No, you are missing my point Steve.
1) The Jackpot mode has NO value at all unless the compensator will allow a jackpot win. You know as well as I do (from having worked in an arcade with 4 standalone units) that many players are 'lured in' by the concept of a huge display shouting JACKPOT GAME!! - when in effect, the jackpot is 100% not achievable. Not even a SMALL chance. NO CHANCE. You wouldn't allow a Fruit Machine (AWP) to do the same, would you? Shout 'JACKPOT GAME!' at the beginning of feature entry, then kill on the first gamble? Obviously not.
2) Not only is the jackpot blocked, but ANY WIN AT ALL is blocked, as I said above with my example of there being 3 balls left for the last 30/40 seconds, none of which would drop into the 'chute'. People are misled - Skill has nothing to do with it (well, OK, you have the skill in knowing how to press a 'reject' or 'accept' button), but that ultimately has NO impact on the end result if the compensator(s) are not ready.
Christ, I used to see children playing these bloody things. Many of them just don't understand how bent the industry is. I don't think they can get their heads around the idea of a bingo machine, with the name SKILL in it's title, ripping them off.
As someone who worked in the arcade industry, and was expected to 'protect children and the vulnerable from gambling', it's a bit f**king difficult when the industry churns out machines that only people like ourselves KNOW are rigged, and are intentionally designed to deceive people.
I think it's about time they dropped the bullsh*t SWP category altogether, seeing as how practically no modern 'SWP' machine actually involves player skill. Also, I think the following would be a good start :
1) No SWP has to show target %age. Why not? Because every time I tell someone that an SWP is set to 30% payout, they can't believe it's that low. Check out the Deal or No Deal from the IND:E set, that's hard coded to 30% so even the operator can't change it.
I reckon players are entitled to see what the odds are - they are already displayed on all other category of gaming device (AWP, B2, B3, B4 e.t.c.).
2) I honestly believe that if an AWP has to state that 'THIS MACHINE MAY OFFER A PLAYER A CHOICE WITH NO CHANCE OF SUCCESS', then at least the same should apply to SWP machines. After all, many realised that AWP machines were bent for years, but how many knew that the Bulleye SWP would jump off every cash value because even though you got the end round, you were blocked from winning any cash prize?
I believe that all SWPs should have to state, clearly, to the player that although the game may involve a skill element, that the actual outcome of the game is decided by a compensator, in the same way as an AWP - similar to the 'THIS MACHINE IS COMPENSATED' sticker / warning, but also perhaps something like :
'This machine offers games of skill, however at times it may not offer the player the chance to win'... something like that.
I reckon this is all the more necessary now that SWP machines are flooding into take-aways, e.t.c - areas which always seem to have a younger playing age - and games which again, appear to children and the vulnerable to offer rewards for player skill, when infact the result is predetermined.
I could probably think of more, but I'll jump off my high-horse for a minute and see what other contributions people lay on the table (obviously at least one person will call me some rude name and tell me that machines don't need any more stickers or warnings 
)
Nice post Ben - some good points made. Would probably kill the SWP category stone-dead if they had to show the percentage upfront! This category has always been a bit of a 'grey-area' for the industry. As long as there is a skill element to the game it can be classed as SWP, regardless of whether the eventual result is controlled or not. I've never been a fan, although some games in the past have been true skill - but then they get beaten, hence most games are compensated. I guess in the end the player is paying for entertainment.
