Slots Bonus Buy & Why It Drives Gaming Regulators Crazy

Since being introduced in recent years, the slots bonus buy option has become quite popular. It allows you to quickly unlock features without putting in a bunch of work.

However, not everybody is a fan of buying bonuses. Gaming regulators are cracking down on this option to keep it out of their markets.

I’m going to discuss why bonus buy is such a controversial issue. I’ll also cover more on how this feature works in general.

What Is Slots Bonus Buy?

Slots normally require you to trigger features through some special feat. Most often, you need to land at least three scatter symbols anywhere on the reels to unlock a bonus.

Assuming you play a slot for quite some time, you should have no trouble triggering the feature a few times. However, you might also run into a drought and not get the bonus for a while.

The slots bonus buy option helps you skip all of the spinning associated with features. Instead, you just need to risk a multiple of your stake to automatically trigger the bonus.

For example, you might need to bet 70x your stake to unlock the feature. This amount is expensive, but it also gives you a chance to win big in the bonus round.

Why Do Regulators Fear This Option?

Gaming regulators look out for players and really try to prevent problem betting. The UK Gambling Commission is especially active in this regard.

Speaking of which, the UKGC recently led a fight against bonus buys. They took exception to how this betting feature encourages gamblers to risk a significant amount of money.

Some games with slots bonus buy call on you to risk 100x your stake or more. This bet is huge when you’re already wagering anywhere around a dollar.

The UKGC felt that allowing this type of betting mechanism is irresponsible. Therefore, they were able to get it banned in the UK.

Most other jurisdictions still allow this betting option. However, they may change their tunes in the future as well.