You understand what a bonus hunt is — now it’s time to learn how to plan one properly. The difference between a chaotic session and a structured, trackable bonus hunt comes down to preparation. This step-by-step guide walks you through exactly how to plan a bonus hunt from scratch: choosing your slots, setting your budget, calculating your break-even target, and setting yourself up to track results live.
Before You Start: The Planning Mindset
Most players who try a bonus hunt for the first time do it backwards — they start opening bonuses without knowing their break-even target, without a defined budget, and without any way to track whether the session is going well or badly. The result is confusion, and often overspending.
Planning a bonus hunt before you start means you know three things before you open a single bonus:
- The maximum you can lose — your total collection budget
- What you need to win — your break-even multiplier
- How you’ll track it — your tracker is set up and ready
With those three things in place, every bonus hunt becomes a structured, data-driven session rather than a gamble-and-hope experience. Let’s build that structure now.
Step 1 — Set Your Total Bonus Hunt Budget
The first step in planning any bonus hunt is deciding how much you’re willing to spend in total on collecting bonuses. This is your hard ceiling — the maximum you can lose from this session, no matter what happens in the opening phase.
A practical way to think about it:
| Budget Level | Typical Hunt Size | What It Buys |
|---|---|---|
| £50–£100 | 5–10 bonuses | Small hunt, lower variance, good for beginners |
| £100–£300 | 10–20 bonuses | Medium hunt, better variance spread, most popular range |
| £300–£1,000 | 20–40 bonuses | Large hunt, high-variance potential, streamer territory |
| £1,000+ | 40+ bonuses | High-roller hunt, significant upside and downside |
Step 2 — Choose Your Bonus Hunt Slots
Choosing the right slots is one of the most important parts of planning a bonus hunt. You want a mix that balances upside potential, reasonable buy costs, and variety for entertainment.
What to Look for When Choosing Bonus Hunt Slots
Max win potential: Every slot on your list should have a max win of at least 5,000x your bet. One 5,000x hit on a £1 bet = £5,000. That single bonus can transform a losing hunt into a profitable one. Slots with max wins below 2,000x rarely move the needle enough to matter.
Bonus RTP: Check the paytable for the specific RTP of the bonus feature, not just the base game. Some slots have a bonus RTP of 97–98%+ even when the base game sits at 95–96%. This matters for long-term expected value across many hunts.
Provider variety: Aim for slots from at least 3–4 different providers. This spreads your exposure across different maths models and volatility profiles. If you load up entirely on one provider’s slots, you get concentrated variance rather than spread variance.
A mix of volatility levels: Include 2–3 medium-volatility slots alongside your high-volatility picks. Medium-vol slots are more likely to return a decent multiplier consistently — they act as a floor for your hunt total while the high-vol slots provide the ceiling.
Recommended Slot Types for a Balanced Bonus Hunt
- 1–2 “moonshot” slots — max win 25,000x+ (e.g. NoLimit City, Hacksaw Gaming). Low probability of hitting big, but when they do they can 10x your entire hunt cost.
- 3–5 “solid” high-vol slots — max win 5,000–15,000x (Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, Relax Gaming). The backbone of most hunts.
- 2–3 “reliable” medium-vol slots — max win 2,000–5,000x (NetEnt, ELK Studios). These keep your running total from collapsing if the high-vol slots underdeliver.
See our full guide on the best slots for bonus hunting in 2025 for specific game recommendations by provider.
Step 3 — Decide Your Bet Size
Your bet size determines the cost of each bonus buy and the value of each win. This is a critical decision because it directly sets your break-even multiplier.
The relationship is simple: higher bet = fewer bonuses you can buy = higher variance. Lower bet = more bonuses = more variance spread.
A practical formula for deciding bet size:
Example: £200 budget ÷ (15 bonuses × 100x average buy cost) = £0.13 bet
Round up to £0.20 for a cleaner number → 15 bonuses at ~£20 each = £300 total
Adjust until the numbers work cleanly for your budget.
Most recreational bonus hunters run bet sizes between £0.20 and £2.00. Streamer-level hunts often run £2.00–£10.00+ per spin with correspondingly larger budgets.
Step 4 — Decide How Many Bonuses to Collect
The number of bonuses in your hunt determines how spread your variance is. More bonuses = more data points = results that trend closer to the mathematical expected value of those slots. Fewer bonuses = more volatile outcomes in both directions.
| Number of Bonuses | Variance Level | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 5–10 | Very high | Beginners, small budgets, quick sessions |
| 10–20 | High | Most recreational players — the sweet spot |
| 20–35 | Medium-high | Experienced players, streamer sessions |
| 35+ | Medium | High-roller hunts, long-form content |
For most players planning their first or second bonus hunt, 10–15 bonuses is the ideal starting range. It’s long enough to be interesting and produce meaningful variance spread, short enough to complete in a reasonable session.
Step 5 — Calculate Your Break-Even Multiplier Before You Start
This is the step most players skip — and it’s one of the most valuable parts of planning a bonus hunt. Knowing your break-even multiplier before you open a single bonus tells you exactly what you need from the session to not lose money.
The formula:
Example: You spent £180 collecting bonuses at £1.00 bet size
Break-Even Multiplier = £180 ÷ £1.00 = 180x average per bonus
That means every bonus in your hunt needs to return an average of 180x your bet for you to break even. Now you have a target to aim at as you open.
You don’t need to calculate this manually. The SlotDecoded Bonus Hunt Tracker calculates your break-even multiplier automatically as soon as you enter your bonuses — and updates it live after every result during the opening phase.
Want to calculate it before your session even starts? Use our Bonus Hunt Calculator to work out your break-even target in seconds.
Step 6 — The Collection Phase (How to Build Your Hunt List)
With your budget set, slots chosen, bet size decided, and break-even target calculated, you’re ready to collect. Here’s how to run the collection phase efficiently:
Using Bonus Buys (Fastest Method)
- Navigate to your first chosen slot
- Set your bet size to your planned amount
- Click the Bonus Buy button (usually shown as a lightning bolt, gift box, or “Feature Buy”)
- Confirm the purchase — the bonus triggers immediately
- Do not click “Play” or “Start” on the bonus — close the game immediately once the bonus is triggered but before it plays out
- The bonus is now saved. Move to your next slot and repeat.
Triggering Naturally (Budget-Friendly Method)
- Navigate to your chosen slot at your planned bet size
- Spin until the bonus feature triggers organically
- Once triggered, close the game before the bonus plays out
- Note: the cost of triggering naturally is the total spent on spins before the bonus landed, not a fixed amount
- Move to your next slot and repeat
Add Each Bonus to Your Tracker as You Collect
As you collect each bonus, immediately add it to the SlotDecoded Bonus Hunt Tracker: the slot name, provider, bet size, and cost. By the time you’ve finished collecting, your tracker already shows your total cost and your break-even multiplier — ready for the opening phase.
Step 7 — Track Everything as You Open
The opening phase is where planning pays off. Because you’ve already entered all your bonuses into the tracker, all you need to do during opening is:
- Open each bonus in whatever order you choose
- Enter the result (total payout) into the tracker immediately after each bonus completes
- Watch the tracker update your running profit/loss, ROI, and the required multiplier for remaining bonuses
- Decide your opening order based on the required multiplier (save your highest-potential slots for last if you’re behind — or open them early if you want to front-load excitement)
When all bonuses are opened, the tracker generates a complete summary of your hunt — shareable via a link if you want to post results to Reddit, Discord, or share with friends.
Common Bonus Hunt Planning Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Why It’s a Problem | How to Avoid It |
|---|---|---|
| No budget set in advance | Easy to overspend during collection | Decide your total ceiling before you start and stop when you hit it |
| All high-volatility slots | High chance of a total wipeout, no floor | Include 2–3 medium-volatility slots as variance anchors |
| No tracking | You don’t know your break-even target as you open | Use the free tracker before opening the first bonus |
| Chasing losses by buying more bonuses mid-hunt | Changes break-even target and inflates total cost | Decide on number of bonuses before collection starts and stick to it |
| Ignoring bonus expiry times | Saved bonuses can expire before you open them | Check your casino’s terms on pending bonus expiry before collecting |
| Bet size too high for budget | Limits number of bonuses, inflates break-even multiplier | Use the bet size formula in Step 3 to size appropriately |
Your Bonus Hunt Planning Checklist
Before you collect your first bonus, run through this checklist:
- ☐ Total budget set and committed — I’m comfortable losing this in full
- ☐ Slot list chosen — mix of max win tiers and providers
- ☐ Bet size calculated using the budget formula
- ☐ Number of bonuses decided (recommend 10–20 for most players)
- ☐ Break-even multiplier calculated (or tracker ready to calculate it)
- ☐ Casino bonus expiry terms checked
- ☐ Bonus Hunt Tracker open in a separate tab, ready to add bonuses
Plan your bonus hunt with the free tracker
Add bonuses during collection, track results live during opening. No signup, no download.
Open the Free Bonus Hunt Tracker →What to Read Next
- Best Slots for Bonus Hunting in 2025 — specific game recommendations for your hunt list
- Bonus Hunt Calculator — calculate your break-even multiplier before your session
- Bonus Hunt Bankroll Guide — how much do you really need to start?
- What Is a Bonus Hunt? — go back to the basics if needed
Frequently Asked Questions — How to Plan a Bonus Hunt
How do I start planning a bonus hunt?
Start by setting your total budget — the maximum you’re willing to lose. Then choose your slots (aim for a mix of high and medium volatility), decide your bet size, and calculate your break-even multiplier. The SlotDecoded Bonus Hunt Tracker handles the maths automatically once you start entering bonuses.
How many slots should I include in a bonus hunt?
Most players include 10–20 slots in a bonus hunt. This gives a good balance of variance spread and session length. Beginners can start with 5–10 and scale up as they get comfortable with the format.
How do I calculate my break-even multiplier for a bonus hunt?
Divide your total cost of collecting bonuses by your bet size. For example, if you spent £150 collecting bonuses at £1.00 bet size, your break-even multiplier is 150x. That’s the average each bonus needs to return. The free tracker calculates this live.
Can I add more bonuses to a bonus hunt after I’ve started collecting?
You can, but it changes your break-even multiplier and the total cost of the hunt. It’s best to decide how many bonuses you want before you start collecting and stick to that number. Adding bonuses mid-hunt because early results look bad is a form of chasing losses.
What bet size should I use for a bonus hunt?
Your bet size should be set so that your total budget comfortably covers the number of bonuses you want to collect. Divide your budget by the number of bonuses and the average bonus buy cost (in x) to find a safe bet size. Most recreational players use £0.20–£1.00 per spin.
Do I need a special casino account to do a bonus hunt?
No special account is needed. Any licensed online casino that offers Bonus Buy slots will work. Some casinos restrict bonus buys for players using active promotional bonuses — check the terms if you have a casino bonus active before you start collecting.
How long does a bonus hunt take?
The collection phase for 15–20 bonuses via bonus buys typically takes 20–40 minutes. The opening phase for the same number usually takes 30–60 minutes depending on how long each bonus feature runs. A full bonus hunt session typically runs 1–2 hours.