The bonus buy option was incredibly popular with players until it suddenly disappeared. This has left some players to believe that the option has been banned.
What is the Bonus Buy Option
The bonus buy option is a special feature which is offered to players, it is very enticing because it essentially allows them to skip the random chance element of a slot game. In slot games at sites such as Wizard Slots, a bonus can be difficult to trigger thanks to the variance. Sometimes players will have to spend a large amount before they can trigger these bonus games. Luckily, slot games have introduced a feature which circumvents these issues, the bonus buy option. It works very simply, players will have to pay anywhere between 70x and 130x their initial bet, the appropriate scatters will then land on the reel during the next round. The bonus buy option is a great way for players to access these features in an efficient way, the bonus buy option can also be purchased whenever it is available which means that players can enjoy it time and again.
Benefits of Using this Option
The bonus buy option may seem like an expensive investment for players but there are actually several benefits that come from using this option.
- Unlocks a bonus immediately – The most obvious benefit that players will receive, the chance to immediately access a bonus can be incredibly useful for players. It lets them skip spinning the reels and instead fully focus on the bonus.
- Increased RTP – Often, the RTP of a base game will be lower than in the bonus feature. Thanks to the bonus buy option, players can skip the lower RTP base game and instead head towards a bonus feature which offers more RTP.
- Better prizes – Another huge benefit that comes from using the bonus buy option is the chance to compete for better prizes, this is because a slot game will usually only offer lucrative prizes in it’s bonus features, unless it’s a progressive jackpot. Using the bonus buy option allows players to immediately compete for these prizes.
Why has it been banned?
Unfortunately, the Gambling Commision banned the bonus buy option in 2019. This had massive ramifications for the whole slot world in the UK as it was an intensely popular feature. However, there are genuine reasons why it has been banned.
- Rise of irresponsible gambling – The Gambling Commission found that UK players were spending more than average on a game which offered a bonus buy feature. They concluded that the bonus buy feature encourages players to make irresponsible decisions whilst playing slot games, some players would bet 100x their initial stake!
- UK only ban – The bonus buy feature can still be found in other countries, it is only banned in the UK. Developers often make two versions of a slot, a UK version without the bonus buy feature and an international version with the bonus buy feature.
Overall
The bonus buy option has been banned in the UK only as it leads to a dramatic rise of irresponsible gambling.
