Fruit Machine Chat

Despite rumours of the stake change to be on the 1st May, it has now been set to at least mid June. In a nutshell we are waiting for European approval from Brussels..

According to coinslot mag, 'in 2002 the average managed pub got £320 a week per machine, that has fallen to around £100 in 2009'.

It's a worrying time for operators, Leisure link saw it a mile off and got shot of it to Gamestec. Tec have major issues, a recorded loss of just shy of 20 million in the last year can't have helped.

Employment in machine manufacturing has fallen by 50% in the last 3 years....

The industry seems to think the stake increase will save them, i'm not so sure....

Yeah I heard this the other day too.

Those figures don't surprise me at all, but we've all been over why this has happened many times before I guess! I still honestly fail to understand why operating machines is not a licence to print money but I guess in many pubs, I (or most other players) are making more from the site in a week than the pub or the operator

Probably the 50% drop in machine manufacturing staff is due to BFM making clone after clone of Noel and Ant & Dec, hence reducing the need for any machine innovation staff whatsoever!

I think in 2002, looTing was reletively rare. A £2 bar here and there that took quite a while to do, and was far too hot for a lot of people.
Certainly in 2008/9, with multiple sets of looTers per city, I would estimate that at least half of city centre pubs made very little from their machines for large periods of time.
I expect that these figures are largely a result of looTing, and would be far more interested in 'coins in' readings for machines during these two periods. This would show the decline of the industry far more accurately.

If this useless government was more concerned about locking scumbags up than claiming for porn films then things wouldn't have got to this point. Being a criminal is a career choice for too many people.

harry2 wrote:If this useless government was more concerned about locking scumbags up than claiming for porn films then things wouldn't have got to this point. Being a criminal is a career choice for too many people.

Trust me the next Government will be as bad or worse!

I heard that the likes of Wetherspoons, Green King and Spirit dont wont the new £70. Personally I agree with them. The only people that want these bigger jackpots are amusement arcades and as far as i am concerned the can all go to HELL!

Blackcurrantsoda wrote:Despite rumours of the stake change to be on the 1st May, it has now been set to at least mid June. In a nutshell we are waiting for European approval from Brussels..

According to coinslot mag, 'in 2002 the average managed pub got £320 a week per machine, that has fallen to around £100 in 2009'.

just a little correction needed,blackcurrantsoda old boy.
the average managed pubs income fell by 100 pounds and not to 100 pounds .still a very worrying decrease all the same.
a smaller decrease(ammount not stated) within the tenanted sector was also reported.

its a worrying time for many of us, if the industry goes to the wall, all the players who do this for a living will have to find a real job! which is almost impossible in this current climate!! incidently, a couple of pubs near me (chain) have had theyre current machines updated ready for the new jp's. ie new £350 hoppers fitted and the "transfer £2" buttons changed to transfer £5!

Joe Public ain't gonna be too happy with one quid-start-lose scenario.

How many machines give a game first credit ?. Close to none. Any businessmanlike landlord should take a 20p/£10 jackpot machine for a month and see how it fares. At least it will get played.

indeed, my old man was asking me about it today, at the minute he wouldn't touch a fruit, he used to, when they were 10/15 and for a bit at 25...but now when you can get two goes on a quizzer for a pound, or one spin on a fruit....

what would you choose?

harry2 wrote:Joe Public ain't gonna be too happy with one quid-start-lose scenario.

How many machines give a game first credit ?. Close to none. Any businessmanlike landlord should take a 20p/£10 jackpot machine for a month and see how it fares. At least it will get played.

Spot on there harry, once these DO get the ok and are in every pub up and down the country, the average joe is gonna keep his coins in his/ her pockets. but as you said a 20p play machine WILL get played! ive said it before this is the beginning of the end for cat c fruits!!

mr lugsy wrote:

Blackcurrantsoda wrote:Despite rumours of the stake change to be on the 1st May, it has now been set to at least mid June. In a nutshell we are waiting for European approval from Brussels..

According to coinslot mag, 'in 2002 the average managed pub got £320 a week per machine, that has fallen to around £100 in 2009'.

just a little correction needed,blackcurrantsoda old boy.
the average managed pubs income fell by 100 pounds and not to 100 pounds .still a very worrying decrease all the same.
a smaller decrease(ammount not stated) within the tenanted sector was also reported.

Thanks for correcting

I dont think it will cause the end of machines for casuals in pubs. The increase is too big but it will STILL allow the player to select the stake.

Take for example...

30p, 50p and £1 play. OR at worst 50p/£1. These machines will still do well in a busy town centre Wetherspoons, local arcades but could prove to be too much for the quiet local. Then again i think a quiet local would be more suited to a low stake low jackpot machine.

It will be interesting to see how many £70 machines will get sited when it gets passed. Gamestec dont site many £25 machines now do they? wonder how long it will take before they stop siting £35s?

Maybe there could be a gap in the market to bring back lower stake awp's a good point raised there. In my local there is a £5 pcb, it gets played loads. I have a few pubs (tenanted) round my area that have an up to date £35 fruit and in the back room or seperate area there is an old £25 or £15 one, think the landlords buy these themselves for pocket money, but they do get played quite a bit. I'm not saying drag all the old fruits out again, (that would be great for us!), but make new machines with a lower stake to sit next to the higher stake machines. This may well happen with £35's and £70's, but a 25 or 10 pounder would be popular i'm sure.

why not have a machine with a multi stake-multi jackpot?


20p £10
25p £15
30p £25
50p £35
£1 £70


That way they wouldnt price everyone out of the market. I supoose the closest thing that we have to this is a Triple7 TuttiFruty type job.

playwithrob wrote:why not have a machine with a multi stake-multi jackpot?


20p £10
25p £15
30p £25
50p £35
£1 £70


That way they wouldnt price everyone out of the market. I supoose the closest thing that we have to this is a Triple7 TuttiFruty type job.

That's a good idea... I think the 70 pounders may have the function of dual stake, ie; £1 play £70 jp, 50p play £35 jp.

Will have to wait and see...