Some slots, both in person and online, have the capability of being able to buy a bonus. With this option, you pay a set amount, and the bonus is automatically triggered. But it isn’t always clear what the bonus is based on:
When you buy a bonus. How much is the actual amount of the bet?
Eboney S.
We love this question because it can sometimes be confusing and not every manufacturer handles it the same way. Online tends to be a bit clearer than offline, so let’s start there.
With online slots, generally when you click the Buy a Bonus option, it will show the number that reflects the bet amount you had selected when you clicked it. So, if you were on a $1 per spin bet, the price shown will generally reflect buying a bonus based on if you triggered it at that $1 per spin level.
If more than one bonus buy option is available, each one is priced with that same bet level in mind, and the expected value that will be available over time (so ones with more juicy bonus potential will be priced higher than those that are lower payouts over time).
Some slots have arrows that let you raise and lower the price to the next higher/lower bet level, while others make you exit the screen, change the bet level, and open the Buy a Bonus screen again. But generally, it’s pretty clear to make a connection.
Offline isn’t always as clear. For example, on Aristocrat machines, it will show the various Bonus Buy options based on the denomination. It will show it as a 1x, 2x, etc. based on what’s available on the machine, and those will connect with the bet panel’s 1x, 2x etc. credit options.
So if we use Coin Trio Piggy Burst as an example, the 1x bonus option on the 1 cent denomination would be based on the 60 cent bet, the 2x based on the $1.20 bet, etc.
When Light & Wonder offers its Buy Pass feature, it tends to use the active bet level for those options as well, so it’s more similar to the online structure accordingly.
Buy a Bonus isn’t a particularly new feature, as there were slots a decade ago with the feature, but it’s still somewhat rare and the presentation and options for it are evolving. Add to that the fact that some casinos choose to disable the option, and ultimately it’s a bit of a novelty still when you come across it.
But hopefully that helps illustrate what to watch for when you look at the screen, and help understand what the bet amount vs. the normal cost per spin yields, so you can get a sense of how the bonus needs to go to see a winning one.
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