Buying Free Spins In The UK: What’s Actually Allowed?

If you’ve ever played an online slot game, you might have seen bonus rounds where free spins are triggered as part of the gameplay. These features often appear when certain symbols line up, unlocking extra chances to spin without placing another bet.

But can you actually pay to access these rounds directly in the UK? And if not, what alternatives are available?

This guide explains everything in plain English—what’s allowed, what isn’t, and how UK rules shape the way slots are designed. Whether you’re brand new or just want a clearer understanding, you’ll find straightforward answers here.

Can You Still Buy Free Spins On Any UK Casino Sites?

You can’t pay to unlock bonus rounds or special features like free spins within slot games on any site licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). This type of function—commonly known as a “Bonus Buy” or “Feature Buy”—allowed players to pay a fixed amount, often 50 to 100 times their stake, to access these features instantly.

This option is no longer permitted on UK-licensed sites. The ban was introduced to help reduce the risk of players spending large amounts quickly, and to support safer gambling practices. Bonus rounds can be particularly appealing, and the ability to buy them directly was seen as potentially harmful.

Bonus features must now be unlocked naturally during gameplay, usually by landing specific combinations of symbols. If you come across a site that offers paid access to these features while in the UK, it might be operating without a UKGC licence. This means you won’t have access to important protections like fair game regulation or built-in safer gambling tools.

Why UK Players Can’t Access Bonus Buy Features

The UKGC banned Bonus Buy features to try and improve player safety and reduce the possibility of sudden losses.

In games with Bonus Buy options, players could pay a fixed cost to jump straight to the bonus round, skipping the standard base game. This gave players quicker access to special features like free spins, multipliers, or other bonus rounds.

While this might have seemed like a convenient shortcut, the cost of these features could add up quickly—especially if used repeatedly.

For example, if a Bonus Buy cost was set at 80 times your stake, and your stake was £1, you’d pay £80 to access the bonus feature. Even though this could lead to spending significant amounts in a short time, many players were drawn to it, as it offered a direct route to bonus features without waiting for them to trigger naturally.

By removing the Bonus Buy functionality from UK slots, regulators aim to ensure gameplay stays paced, with features earned through play, rather than paid for outright.

What UK Slots Offer Instead Of Paid Free Spins

Although the Bonus Buy feature is not allowed, that doesn’t mean slot games in the UK are without features. Many games offer built-in ways to unlock bonuses, including free spins, through normal gameplay.

Here are some common slot elements you might come across:

Wild Symbols: These can substitute for other symbols to help form potentially winning lines.
Scatter Symbols: Usually, landing a specific number of scatters (e.g. three or more) during a spin can activate a free spins bonus round, depending on the game.
Multipliers: These can increase any potential winnings by a certain amount. Some slot games offer multipliers during free spins or after a win.
Cascading Reels: After a win, the winning symbols disappear, and new ones fall into place. This can create more winning chances from a single spin.
Pick-and-Click Games: You select one or more items from the screen to reveal a possible prize or feature.
Progressive Jackpots: These grow over time as players contribute to a shared prize pool. They are often triggered randomly or by specific symbol combinations.

Each slot game is designed differently, so the way features work will vary. It may be a good idea to check the game’s info section or paytable to better understand how these elements function.

Best Games With Built-In Free Spin Triggers

There are thousands of slot games licensed for UK players, and many offer free spin features as part of their normal gameplay.

Here are a few examples where free spins can potentially be triggered:

Book of Dead – Three or more scatter symbols award ten free spins with one expanding symbol.
Big Bass Bonanza – Land three or more scatters to unlock a free spins bonus.
Rainbow Riches Free Spins – Three or more scatters trigger the free spins feature.
Gonzo’s Quest Megaways – Free falls (a version of free spins) are triggered with four or more scatters.
Eye of Horus – Three or more scatter symbols trigger free spins with symbol upgrades.
Legacy of Dead – Like Book of Dead, three or more scatters give you free spins with a special expanding symbol.
Fishin’ Frenzy – A classic-style slot with a free spins feature unlocked by three or more bonus symbols.
Reactoonz – This game doesn’t use traditional reels. Instead, you charge a metre by making wins, eventually unlocking a bonus feature.
Buffalo King Megaways – Land three or more scatter symbols to trigger free spins with random multipliers.
Wolf Gold – Free spins are awarded when you land scatter symbols on specific reels.
Temple Tumble Megaways – Clearing certain areas on the reels unlocks a free spins round.

While these games all offer a free spins bonus, each one uses different rules and designs. You can review this information directly inside the slot before playing, using the “info” or “paytable” section.

Why Buying Free Spins Was So Popular With Players

Before Bonus Buy was banned, many players used it to reach bonus rounds more quickly. Rather than waiting for three scatter symbols to land naturally, players could pay a fixed amount to jump straight into the bonus section of a game.

This was often seen as a time-saver, or a way to focus on the parts of a game that offered the potential for bigger wins.

However, outcomes in these bonus rounds were still powered by Random Number Generators (RNGs), meaning results were never predictable or guaranteed. Whether you paid for the feature or reached it through gameplay, the result was still a matter of chance.

The concern was that by offering direct access at a higher cost, players were more likely to lose track of how much they were spending. This was a key reason the feature was removed from UK slot games.

Are Free Spins Still Worth It?

Whether free spins are worth it depends on how you prefer to play.

These bonus rounds can help add extra variety to the gameplay. Some players enjoy them because they offer additional spins without deducting more from their balance, while others may prefer to focus more on the base game.

Every slot is built differently. Some games are high volatility, which means wins may be less frequent, but potentially larger. Others are low volatility, offering the possibility of more regular wins that tend to be smaller. Neither is better—it simply depends on what kind of experience you’re looking for.

You might also notice each game displays a Return to Player (RTP) percentage. This is a theoretical value showing how much, on average, the game is expected to pay back over time.

For example, a slot with a 96% RTP may return £96 for every £100 wagered—over a large number of spins. However, this is not a guarantee, and your actual results will vary because all outcomes are determined by an RNG.

Whether you enjoy chasing features like free spins, or prefer straightforward gameplay, it all comes down to what suits your budget and preferences. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

Play Slots Online For Real Money at Bet442

If you are interested in trying slots, table games, or placing a sports bet, Bet442 has a wide range of options to explore.

As a UKGC licensed casino and sportsbook, Bet442 gives you assurance that your play is safe, legal, and properly regulated.

Use the safer gambling tools provided at Bet442 to keep your play comfortable and manageable. Remember to only ever gamble what you can afford to lose.

_{*All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins etc.) mentioned in relation to these slot games are subject to change at any time. Game features mentioned may not be available in some jurisdictions.}

_{**The information provided in this blog is intended for educational purposes and should not be construed as betting advice or a guarantee of success. Always gamble responsibly.}