Slots are one of the most popular game genres at UK online casinos. Today, players have thousands of slots to choose from, with titles inspired by hit movies, mythology, folklore, music, historical figures, space, and much more.
One of the most common elements of modern slot design is the bonus feature. Players can trigger free spins, respins, and a variety of other features while playing a slot’s base game. Features differ from slot to slot, with some truly innovative bonuses to be found. And they can be triggered in different ways, e.g. landing three or more Scatter symbols across the reels.
In some cases, though, bonus buy slots offer players the chance to take a shortcut to unlocking features instead.
How do they work? Why are they so popular? And why are they banned here in the UK?
We’ll answer these key questions below.
What are Bonus Buy Slots?
Bonus buy slots are common on the iGaming scene. Quite simply, these slots allow players to trigger specific bonus features for a price. It’s an alternative to waiting for a feature to trigger at random or for particular symbols to land first.
Players have the flexibility to play the game as they see fit, depending on whether they want to dive straight into a bonus feature or let the gameplay unfold without skipping ahead.
Features of Bonus Buy Slot Machines
Bonus buy slot machines typically offer a chance to trigger one bonus feature for a price, but some may allow you to purchase multiple features instead.
Here are three of the common feature types available in bonus buy slots:
Free Spins Feature
Free spins features are hugely popular amongst slot players. While the specifics of these features vary depending on the game, the concept remains the same: you can spin the reels for free. That means there’s temporarily no risk of losing your wager.
Some free spins features are basic. They may give you, say, five free spins that work in the same way as standard spins in the base game. Even in their most streamlined, stripped-back form, free spins features still bring you risk-free opportunities to win.
However, many free spins features incorporate extra features and prizes to extend the gameplay further. For example, expanding symbols might trigger during a free spins feature to help improve your chances of landing winning combinations. It may also be possible to retrigger a free spins feature repeatedly if you can land enough of the symbols required to activate it (usually Scatters).
Picking Games
Picking games are another fixture of slot games, though not quite as popular as free spins features.
A picking game involves clicking on certain items that appear on screen, such as special symbols or objects related to the slot’s theme. Each item picked will reveal an outcome, which could be cash prizes, additional picks, or free spins.
Respins
A Respin feature will cause the reels to spin one or more extra times after a paid spin, possibly with certain symbols held in place (e.g. Wilds). Respins can award cash prizes and may be retriggerable.
Slot Spin
The Concept of Bonus Buy Slot Games
The concept of bonus buy slots is simple: they give players the chance to take more control over the gaming experience. Instead of waiting to see if the right symbols will land or another triggering action will occur, they can dive straight into one or more bonus features whenever they like.
This can make a slot more appealing to players who prefer specific types of bonus features to the base game. High rollers, in particular, may be willing to pay a potentially large sum to skip ahead to features offering bigger payouts.
Bonus Buy Slots’ Popularity with UK Players
UK players may be attracted to bonus buy slots because they find the prospect of accessing a bonus round and the prizes on offer more exciting than playing a base game alone. They know they’re not relying on a feature to trigger naturally — they can choose when to play a bonus themselves.
But can you buy a bonus on slots in the UK? No, as bonus buy slots are banned in the UK.
Why are Bonus Buy Slots Banned in the UK?
UK-based players are unable to wager on bonus buy slots at the time of writing.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) introduced the ban in 2019, with an aim to safeguard players who may have a problem with controlling their gambling. Reactions to the ban were mixed, with some players understanding the UKGC’s motivations and others voicing their frustration over the loss of a popular feature.
Playing Slot Online
What are the Benefits of Playing Slots with Bonus Buy Features?
Bonus buy slots offer a number of major benefits:
- Players can access a bonus feature whenever they want, instead of waiting for the right symbols to align.
- Bonus features may offer the potential to win bigger prizes than the base game. Paying to trigger them instantly may be costly, but players could spend less overall when not repeatedly spinning the reels to try to trigger a feature.
- Triggering one bonus feature may lead to another, such as a picking game available in a free spins round.
Final Thoughts
While bonus buy slots are banned in the UK, it’s clear to see why they appeal to players. They allow you to jump right into bonus features as you see fit, provided that you’re willing to pay the price.
As always, it’s vital to gamble responsibly when using bonus buy slots. Only wager what you can realistically afford to lose, and focus on having fun.
Looking for the best slots in the UK? Check out Gambling Zone’s guide to the top slot games for UK players!
