With video slots evolving at a rapid pace, game designers are constantly on the lookout for new ways to boost player interaction and push their creations to the forefront of online casino lobbies. A new breed of slot games emerged a few years ago, sparing players the hassle of spinning the reels repeatedly until they finally trigger the bonus feature.
Instead, these slots give players the option to purchase the feature for a set amount that is proportional to their stakes in the base game. This idea was popularized by the software studio Big Time Gaming, which implemented it in some of its standout titles, such as Extra Chilli and White Rabbit. Other developers quickly recognized the concept’s potential and began incorporating the feature-buy option into their latest slot releases. Now, let’s see how the feature buy works and whether it is worth using.
The Feature Drop in Big Time Gaming Slots
The Feature Drop
Free Spins – to Gamble Them or Not?
November 2017 marks an important milestone in the history of one-armed bandits, as it is when Australian developer Big Time Gaming released a game with an innovative feature that would forever change video slots. The slot in question was White Rabbit from the Megaways series. It debuted a new trademarked functionality called the Feature Drop.
This feature allows players to launch the bonus – usually a round of free spins – without first unlocking it in the conventional way by landing a specific symbol combination in the base game. Instead, they can activate free spins immediately, and there are two ways to do so.
The first way is to simply purchase the bonus feature. The price for this “shortcut” equals 100x your base bet. If you wager $0.10 per spin, the feature will cost you $10, but if you wager $2, the cost climbs to $200, and so on. The cost of the purchase is displayed under the reels next to your stake and updates each time you adjust your base bet.
Once you purchase your free spins, the software automatically deducts the corresponding amount from your balance and re-spins the reels. The scattered symbols then align in position and activate the bonus feature.
In White Rabbit in particular, you can earn additional free spins by landing the special cupcake symbol during the feature. After you play through all free spins, you return to the base game, and the software adds your winnings to your balance.
The developers have added an interesting twist to make Feature Drop games more interactive. Special BGT golden coin symbols of various sizes and shapes do not form winning combinations; instead, when they appear on the reels, they reduce the price of the Feature Drop purchase by specific amounts – 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 1, or 2.
It is possible to reduce the price of the free spins to zero, provided you collect enough BGT coins. When this happens, the bonus rounds start automatically on the next spin. Naturally, you can also buy the feature whenever you have gathered enough coins to bring the price down to a comfortable level. Unfortunately, these special coin symbols do not land on the reels very often.
View more...Some Big Time Gaming slots give players the option to purchase free spins and then gamble them for a chance to earn additional bonus rounds. This is the case in Extra Chilli, where you can win up to 24 free spins after buying the Feature Drop.
The cost is also 100x your base bet. After the purchase, the game awards a random number of free spins, with the minimum being eight bonus rounds. You exit the base game, and the software displays the Free Spins Gamble Wheel. You can spin the wheel for a chance to reach the maximum of 24 free spins or simply collect the current number of rounds awarded.
Each successful gamble grants four additional free spins and the opportunity to spin again to further boost your total. An unsuccessful gamble either leaves you with the initial number of free spins or causes you to lose them altogether. In Extra Chilli, the free spins also feature unlimited win multipliers that start at 1x and increase after every win you record during the round.
It is best to refrain from experimenting with this gamble wheel because you risk losing something you have already paid for. The mechanic is similar to the gamble feature in standard slots and video poker, which activates after a win.
You can attempt to quadruple or double your payout by drawing a playing card of higher value than that of the virtual dealer. If you fail, you lose the winnings from the last spin.
View more...Other Software Companies to Utilize the Feature-Buy Option
After Big Time Gaming pioneered the Megaways pay structure with the Feature Drop, it became an overnight success and the studio began licensing it to other developers. However, most of these studios do not give players the option to reduce the cost of bonus features by collecting items, as is the case with the Feature Drop in Big Time Gaming’s slots.
Instead, free spins and bonus games can be purchased at a fixed price, which varies depending on the game you choose to play. Below, you will find six of the best software studios that offer slots with the Feature Buy option.






Betsoft
Betsoft is one of the leading providers of 3D slots in the industry and utilizes proprietary technology similar to that used in animated movies. The developers initially built their games with Flash technology until the studio transitioned to HTML5 in 2016.
Betsoft has acquired licenses from the regulators of Malta, Romania, and Italy. Its slots are available at more than 500 online casinos that accept customers from around the globe. Some of the studio’s most distinguished clients include LeoVegas, Mr Green, Guts, and Rizk Casino. Below are our top three Betsoft slots that feature the Feature Buy option.
The Feature Drop in Betsoft Slots
Chilli Pop Slot
Yak Yeti and Roll Slot
The Golden Owl of Athena Slot
Chilli Pop is a 5-reel slot with a quirky yet spicy Mexican theme. The game pays in clusters whenever identical symbols land adjacent to each other on the reels. When they form part of a winning combination, the symbols explode, creating space for new icons to cascade into place. If you get tired of waiting for free spins, you can buy 10 rounds at a price ranging from $24.50 to $2,450.
View more...Yak Yeti and Roll is another visually impressive Betsoft creation that plays on 5 reels and 20 fixed paylines. This Eskimo-themed game offers wilds, scatters, cascading multipliers, and free-spin multipliers. Winning combinations pay from left to right. You can buy 9 free spins with 4x multipliers for anywhere between $14 and $1,400.
View more...The Golden Owl of Athena is one of many slots inspired by Ancient Greece. It plays on 5 reels with 10 fixed paylines and offers an RTP of 95.05%. Other special features include bonus symbols during free spins, a double-up game (i.e., a gamble feature after wins), and up to 20 free spins that you can purchase for $9.30 to $930.
View more...NextGen
NextGen is no newcomer to the online gambling world, having been established in 1999. The company has built a sizable catalog of slots over the last twenty years, although many of its earlier titles were quite similar in terms of gameplay and features.
Nevertheless, the developer has adapted to changes in the gambling industry and has started to release more original and creative slots in recent years to keep up with the competition. It obtained permission from Big Time Gaming to use its Megaways structure, and the result is the 2019 release we recommend below.
Medusa Megaways offers players an unconventional pay structure with 117,649 possible winning combinations. It is played on six reels plus one extra horizontal reel, has high variance with an RTP of 97.63%, and supports a bet range of $0.25 to $20 per spin. The Buy Pass feature lets you purchase 10 free spins with win reactions and unlimited multipliers. The cost ranges from $25 to $2,500. If you are unsatisfied with your wins, you can replay the feature at no additional cost, but doing so will void your previous winnings.
Blueprint Gaming
Blueprint Gaming has been creating slot games for both online and brick-and-mortar casinos for many years. The Atlanta-based company was acquired by the German gaming giant, the Gauselmann Group, in 2008. This acquisition allowed Blueprint to further expand its operations.
At present, Blueprint Gaming has more than 100,000 land-based slot machines in casinos across Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Its virtual creations are available at more than 40 of the world’s most acclaimed gambling sites.
Blueprint was one of the first companies to receive a Big Time Gaming license, which explains why it boasts such a comprehensive selection of Megaways titles with the Feature Buy. Check out our top three favorites below.
The Feature Drop in Blueprint Gaming Slots
Buffalo Rising Slot
Vikings Unleashed Slot
In Buffalo Rising, players dig for treasure that can reach as much as 250,000 credits. This is the flat jackpot of this 7-reel game (one of the reels is horizontal), which uses the Megaways structure with 117,649 ways to win. The slot also features cascading wins and mystery symbols that can lead to huge payouts.
The Buffalo Bet enables you to purchase free spins with unlimited multipliers. The price range is lower at $10 to $1,000 per feature purchase. Once you trigger the feature, you can choose from the following options – 15 free spins with multipliers starting at 1x, 10 free spins (5x), 5 free spins (10x), or the mystery choice, which awards a random combination of free spins and multipliers.
View more...Vikings Unleashed is a slot inspired by Norse mythology. Unlike most titles, it plays on 6 reels with the Megaways format. The game is a burst of color, yet sophisticated, crisp graphics are hardly its biggest draw. The main attraction is the round of 27 free spins with unlimited multipliers. If you get tired of waiting, you can trigger them by paying anywhere from $20 to $1,000.
View more...Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil’s slots have generated plenty of buzz within the reel-spinning community, and for good reason. They are innovative, highly interactive, and boast cinematic graphics that can be rivaled only by those created by the developers at Betsoft.
This is hardly surprising, considering Yggdrasil was founded by none other than the former CEO of NetEnt, Fredrik Elmqvist. Established in 2013, Yggdrasil relies on HTML5 code for its sophisticated iSense technology. This results in better animations, smoother stop-motion effects for the reels, and, of course, seamless mobile play. We consider the two slots below to be the best Yggdrasil offerings with a Feature Buy option.
The Feature Drop in Yggdrasil Slots
Dark Vortex Slot
Champions of Rome Slot
Dark Vortex is an All Ways Pay game, which means it has no traditional paylines. It pays for matches appearing on adjacent reels, giving you 3,125 ways to win. The slot features wilds and free-spin rounds with various enhancements. The maximum win is 73,180 credits, not bad at all.
You can buy your way into the free spins for a price that starts at $8. A brief pick-me game then asks you to select your number of free spins (up to 20) and your wild-stack value.
View more...Champions of Rome is one of the newer Yggdrasil releases, having launched in February 2019. The spinning action unfolds in one of the ancient world’s famed theaters, the Colosseum.
When players unlock a bonus feature, one of three random gladiators is selected to fight on their side. Each gladiator provides a different formation of wilds, adding four wild symbols to the reels. Buying into the feature will cost you anywhere between $100 and $2,500.
View more...Spinomenal
Spinomenal is a relatively new software provider, having been founded in 2014. The company grew exceptionally quickly and now boasts a portfolio of over 100 HTML5 games. Spinomenal releases one to two new titles each month, making it one of the fastest-growing slot development companies in the industry.
In addition to slots, it also develops scratchcards and various table games like roulette. Spinomenal’s games have reached more than 2.5 million reel spinners worldwide. Below are its best releases with a Feature Buy option.
The Feature Drop in Spinomenal Slots
Nights of Egypt Slot
Colossus Fruits Slot
Nights of Egypt is a 5-reel, 50-payline slot featuring stacked wilds, free spins, and intriguing Feature Buy options. You can purchase 10 to 40 free spins for $9.50 to $9,500 (if you can stomach spending that much for a single round).
The game displays a bonus wheel that you must spin to receive a random number of free spins (10, 15, 20, 30, or 40). Another cool perk is that you benefit from special double symbols for the duration of the feature.
View more...Colossus Fruits is one of our less conventional recommendations. Unlike the Feature Buy games mentioned so far, this title is a fruit machine with an original reel structure.
It plays on five reels. Reels 1 and 5 contain three symbols, while reels 2, 3, and 5 can display up to four symbols. On some spins, the symbols on the three center reels appear as colossal 3×3 blocks. Otherwise, the game awards cash prizes across 30 paylines. Free spins are normally activated when their special symbols land on reels 1 and 5 simultaneously, but you can also purchase them for $9.90 to $9,900.
View more...Pragmatic Play
Pragmatic Play is a leading software studio with over 150 premium casino games in its portfolio, most of which are slots. The studio was founded in 2015, making it one of the fastest-growing suppliers in the gaming industry.
This multi-award-winning developer has collected prestigious accolades such as Software Rising Star at the 2017 EGR B2B Awards and Best Digital Company of the Year at the Malta iGaming Excellence Awards. Currently, its Sweet Bonanza slot is all the rage among reel spinners.
Sweet Bonanza is one of the most original slot releases we have seen in recent years. It is played on six reels with five cascading symbols on each one. Symbols pay anywhere on the screen as long as you land at least eight matches.
After a win, the symbols disappear from the reels so that new ones can tumble down into their places, potentially creating more winning combinations. Bets range from $0.20 to $125, with the option to wager up to 10 coins per spin.
You can purchase 10 free spins by paying 100x your total bet. Accordingly, this will cost between $20 and $10,000. There is also a 25x bet multiplier that boosts your wager per spin and doubles the odds of triggering the bonus rounds naturally by creating more scatters on the reels.
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Should You Use the Feature Buy?
1It can get very expensive over time.
So, should players take advantage of the Feature Buy option in these highly innovative slots? In our opinion, the feature can be worthwhile, but only occasionally.
2Our Experience
You will often fail to win enough to cover the initial cost of your feature purchase. It is not uncommon to pay $20 to unlock the free spins and earn only $0.30 or $0.40 during the feature. This is exactly what happened to us on several occasions when we bought the bonus in Big Time Gaming’s White Rabbit. Such outcomes are largely due to the high volatility of most games that offer this option.
However, that does not mean you cannot land massive wins with your purchase. One player managed to rake in over $5,400 in winnings with the Feature Drop in White Rabbit, as you can see in the picture below.
3Stay within the limits of your budget
The bottom line is that you can buy your way into free spins from time to time if you are eager to unlock the feature, as long as you do not make a habit of it. Last but not least, it is important to remain within the limits of your budget. If your session bankroll is only $100, purchasing bonus features for $20 each would be reckless, would it not?