All-weather fruit machines that can be played outside to accommodate smokers are a new idea being put forward by pub industry experts in an effort to boost falling trade.
Takings from pub fruit machines have fallen by £200 million in the past seven years. As a result many fruit machines have been disappearing from pubs, as landlords have had to get rid of them because they are making a loss.
Falling pub attendances largely due to the smoking ban, rising beer prices, competition from supermarkets selling cheap alcohol and the current state of the economy have accelerated the decline of pub fruit machine takings in the past year or so. Gambling machine profits have dropped by as much as 10 percent since the smoking ban in public places came into effect on July 1st last year. The British Pub and Beer Association also believe the rise of online gambling has had a negative impact on pub fruit machine takings.
A big percentage of fruit machine players also smoke, so the new idea of having all-weather fruit machines outside pubs will allow players to puff away while they are gambling.
The idea may take on but with the British weather being as it is, it will be difficult to get fruit machine players to play in the pouring rain. Players can gamble online from the comfort of their own home without having to worry about going outside in bad weather conditions if they want to smoke.
Trade bosses are also arguing for the upper pay-out limit on a single win from pub fruit machines to be increased from £25 to £35 as another way of getting people playing the machines again.
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