Join us as we delve into the online slot mechanic that is dividing the gambling community: the Bonus Buy feature. We discuss how providers and regulators view it and whether this aligns or conflicts with how video slot fans see it.
The question of the necessity and risks of developing online slots with the option to instantly trigger the game's bonus features is again under discussion due to a poll by Play'n GO.
While the Bonus Buy feature has been banned in the UK and the Netherlands, reading player forums and community posts shows that the majority of players did not agree with their regulators taking a hard legal stance rather than trying to bring balance by proactively limiting the maximum deposit multiplier and other player-friendly steps.
While these regulators find themselves pressed to become more player-focused rather than doing what is simplest, this does not seem to be the mentality of Swedish players, who welcome regulatory intervention even if it means limiting their rights to gamble online.
Play’n GO recently reopened Pandora's box when they decided to poll Sweden to test the market sentiment towards Bonus Buy slots. The poll took into account the views of Swedes who gambled online and non-gamblers.
The results of the poll were resoundingly in favour of limiting the scope of the special feature from both sides of the aisle:
The main concern among both video slot players and the general Swedish public is that the feature conflicts with local safer gambling programs and initiatives.
Slot players deem taking a stance against this feature as being pro-consumer and proof that gambling regulators have their constituents' best interests at heart, according to the following poll results:
The results of the poll prove that the decision by Play'n GO never to develop a slot featuring this mechanism was the right one for their growth and reputation in Sweden.
If you are still getting familiar with what Bonus Buy features entail, here is a quick rundown of what they offer and how they work to get you up to speed.
When playing online or mobile slots, the maximum advertised payout is generally only achievable during a special feature like free spins, respins, or some jackpot mini-game. However, depending on the volatility of the game, the chance of hitting this bonus round can be minimal, leading to extended periods of play where the only wins you can claim are those linked to the collection of matching symbols.
To help players bypass the tedium of these periods of play, several developers began including the option to instantly trigger the available bonus rounds. However, with the potential for winning several thousand times your bet, the cost of the feature ranges from eighty times your bet up to two thousand times (at the extreme high end).
For players who use the feature, when a slot machine has a high return to player (RTP) percentile (69% and above) with a high maximum win (say 5000x bet), it makes sense to pay a balanced fee (up to 200x bet) to secure a sizable payout.
The reason the feature has been banned in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and is now under scrutiny in the Swedish market is that it is believed to encourage compulsive gambling behaviours.
In 2020, the UKGC and Ksa reiterated their position on instant win features: “Gambling products must not actively encourage customers to increase their stake or increase the amount they have decided to gamble.”
Their view on Bonus Buy mechanisms is that they do both. They boost cost per spin by the buy-in multiplier and can, therefore, lead to players spending more per hour than they would have had they simply played at the base cost per spin rate.
The challenge with this thinking is that it presupposes that the feature encourages undesirable behaviour without proving that it does. If a player is focused on triggering free spins on a slot with a low feature spawn ratio they will likely spend the same amount of money and more time to achieve their goal.
Even in this attempt to balance the scales, we have used the term "likely" as there is little hard data or any other empirical evidence to prove either position. As important as market sentiment is, regulatory changes of this nature need to be driven by facts.
Another aspect of Bonus Buy features is the question of whether the availability of the feature encourages poor game design. When we say poor game design, we refer not to the outer skin but to the mechanics and mathematics underpinning the player's experience.
Loot boxes are often challenged in the video game industry for not only employing gambling tactics to encourage spending but also for their negative impact on game design. Like the Bonus Buy feature, loot boxes encourage consumers to pay money to skip playing the game.
Players are pushed towards the feature to skip boring and repetitive gameplay loops so they can “get to the good stuff”. When this mentality creeps into the development of games of chance, the software developers are incentivised to make base game spins boring and repetitive, so that players will be drawn to instantly triggering the big win feature via the Bonus Buy option.
We have selected seven video slots from across providers for you to play and decide for yourself if they are as enjoyable as their non-Bonus Buy-enabled peers.
The question of whether slots offering Bonus Buy features could be better designed is very personal, as what appeals to one player may not appeal to another. By playing these and other online slots, we hope you can come to your own conclusion about whether being able to instantly trigger high-value bonus features is important to you or not.
As always, one should never chase losses. This is true whether activating a special feature or spinning the base game. When the fun stops, so should you.
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