30 replies to this topic

[PJ]

I went into a pub in the middle of Arthur Street this evening, and the moment I entered, I was threatened by the landlord of another pub (so I presume, from his dialogue), and told "No you don't! I'd better tell you now, you and fruit machines don't mix round here, you've been scamming all the pubs in the area..." {not true!} "...you done my pub, you done my mate's pub round the corner, you ain't doing this pub, you c***!" - he was shouting and swearing in full view of about ten other customers (the barmaid was only about 5 foot, she was quite rightly staying well out of it, or maybe she'd already asked him to have a word 'cos she'd seen me playing once too often!...), and I'd not even touched the machine yet (Space Raiders @ 74%, FYI, MV).


I tried to explain that I wasn't scamming anyone or anything, but, as many regular pub players on here will testify, there's no reasoning with these paranoid idiots - once they get an idea like that into their head, it's set in stone that you're a low-down cheating thief! But this mug went on about "threatening my f*****g livelihood", and eventually had to be led off by his mate to get some air and calm down for five minutes (and probably have a little cry ) ...


But seriously, this is really quite insane, I mean:-

a) if fruit machines are really your livelihood, you're an arcade, not a pub;

if winning out of a pub machine threatens the pub's livelihood, the pub is already in deep trouble;

c) any publican who puts a gaming machine on their premises for customers to play is also gambling - and if they don't like people winning out of their machine, they shouldn't have them there in the first place!


As I was outnumbered in a not-so-familiar pub, I backed down (this time!), finished my drink (which they'd waited for me to pay for before rounding on me!), and f***ed off fuming at this 'guilty by say-so' treatment - some old bird was on it pretty much the whole time anyway, she might have jumped on to keep me off it, you know how devious some c***s are...)


Pubs' profit margins can't be that thin, surely, that the odd £25 win for £10 in every 2-3 days can make the difference between the owners' kids getting fed tonight or not - and anyway, someone else will lose on it, that's the nature of the beast...

[Gazeyre1966]

This is a disgrace. For a start if the fruit machine is causing him that much stress than best to get rid of it and get a quiz machine in. It could, of course be that someone else is scamming the machine somehow (My bet is the bar staff themselves) and he is simply taking it out on you because you have been seen hanging around the machine and the bar staff have "fingered" you to avoid taking the rap.

If one of my pub landlords behaved like that then I would call the police. Or..you could call the licensing commission and report him if you really wanted to be spiteful. If they don't have any proof then you will always win.

Livelihood threatened my arse. By the sound of it, it isn't a particularly welcoming pub and the landlord is insane. Maybe if you mentioned to him that a good atmosphere and a welcoming attitude results in good business then it may change his fortunes. Or install CCTV to catch the fiddlers.

Failing that, just torch his pub and then his livelihood really will be down the gurgler. It would serve him right for being such a knob.

[Nudgeman]

I wholeheartedly agree with Gaz on many of those ideas. Too many idiots site machines these days without realising how they work. Ignorance, greed and a triple measure of pure unadulterated stupidity make for an insanely irritating cocktail. I guess these are independent pub owners you are on about?

The ironic thing is a group of toolers would go in there three strong, four strong, rob the bandit blind but as they're in a group, not look so suspicious. It's the old maverick thing of going in alone, buying a soft drink, collecting money.

[PJ]

...you could call the licensing commission and report him...

Would they listen to me, then? Not that I know his name or his pub (yet!) - it just occurred to me that he didn't mention any pub names during his little rant (I did ask...), and I also remember another time last year when some shortarse prick came up to me claiming to work in the pub I was playing in at the time, and told me "you've finished your drink now, so jog on...or..." (been watching Football Factory, have we?...), and just trailed off as if to imply bad things would happen that don't need to be spelled out - he wasn't f*****g staff, he was just in with them, and you're right as well, I've gone past the Wetherspoon at around midnight to see all the staff still in there, merrily playing the machines, and drinking from the stock after hours!

...Livelihood threatened my arse. By the sound of it, it isn't a particularly welcoming pub and the landlord is insane. Maybe if you mentioned to him that a good atmosphere and a welcoming attitude results in good business then it may change his fortunes. Or install CCTV to catch the fiddlers...

I don't think he's the landlord of the pub I was in at the time (Murphy's Bar), and anyway, it was a very strong feeling that had I tried to argue in any way, a fight would have broken out very quickly, he had got to practically spitting with rage within seconds...

...Failing that, just torch his pub and then his livelihood really will be down the gurgler. It would serve him right for being such a knob.

Erm... I don't think I'll be doing that - besides which, if he's in as much trouble as he suggested, I'd end up doing him a favour (insurance job)...

...Ignorance, greed and a triple measure of pure unadulterated stupidity make for an insanely irritating cocktail. I guess these are independent pub owners you are on about?

Nice pun! Not always, but that shouldn't make any difference...

...a group of toolers would go in there three strong, four strong, rob the bandit blind but as they're in a group, not look so suspicious...

Or be too many for anyone to do anything about it, except CCTV for any illegal behaviour...


Other times include some beardy twat at the Robert Pocock asking me "are you going to buy another drink or am I going to turn the machine off", and "finish that game and f*** off!"; the Darnley Arms (A Warm Welcome From Paul and Pauline - bollocks!) asking me if I "know the codes, or something, 'cos you're always winning on that...you're cheating it...you're banned" - silly bastards!


But there are pubs that are happy to allow me to play to my heart's content (BTW, I never using any illegal methods, such as emptiers or Jammers - always available on fleaBay for the crazy muthaf***ah knockdown price of £5,000 - bargain, pay for itself in a day! ), but a lot of them have brought in 50p play £35JP'ers now, which I detest...


If any of the aforementioned #@#@#@#s are reading this, the best way to stop me playing is have only Bellfruits installed - never f*****g touch those leeching cocksuckers...

And don't show a fake police badge either (really!), unless you like the idea of spending the next three years with a different dick up your arse each night...


PS - I got me wonga back tonight from that wasted drink (admission fee) by riding out on a trolley-coin hunt - crazy f***er I am...

[mrmystery83]

10 in? Sounds like that was a busy night for them if you get crazy dudes coming in and shouting at people! If he's that desperate to make money of it, then the percentages must be turd and he never thought anyone could possibly win. Or, as already said, it's probably someone else on the fiddle and you've copped for it. There was a machine down my local i used to drop regularly and there was never any hard feelings. They knew it would soon fill up again anyway.

There was a father and son 'team' near me that used to go round emptying machines in pubs but never arcades. It got that bad that my mate was saying pubs were turning off their machines saying they were knackered! I think they were fiddling them though but i never heard how. Think they've packed it in now. But they were a right pair of bell ends and that's why no one liked them anyway.

[GaryChandler]

Its just something you have to live with, im barred from numerous pubs from just playing the fruity, was with some players from colchester the other day and i was waiting outside smoking a fag they walked in brought two drinks walked over to fruitys and took about a tener to get £35 then i walked in just about to go to the other fruity and the woman says "what where you doing to my fruit machine" we were like "huh" then she goes "you heard me, i didn't even see the reels spins and you took money out of it, i would like you not too play the fruit machines in here anymore" didn't even bother kicking off just put drinks down and left. Stupid f*****g woman.

[mrmystery83]

Some landlords/ladys these days get a bit funny about people buying one drink, emptying the machine then buggering off! I used to do it myself. Only used to get half a coke and make it last forever lol i still do it down one of the clubs i go to but not all the time.

[PJ]

Tough! If they don't like it, they shouldn't have the machine there, it's par for the course - there's no legal obligation to buy loads of drinks if you want to play, unless they make it official like some dubious clubs do, two drink minimum to see the strip show, etc...


And I don't empty the machine, I just push for a single jackpot or top feature/streak, and then finish up.


I don't mind at all if the manager/owner asks me about what I'm doing, but to just blindly and publicly accuse me of theft and threaten me is totally out of order, that's the point I'm putting over...

[PJ]

I went into the Darnley Arms last night (even though I'm banned, but only by 'Paul and Pauline', the previous owners), and snapped this silly little sign they have on both their fruities (said I would, MattVinyl) - stupid or what???


This is why I think I got all the trouble at the start of this thread - my description has been passed on to all pubs in the area since I won a load back in 2k6 on the Hot Stuff they had in there, and the dumb Scouse bitch* decided I was on the fiddle, and acted accordingly...


They can't be allowed to do that, surely? Finding me guilty by suspicion alone (whatever happened to due process?), and sentencing me, not only in my absence, but without my knowledge of any court case - I don't use any devices, or know any bloody "codes" (by which I assume they mean 'current emptiers', the details of which are normally guarded more closely than the Crown Jewels, more's the pity!!!) - even if I was using an emptier, I'd never be that obvious, I'd go to busy arcades, large chain pubs, etc


They really didn't like me taking the photo either, the place was practically empty, which was really not to my advantage (I thought there'd be loads of students there, taking advantage of the cheap beer, free pool, free jukebox, free Wi-Fi, etc) - I heard some twat say "Bye" as I skedaddled with my camera, then heard "Excuse me..." as I trotted off down the road - they probably thought I was snapping them or something...


If they are really concerned about catching any guilty parties instead of creating scapegoats, then the sign should have read:-

WARNING

Due to our suspicion that one or more individuals have been using devices and/or
codes to fraudulently obtain money from these machines, anyone who plays here will
have their activities recorded on hidden CCTV, and if found to be untoward, the footage
will be forwarded to the police for identification and prosecution.

...well it would stop me, I'm proud of having no criminal record...

*DISCLAIMER - it is not my opinion that all Liverpudlians are dumb or bitches, just that particular one...

Attached Files

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[Bencrest]

Unfortunately it's the fault of the machines coding which normally leads to this.

I know one stupid daft bint of a landlady put the following the the local paper about a month ago :

"I am the new landlady of *****, and I would like to make all other publicans aware that a group of lads scammed my fruit machine on opening night, by winning £100 in 20 minutes... despite it being a £35 jackpot!"

It went on. Trust me, on modern fruit machines, I've won £105 in under 2 minutes when they are ready to drop. It's what they do.

I got banned from several pubs in the local area when I was about 16 for 'scamming machines', it all stemmed from when someone was pestering me at the bar for info. I said 'I don't have any info, if you need help it's probably worth checking the machines name on the internet for advice'. That became twisted by the landlord into 'I get cheats and codes off the internet for fruit machines and scam all the local pubs', resulting in me getting barred.

I also had several pubs where the fruit machine was turned off at the wall as soon as I walked in, which I found totally offensive.

You are talking about someone who has lost £17000 in fruit machines and is aged 22. IF I'd ever 'scammed' a machine, or used an emptier, or anything like that, then fine. As it stands, I was a hopeless addict who just used to play them a lot.

I'll be honest though, I know of a lot of pubs who don't make any real money from the machines, and they will blame the players even though the VTP matches up ok. It's because there seems to be a lack of casual players, especially where things like Red Gaming are concerned, and once the 'pros' realise they are only punting their own money back out and give up, the pub will never be able to cover the rent + AMLD.

[gambogaz1]

Lol do you live in a time warp or something ? Manic streak features!! How old is that.
It's just a sign of the times I'm afraid.With £35's able to roll £105 & more then the old fashioned landlord/landladys think you've broke the machine if you take any more than £20 comes out.

Just wait till she gets a games media in there and somebody gets the £105 top streak (And they will) and it then proceeds to auto dump all 105 coins out onto a metal tray.She'll have a heart attack.

[PJ]

...on modern fruit machines, I've won £105 in under 2 minutes when they are ready to drop. It's what they do...

Exactly - that's inflation for ya, I bet you were playing 50p a spin though...

...I also had several pubs where the fruit machine was turned off at the wall as soon as I walked in, which I found totally offensive...

Yeh, I've had that, it's a bollocks attitude...

...VTP matches up ok...rent + AMLD.

What do these two terms mean? I've seen the first on MFME...

...Manic streak features!! How old is that...

They probably got it on cheap licence, as it was only an £8 machine...

...and it then proceeds to auto dump all 105 coins out onto a metal tray.She'll have a heart attack.

I'd stick a nappy or something in the coin tray to silence the payout - make sure it's unused though (unless it's just raped you for £105 instead)...

[Nudgeman]

Yikesy oh blimey oh crikey oh riley!!

Isn't it about time we banned all fruit machines from pubs? Isn't it? Hmmm? I've had about enough of these cursed morons banning people because they win more than £1.20.

I don't bother playing machines at all in pubs today.

I just walk up to the bar, ask for half a thimble of fizzy diet water and lime and request they quietly give me £25 and say no more about it. It cuts out all the angst and bitterness. Sometimes, err, nearly always sometimes, you get chased out, but that would have happenned anyway when I won on the machine. So nothing lost, nothing gained, everything ventured. Hmmmmm. Sounds like one of Stu's stories......and then I tripped over a suitcase full of fifty pound notes and retired for life.

[gambogaz1]

Someone will have to correct me on this one but I thought £8 JP's where now outlawed, or are being phased out. Category D 10p £5 JP's are the cheaper licence than the Cat C £25/£35 JP's.

[PJ]

LOL @ Nudgeman - you got a proper random sense of humour...

[g-man]

I got banned from several pubs in the local area when I was about 16 for 'scamming machines', it all stemmed from when someone was pestering me at the bar for info. I said 'I don't have any info, if you need help it's probably worth checking the machines name on the internet for advice'. That became twisted by the landlord into 'I get cheats and codes off the internet for fruit machines and scam all the local pubs', resulting in me getting barred.

Ah bless,were you really only 16?

You had bigger balls than I had at that age!

I was only banned from three or four pubs in 14 years of playing machines, but then I usually avoided the inbred locals run by rejects from the Hell's Angels.

On the other hand, during my playing career,I was barred from countless kebab shops (and threatened with a meat cleaver in them on more than one occasion).

[Fruity_Goodness]

I went into a pub in the middle of Arthur Street this evening, and the moment I entered, I was threatened by the landlord of another pub (so I presume, from his dialogue), and told "No you don't! I'd better tell you now, you and fruit machines don't mix round here, you've been scamming all the pubs in the area..." {not true!} "...you done my pub, you done my mate's pub round the corner, you ain't doing this pub, you c***!" - he was shouting and swearing in full view of about ten other customers (the barmaid was only about 5 foot, she was quite rightly staying well out of it, or maybe she'd already asked him to have a word 'cos she'd seen me playing once too often!...), and I'd not even touched the machine yet (Space Raiders @ 74%, FYI, MV).


I tried to explain that I wasn't scamming anyone or anything, but, as many regular pub players on here will testify, there's no reasoning with these paranoid idiots - once they get an idea like that into their head, it's set in stone that you're a low-down cheating thief! But this mug went on about "threatening my f*****g livelihood", and eventually had to be led off by his mate to get some air and calm down for five minutes (and probably have a little cry ) ...


But seriously, this is really quite insane, I mean:-

a) if fruit machines are really your livelihood, you're an arcade, not a pub;

if winning out of a pub machine threatens the pub's livelihood, the pub is already in deep trouble;

c) any publican who puts a gaming machine on their premises for customers to play is also gambling - and if they don't like people winning out of their machine, they shouldn't have them there in the first place!


As I was outnumbered in a not-so-familiar pub, I backed down (this time!), finished my drink (which they'd waited for me to pay for before rounding on me!), and f***ed off fuming at this 'guilty by say-so' treatment - some old bird was on it pretty much the whole time anyway, she might have jumped on to keep me off it, you know how devious some c***s are...)


Pubs' profit margins can't be that thin, surely, that the odd £25 win for £10 in every 2-3 days can make the difference between the owners' kids getting fed tonight or not - and anyway, someone else will lose on it, that's the nature of the beast...

... Stop me if you've heard this one before ...

[impact]

Someone will have to correct me on this one but I thought £8 JP's where now outlawed, or are being phased out. Category D 10p £5 JP's are the cheaper licence than the Cat C £25/£35 JP's.

as of 1 aug 06 £8 are not allowed you are spot on m8 and £5/10p only needs a local permit but must fall in line will the new gaming act 1 sep 07 that these or any other gaming machine must not be with in fish and chip shops and 20p in there £5ers as to cafes etc too. Only gaming parks arcades pubs , clubs ect ....

[levartemit186]

Most all the stories I have read here have happened to me at some point or another.....and I drink ALCOHOL when I go in the pub! I am not one of the coke brigade(to be honest I think you put an immediate red flag up when you buy those), prefering a Cider or Lager when I enter. I have been threatened, chased, and the machine turned off on entrance. What do these morons think the machines are for? It is fine when I have lost my bollocks (not too often), but when I win, oh no get the Rottweillers out! I even had a Landlord do a deal with me on a pie that I give him half when I do it! Not too profitable when he puts nothing in. It seems no one likes a winner anymore, especially when you are 'cheating' (read knowing things). I admit I can see it somewhat when an emptier is used, but win more than £50 and you are screwed. I have won by total chance more than £100 and been escorted out (with the cash, they were not getting that!). Landlords if you are reading this, people WIN on machines sometimes, whether the method is fair or foul. Take the punches or remove the machine.

[PJ]

... Stop me if you've heard this one before ...

STOP!

...I drink ALCOHOL when I go in the pub! I am not one of the coke brigade(to be honest I think you put an immediate red flag up when you buy those)...

Well what the hell do they sell soft drinks for if they're going to 2nd-class anyone who buys one??? I'm on medication, so I can't drink alcohol for that reason - does that make me sub-human and unworthy of polite, equal treatment? There's no law stating if you go into any pub, you MUST drink alcohol!