bonus gameplay
How much you need to spend
Volatility changes
Payouts
The downside is that you cannot withdraw any winnings that you make. You’ll be playing with virtual credits that have no cash value.
Once you’re ready, you can then move to full real money play on slots like Buffalo King Untamed Megaways and Big Bass Halloween II.
Sweepstakes casinos are ideal to play bonus buy games because they allow both bonus buy slots in free play and real money options. If you want regular access to top feature buy slots, sweepstake casinos are available in most US states.
Players on sweepstakes casinos can play completely for free using Gold Coins, while collecting promotional Sweeps Coins. It is possible to redeem Sweeps Coins for prizes, including gift cards and cash rewards.
Why we recommend: WOW Vegas works with top software providers like Big Time Gaming and BGaming to provide over 1,800 games, including WOW Originals. Bonus buy slots are available, and free play access is consistent through promotions, including a daily bonus wheel.
Why we recommend: This sweepstakes site boasts plenty of promotions for free play on bonus buy slots, including a no-deposit 5,000 coins welcome and daily rewards offering up to 2.4 Sweeps Coins. There are over 1,000 slots at Pulsz, including a dedicated section for bonus slots.
Why we recommend: You’ll find lots of slots that allow you to buy feature buy bonuses and free spins rounds at McLuck, as well as the casino’s site-wide progressive jackpot. New players can collect 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins to start playing for free.
Why we recommend: Stake.us is one of the leading sweepstakes casinos and offers top bonus buy slots and 2,000+ games overall, including live dealers and its own Stake Originals titles. There are lots of good bonuses, and the site supports payments through cryptocurrency, offering instant withdrawals.
Why we recommend: With over 2,000 games, Fortune Coins offers a huge slot library full of bonus buy slots alongside favorites like fish shooting tables. The sweepstakes casino has iOS and Android apps, making it easy to play the best slots and buy a bonus round.
Bonus buy slots are available online in the US through two different sources: regulated real money casinos and sweepstakes or social casinos. If you want to play this type of game, you’ll need to know the different between the two because where you are located is important.
Regulated real money casinos: allow players to deposit their own cash and then bet it playing games, with the potential to withdraw winnings.
💡 Only Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia have licensed online casinos.
💡 You can find bonus buy games on US iGaming sites, but not as many as on internationally regulated real money casinos.
Sweepstakes and social casinos: allow players to access games for free and do not require deposits, gambling, or withdrawals.
Social casinos are for entertainment only, while sweepstakes casinos use Sweeps Coins that players can redeem for cash.
Sweepstakes sites have an option for players to buy additional free play Gold Coins, but there is never an obligation to purchase to play.
💡 Location matters because sweepstakes casinos are available in many more states than real money casinos as they operate under sweepstakes/promotional laws and do not need a gambling license.
📌 You can play at sweepstakes casinos in all states apart from Washington, Michigan, Montana, California, New York, Connecticut, Nevada, Louisiana, and New Jersey.
Feature buy slots give players the option to buy bonus rounds by increasing their stake. Here’s how they work:
Choose a bonus buy slot you want to play. Check the paytable to see the cost of the buy feature and general game rules.
Most options for buying your way into a feature cost between 50x and 200x, with 100x being the most common. The amount depends on the game’s bonus round and payout potential. Some slots can go higher, up to 500x, or lower, down to 20x/30x.
Use the bet controls on the slot game to set your stake amount to buy the bonus round, skipping the normal base game.
Entering bonus rounds can change the RTP of a slot and increase the volatility, while you can miss out on multipliers that can be in the base game when you trigger a bonus. This means that buying into a bonus is risky because you pay a premium, get extreme swings, but potentially bigger payouts.
Bonus buy slots can be low, medium, or high volatility, but when you buy yourself into a feature, the game automatically becomes high volatility. If you want to make the most of these games, prepare for swings where you can have large wins or losses. Only bet with amounts that fit your bankroll. Buying bonuses multiple times in a session can deplete your budget much faster than normal play.
Strategy and myths never really go well together because there is a lot of misinformation about magic formula systems, but you can use real strategies to help you bet intelligently. If you focus on playing the best bonus buy slots smartly and avoid silly systems, you will have a better experience.
💡 Knowing what the $20 method at a casino is can help you avoid one of the biggest slot myths. This system claims that if you only spend $20 on one machine, you will manage your budget better. But it ignores that all slots are random and based on luck, and $20 is not going to be enough to buy features on most bonus buy slots.
Buy bonuses only if you have the bankroll, because feature buying can cost hundreds of times your stake.
Take the bonus buy if your bankroll allows you to make multiple attempts because single buys are too risky.
Choose slots with clear bonus rules and payout information to reduce your overall risk.
Avoid the bonus buys that cost too much i.e. between 300x and 500x your stake.
RTP shows the value of a slot over the long term
Volatility controls the frequency of payouts
Buy price controls your bankroll
Example: If you play a slot with a 96.5% RTP, a 100x bonus buy, and medium volatility, it will theoretically reduce your bankroll more slowly than a 97% RTP slot with a 500x buy and extreme volatility.
Set fixed session bankroll.
Limit the number of bonus buys per session.
Stop after one large win or loss.
Avoid chasing losses with higher buy levels.
Switch to base game play after failed buys.
What are bonus buys in slots?
Bonus buy slots allow players to pay extra to unlock a bonus feature directly without needing to play the base game. This gives access to features that can potentially provide bigger payouts.
On what slot machines can you buy a bonus?
There are hundreds of slot games that have a bonus buy feature. You’ll usually find the option on slots with lots of bonus rounds or games with big-paying bonus features.
Which are the best slots to buy bonuses from?
Slots that combine high RTP and medium/high volatility are good because you get a balance of big payout potential and long-term rewards.
How do bonus buy slots work on free play/demo?
Bonus buy slots in free play mode allow you to test a game and its bonus features before you risk your hard-earned money. However, you will not be able to withdraw any winnings because all demo games use virtual credits.
Is it worth it to buy the feature?
The bonus buy feature can be worth it for players with a large bankroll who don’t want to waste time losing in the base game on high volatility slots. Always consider your bankroll before you commit to buying a bonus.
Why are feature buys banned in some places?
Some countries ban bonus buy features because regulators link them to high volatility win/loss gameplay that can lead to problem gambling. While the features are banned in some places, the slots are available without the bonus buy.
How do bonus buy slots work at sweepstake casinos?
Sweepstakes casinos offer bonus buy slots, where players can stake the coins to access features and potentially win prizes through sweepstakes redemptions.
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