New gambling ACT of 2005

[OPETH]

How has this affected your clubs, I see the new laws a good opportunity to make extra profit on prize for cash bingo. As the game is no longer determined on cash in, its on what you garentee it at. Also the Prize 4 cash amount moving up to 50 pound payout.

Fruit machines will be tough, with only four 500 pound jackpot machines allowed, and slower reel spins meaning customers cant spend as much money as fast.
Also the new Cat C machines with 35 pound jackpots are a complete rip off, were in desperate need of some good machine promotions.

If anyone has any useful advice please

[Dio]

I've not really looked at the fruit machine side of things as that area doesn't interest me so much. I thought up until now Bingo clubs couldn't have machines with anything higher than the £25 jackpot? Are these £500 machines something new for the clubs? What price are they a go? I bet with 4 machines with those payouts, the queues to play them are really long!

[OPETH]

Originally Posted by Dio

I've not really looked at the fruit machine side of things as that area doesn't interest me so much. I thought up until now Bingo clubs couldn't have machines with anything higher than the £25 jackpot? Are these £500 machines something new for the clubs? What price are they a go? I bet with 4 machines with those payouts, the queues to play them are really long!

Before september first, clubs could have any amount of 500 pound jackpots. Also 500 pound machines called Section 21 which are now ilegal under the new act because there seen as a bingo terminal, also they were 2 stake, so to comply with Gamcare section 21 is now ilegal.

We have new machines called cat B3, either 25p, 50p or 1 pound to play, jackpot of 500. 4 of these maximum per club, customers tend to fight over them, which is an ongoing concern.

large bingo Clubs like Gala Fenton, and Gala Gateshead had up to 20 500 jackpot and section 21 machines, they have now been downsized to 4.
thats a massive drop, and has hurt machine income.

My club is smaller, we only had 4 500 pound machines anyway, so our only changes were stake settings, and the conversion of section 21 to cat B3.

[thebigbadal]

A local fruit Machine gaming centre recently applied to the local authorities for its premises to be divided into 4 gaming areas and if granted, will able to have 16 (S21) machines in play.
If this goes ahead then that will open up the local bingo hall to make a similar application because it would be unfair competition .

[Dio]

Thanks for enlightening me thebigbadal. Can I just try to clarify this a bit, like I say, I don't really follow the Fruit Machine side of the game at all. Are clubs allowed the other cheaper machines alongside the B3 machines? So 4 B3 machines and as many as they like of the normal £25, 20p a go machines - is that correct or is there a limit on the lower jackpot style of machine as well?

[randomnumber]

As I understand it, legally there is a restriction to 4 high stake "jackpot" machines. Additional low stake machines are permitted but the actual number allowed depends on the conditions of the individual clubs licence.