Feature-buy is everywhere in slot marketing — except at UK-licensed casinos, where it’s banned. Here’s what it is, why Great Britain prohibited it, and the other safer-slot rules that set UK play apart.
A bonus buy (or feature buy) lets you pay a fixed price — commonly 50–100× your stake — to skip straight to a slot’s free-spins or bonus round rather than waiting for it to trigger. It’s popular because it removes the quiet base game, but it also lets a player commit very large sums on a single press, with no guarantee the bonus pays off. That intensity is what put it in regulators’ sights.
As part of a package of online-slots reforms in force from 31 October 2021, the UK Gambling Commission prohibited feature-buy at GB-licensed casinos, alongside other structural features linked to harmful, high-intensity play. The concern was straightforward: buy-features let people spend far more than they intended, very fast. So on a UK-licensed site you’ll find the same games — Gates of Olympus, Sweet Bonanza, Money Train 2 — simply without the buy button.
These rules make UK-licensed slots deliberately slower and calmer than versions elsewhere — that’s the point. You keep the same games and the same RTP, without the features designed to speed up spending. If you see a “buy bonus” button aimed at UK players, read it as a warning that the site isn’t UK-licensed and you’re less protected. 18+.
Verified against the UK Gambling Commission’s online-slots design rules (in force 31 October 2021) — July 2026. Informational, not legal advice. 18+.
What is a bonus buy (feature buy) on a slot?
It's an option to pay a fixed price — often 50 to 100 times your stake — to jump straight into a slot's bonus round instead of waiting for it to trigger. It removes the wait, but it also lets a player stake very large amounts per press, which is why regulators became concerned.
Is bonus buy banned in the UK?
Yes. As part of the Gambling Commission's online-slots reforms in force from 31 October 2021, feature-buy (bonus buy) is prohibited at Great Britain-licensed casinos. You will not find it on a UK-licensed site — the same games are simply offered without the buy button.
What other slot rules changed in the UK?
The same package permanently banned autoplay, set a minimum spin speed of 2.5 seconds (no turbo or quick-spin), banned ‘slam-stop’ / illusion-of-control features, and banned effects that celebrate a net loss as a win. Operators must also show elapsed time and net spend during a session.
A casino offers me a ‘buy feature’ — is that a problem?
If a site targeting UK players offers feature-buy, autoplay or turbo spins, it is not following UK rules and is almost certainly not UK-licensed. Treat it as a red flag — see our guide on checking a casino is legit.