Reads the small print so the rest of the site does not have to oversell anything.
Updated
This page carries figures checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Studios publish new RTP settings and casinos change their rules: re-check the sources at the foot of the page.
A bonus buy lets you pay a set price, usually 100x your stake or more, to jump straight into a slot's free spins. No waiting. No dead spins.
Here's the plain version. It doesn't change the long-run maths in your favour. The bought round still has an RTP under 100%, so on average you get back less than you paid, every time. Some studios set the buy RTP a touch higher than the base game. Some set it a touch lower. Neither turns a losing game into a winning one.
What a buy does change is speed. A decision that used to cost 1x now costs 100x, and you make it in one click. That's why Great Britain's regulator went after it, and why the studios' own notes say their buy features aren't offered there.
The twelve games below all have a buy somewhere. They're ranked by Spin Score, which scores the game, not the buy. I'd play most of them. I wouldn't buy into any of them.
At a glance
What it is
Pay a fixed multiple of your stake to start the bonus round straight away
The maths
Still a negative expected value; a 98% buy still loses 2x per 100x on average
The real cost
One click spends what 100 or more normal spins would
Where you can't
Great Britain: the regulator pushed operators to remove it in 2020
Our advice
Skip the buy. Use the free demo if you want to see the bonus
Best game here
Razor Returns, ranked on the game itself, not the buy
On this page
The 12 best bonus buy slots, ranked
Ranked by Spin Score across every provider we cover, with no more than three from one studio. Spin Score = 40% RTP, 15% max win, 30% free spins round, 15% base game. How we score
Ranked first because the game is good: 96.55% RTP, a 100,000x highest observed win and free spins that start at x1, x5 or x25 depending on the scatters. Our record for it notes the buy isn't offered in some markets, the UK among them. It also has Push Bet, which raises the stake by 10%. That's another way of paying more per spin, so read it the same way you'd read a buy.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%8.6
Max winData · 15%10.0
Free spins roundEditors · 30%9.0
Base gameEditors · 15%7.0
What it is: A 5x5, 40-line sequel to Razor Shark with mystery stacks, a richer Razor Reveal feature, bonus buys and a Push Bet option.
Free spins round: Free spins start at x1, x5 or x25 depending on scatters, mystery stacks nudge to raise the multiplier, and Razor Reveal can fire inside the round.
Base game: Nudge and Reveal plus Razor Reveal with collectors, multipliers and converters give the base game regular features.
RTP, volatility and max win as Push Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
The best RTP of the twelve at 96.83%, which puts it second. The free spins are good on their own merits: Jam Jar wilds move around an 8x8 grid and their multipliers grow with each win they join. A buy skips the base game, and that's a shame here, because cascades and the Rainbow feature give it something to do. Push also lists a 94.25% setting, and that applies to everything, buys included.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%9.5
Max winData · 15%8.4
Free spins roundEditors · 30%8.0
Base gameEditors · 15%7.0
What it is: An 8x8 cascading cluster-pays grid where clusters of five or more fruits pay and Jam Jar wilds carry growing multipliers.
Free spins round: Jam Jar wilds move around the grid in free spins and their multipliers grow with each win they join.
Base game: Cascades and the random Rainbow feature with giant fruits add action between bonuses.
RTP, volatility and max win as Push Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
The buy here costs 100x, and SlotCatalog says the bought bonus runs at 98% RTP. That's the best buy figure in our data. It still means an average loss of 2x per purchase, on a round whose results swing from small to 50,000x. Relax doesn't offer the buy in the UK. The Money Cart bonus scores 10 either way, and the 96.4% base game is the cheaper way to get there.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%8.2
Max winData · 15%10.0
Free spins roundEditors · 30%10.0
Base gameEditors · 15%5.0
What it is: A 5x4, 40-line western slot built around the Money Cart bonus: a sticky-symbol respin round where special characters collect, add and multiply values.
Free spins round: The Money Cart bonus is a 3-respin hold-and-win round with Collector, Payer, Sniper and Necromancer symbols, and the grid grows when reels fill.
Base game: Two scatters trigger a respin feature with a building multiplier; outside that, base spins are mostly quiet.
RTP, volatility and max win as Relax Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
NetEnt lists a feature buy but says it isn't offered in every market. It's tempting on a game with a base game this dull, scored 3: nine lines and a long wait for three scatters. The bonus scores 9, with three sticky-wild modes and multipliers up to 16x. RTP is 96.8%. On max win, NetEnt's page shows 1,600x in its stats box and 100,000x in its Train Heist text; we use the latter.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%9.4
Max winData · 15%10.0
Free spins roundEditors · 30%9.0
Base gameEditors · 15%3.0
What it is: A 5x3, 9-line western slot. Three scatters award 12 free spins and a choice of three sticky-wild bonus modes with different multiplier rules.
Free spins round: Three free spins modes to choose from (Old Saloon, High Noon Saloon, Train Heist) built on sticky wilds and multipliers up to 16x, with retriggers.
Base game: The base game is mostly plain line hits on 9 lines while you wait for the scatters.
RTP, volatility and max win as NetEnt publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
A Megaways game show licence with a 72,310x ceiling. The free spins already include a gamble, the Hot Seat, where you risk your spin count for up to 50 spins with an unlimited multiplier. A buy adds a second layer of paying for a chance at a chance. Cascades give a 37.04% hit frequency, so the base game isn't the slog that makes buys tempting. RTP is 96.3%.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%7.9
Max winData · 15%10.0
Free spins roundEditors · 30%9.0
Base gameEditors · 15%7.0
What it is: A licensed game-show Megaways slot with up to 117,649 ways and cascading wins. Before free spins you can gamble the spin count in the Hot Seat.
Free spins round: Hot Seat gamble lets you play up to 50 free spins, which carry an unlimited multiplier and unlimited retriggers.
Base game: Megaways with Dual Reaction cascades gives regular chain wins in the base game.
RTP, volatility and max win as Big Time Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
Two free spins types, upgraded by collecting Heartstopper symbols, and a 100,504x max win. Base spins are dry apart from Angel wilds on the central reels, which is the classic setup that sells buys. Big Time Gaming lists RTP at 96.43% or 96.31%, and the buy's availability varies by market. Very high volatility. A buy here is one ticket in a very long raffle.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%8.3
Max winData · 15%10.0
Free spins roundEditors · 30%9.0
Base gameEditors · 15%5.0
What it is: A 6x4, 4,096-ways slot themed on The Cult's song, with Lil Devil and Angel wilds. The bonus offers two free spins choices that Heartstopper collection can upgrade.
Free spins round: A choice of two free spins types, and collecting Heartstopper symbols builds toward enhanced versions of both.
Base game: Angel Wilds can land on the central reels; otherwise base spins are fairly dry.
RTP, volatility and max win as Big Time Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
Big Time Gaming calls its buy Feature Drop, and on Extra Chilli it's the selling point: the game was built around buying free spins with an unlimited win multiplier. It isn't available in the UK. Before the spins start, a gamble wheel can raise the count up to 24. RTP is listed as 96.15% to 96.41%. Medium-high volatility, the gentlest game on this page.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%8.2
Max winData · 15%8.7
Free spins roundEditors · 30%9.0
Base gameEditors · 15%7.0
What it is: A Megaways slot with up to 117,649 ways and cascading wins, set in a Mexican market. Feature Drop lets you buy free spins, which carry an unlimited win multiplier.
Free spins round: Free spins come with a gamble wheel to raise the spin count up to 24, and an unlimited multiplier that rises with each cascade.
Base game: Cascades and the extra reel give frequent small chains in the base game.
RTP, volatility and max win as Big Time Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
The biggest ceiling here at 150,000x, and a Money Cart bonus that starts on 6x4 and unlocks rows with more than 20 features in play. The bonus scores 10. Relax doesn't offer the buy in the UK, and its UK game ID suggests a 92% version there anyway. Bets top out at 6, so buy prices are capped too, which is the only gentle thing about it.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%7.3
Max winData · 15%10.0
Free spins roundEditors · 30%10.0
Base gameEditors · 15%6.0
What it is: A scatter-pays slot that ends the Money Train series, with a Money Cart hold-and-win bonus starting on 6x4 and unlocking more rows.
Free spins round: The final Money Cart bonus adds the Arms Dealer, Upgrader, Unlocker and Reset, with more than 20 features in play.
Base game: A base game respin feature and the Arms Dealer, who can hand out features at any time, add some base action.
RTP, volatility and max win as Relax Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
Bigwinboard lists four buys: Bloodletting Spins at 100x, Surgery Spins at 250x, Experimental Spins at 1,800x, and a lucky draw at 330x. It doesn't list their RTPs, and neither does Nolimit City's page, so you'd be paying up to 1,800x for odds you can't read. The game itself is strong, with a base game scored 8. RTP 96.06% at best, with settings down to 84.01%.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%7.2
Max winData · 15%10.0
Free spins roundEditors · 30%9.0
Base gameEditors · 15%8.0
What it is: The sequel to Mental, on 5 reels with 108 base ways that Fire Frames and Fire Reels split into more. Enhancer Cells add wilds, xSplits and xNudge wilds, and Dead Patients reveal multipliers up to x9,999.
Free spins round: Three free spins rounds plus a God Mode, with Dead Patient multipliers up to x9,999 that carry through the round.
Base game: Fire Frames, Fire Reels, Enhancer Cells and Dead Patients fire constantly, and the max win can land in the base game.
RTP, volatility and max win as Nolimit City publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
Four buy levels, including a 500x option that starts the bonus with persistent symbols already in place. The Money Cart round, with the Shapeshifter, Absorber and Tommy Gun, scores 10. RTP is 96.1%, with 94% and 90% settings listed, and the buys aren't available in the UK.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%7.3
Max winData · 15%10.0
Free spins roundEditors · 30%10.0
Base gameEditors · 15%5.0
What it is: A 5x4, 40-line sequel where the Money Cart hold-and-win bonus adds persistent symbols that keep acting on every respin.
Free spins round: Money Cart bonus with persistent characters, the Shapeshifter, Absorber and Tommy Gun, plus four bonus buy levels including a 500x persistent option.
Base game: Base game has some respin teases, but most value sits in the bonus.
RTP, volatility and max win as Relax Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
The buy menu is the longest in our data: boosters from 2x to 5x, Lucky Wagon Spins from 60x to 4,000x, lucky draws at 240x and 2,350x, and a 7,000x option, per Bigwinboard, with no buy RTPs published. A 7,000x button exists. Think about that. The game itself is busy and well made, with a base game scored 8. RTP 96.05% at best, down to 84.07%.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%7.1
Max winData · 15%10.0
Free spins roundEditors · 30%9.0
Base gameEditors · 15%8.0
What it is: The third mining game, on a 6x6 grid with collapses. xBomb wilds explode to raise the multiplier and reveal features hidden in ice blocks.
Free spins round: Lucky Wagon Spins come in 3 to 6 scatter versions plus an Evil Dwarf variant, with coins that collect values down each reel.
Base game: xBomb wilds, Wild Mining and ice blocks hiding features act on most spins, with a gamble option on 2-scatter results.
RTP, volatility and max win as Nolimit City publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
Two bonuses on a 6x6, 50-line board: a Fortune Link respin round collecting bullion and multipliers, and free spins where the banker grows by eating money bags. Bullion and multiplier symbols land often in the base game, scored 7, which makes the buy less necessary than on most games here. RTP 96.43% with a 94.45% setting; highest observed win 25,000x.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%8.3
Max winData · 15%8.8
Free spins roundEditors · 30%8.0
Base gameEditors · 15%7.0
What it is: A 6x6, 50-line 1920s slot with bullion and multiplier symbols, a Fortune Link respin feature and growing-banker free spins.
Free spins round: Two bonuses: a Fortune Link respin round collecting bullion and multipliers, and free spins where the banker grows by eating money bags.
Base game: Bullion and multiplier symbols land often and a random Red Car feature adds wilds or safes.
RTP, volatility and max win as Push Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
Demo buttons open the free-play version on the game studio’s own site: no deposit, no account. We are not paid for them. How we make money
What a bonus buy is
A button, usually labelled Buy Bonus, Feature Drop or Feature Buy, that starts the free spins round for a fixed price. The price is a multiple of your current stake. At a stake of 1, a 100x buy costs 100. At 2, it costs 200.
Many games offer several. Money Train 3 has four levels. Fire in the Hole 3 runs from 60x to 7,000x. Some sell boosters that raise the chance of a bonus on normal spins, which is the same idea in smaller pieces.
Fifty-six of the 105 slots we score list a buy somewhere. It's the norm now, not a niche.
The maths, plainly
Every bought bonus has an RTP below 100%. Studios and testers publish the figure for some games, and it sits in the same narrow band as the base game.
Game and buy
Price
Buy RTP
Money Train 2
100x
98% (SlotCatalog)
Fire in the Hole xBomb, 5 scatters
500x
96.96%
Misery Mining, top buy
1,000x
96.77% to 96.85%
Mental, best case
80x to 1,000x
up to 96.47%
Le Bandit, Luck of the Bandit
100x
96.30% (base 96.34%)
Hand of Anubis, Judgement
200x
96.18% (base 96.24%)
The figures are from Bigwinboard unless marked. Take the best one, 98%. Spend 100x and the long-run average return is 98x. You lose 2x per buy on average, forever. At 96%, it's 4x.
That's roughly what 100 normal spins would cost you on average at the same RTP. So the buy isn't a worse deal per unit wagered. It's the same deal, sold in a much bigger unit. The bigger unit is the problem: a budget of 200 is two buys or 200 spins, and two buys can be gone in under a minute.
Some bought rounds have a slightly higher RTP than the base game, like the Nolimit City examples above. Some are slightly lower, like Le Bandit and Hand of Anubis. Either way it's a fraction of a percent, and it never crosses 100%.
What the average hides
The average is over a huge number of buys. Any single one can pay a small fraction of its price. These rounds are built so a few results pay enormous amounts and most pay much less than the headline, which is what high volatility means.
So two or three buys tell you almost nothing about the game. And because each one costs so much, it's very easy to lose a whole budget learning that.
Don't buy to win back a loss. That's chasing, at 100x a time.
Where bonus buys are blocked
In January 2020 the Gambling Commission, Great Britain's regulator, warned operators about feature buy-ins after finding six of them offering it. It said one game charged more than £3,000 to enter the bonus feature, and pointed to its rule that gambling products must not actively encourage customers to increase their stake. All six removed the feature.
Studios followed. Our records for Big Time Gaming, Relax Gaming and Push Gaming games note the buy isn't offered in the UK. For Pragmatic Play and NetEnt games, our records say the buy depends on the market. If you're elsewhere, the button may or may not appear depending on your country's rules and your casino's licence.
If you're going to buy anyway
Your money, your call. A few rules that keep it from getting out of hand.
Decide the number of buys before you start, and treat that as the whole session. Check the buy RTP in the game's info screen where it's shown; if it isn't shown, you're paying for odds you can't see. Use the lowest stake. Never raise the stake after a bad buy.
And try the free demo first. The build attaches one to each card where the studio offers it. If the demo shows a buy button, you can watch the round with play money and lose nothing. The responsible gambling guide has deposit limits, time-outs and helplines.
Every other one we scored
The rest of the 56 we scored, best first. They qualify but lost out on score or on the three-per-provider cap.
Not in money terms. The bought round has an RTP below 100%, so the average result is a loss, and each purchase risks a large slice of your budget at once. If you just want to see the bonus, the free demo shows it to you for nothing.
Does a bonus buy have a higher RTP?
Sometimes slightly. Bigwinboard lists Fire in the Hole xBomb's 500x buy at 96.96%, above the base game's 96.06%. Others are slightly lower, like Hand of Anubis's 200x Judgement buy at 96.18% against 96.24%. None is above 100%.
Why can't I buy bonuses in the UK?
The Gambling Commission warned operators in January 2020 that feature buy-ins conflicted with its rules, including one that products must not encourage customers to increase their stake. The operators it contacted removed them, and the studios' game notes in our data say the buy isn't offered to UK players.
How much does a bonus buy cost?
Usually around 100x your stake. The range in our data runs from small boosters at 2x to a 7,000x option on Fire in the Hole 3. Money Train 2's buy costs 100x; Mental 2's top buy costs 1,800x.
Are bought bonuses rigged to pay less?
There's no evidence of that in the figures studios and testers publish: the buy RTPs we've seen sit within a fraction of a percent of the base game. The issue isn't a hidden penalty. It's the size of each bet.
