Pub Landlord spoilsports

**I have 7 2** · 18th March 2009, 09:29 PM

There are several pubs I have been in now where the landlord has said to me "you can buy a drink mate but you can`t play the fruit machine/s" because I have won in the last few weeks even though I always bought a drink.

Are they entitled to do this?

**DannyC** · 19th March 2009, 12:48 AM

of course, thats the problem. A landlord can even bar you from his premise without reason. Don't worry, most of us have had this problem, if not worse in the past...

**a1056688** · 19th March 2009, 04:43 PM

You need to change your approach and vary your route I think.

I've been playing consistently for the past 8 years, at least 3 times per week for 5 hour + sessions and have only ever been barred from playing a machine less than 10 times, and there is only about 3 of those locations that I haven't been back to since.

Vary your route so that you visit pubs at different times of the day and make it less obvious that your objective is to play the machine, get a drink first, play pool, have a go on the IT box etc.

Personally I actually think it's worse now than it was 5 years ago. Landlords and bar staff are more switched on than they used to be 5 years ago.

**kidgloves** · 19th March 2009, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by a1056688

You need to change your approach and vary your route I think.

I've been playing consistently for the past 8 years, at least 3 times per week for 5 hour + sessions and have only ever been barred from playing a machine less than 10 times, and there is only about 3 of those locations that I haven't been back to since.

Vary your route so that you visit pubs at different times of the day and make it less obvious that your objective is to play the machine, get a drink first, play pool, have a go on the IT box etc.

Personally I actually think it's worse now than it was 5 years ago. Landlords and bar staff are more switched on than they used to be 5 years ago.

Totally agree, a good rapport with the bar staff is essential, you are a little safer in regular haunts that you've been visiting for years, but I go out of my way in new locations to be friendly before playing the fruit machines. I have that luxury as I don't play for a living so pub count and the need to move on throughout the day isn't a priority.
Funnily though given the current state of play, even the itbox can't help your covert measures in some pubs.
Similar to a1, I've been barred from 1 arcade and had 1 plugging by the landlord in 25 years of playing - and the plugging happened when I was wearing a suit, straight from work and had bought 3 Jack Daniels and coke, so you can never tell..

**levartemit** · 20th March 2009, 01:52 AM

Have only been barred about 4 times in 13 years. One was a corrupt landlord who was pissed when I banked his machine after he had spent all day watching it! He got done for stealing from the safe eventually! Another was for doing a pie a few times (threatened with violence that time!), and yet another where the six shooter dropped its load big (99) and was one of those auto payout jobs! You take the rough with the smooth and thank goodness none of the real horror stories bandied about have happened to you (one involved four guys and a baseball bat!).

**badders** · 20th March 2009, 10:13 AM

wait till they become £70 jackies then there change there tune

**slotter-king** · 22nd March 2009, 08:49 PM

yea,it is a piss take,am sure they should notice there still making money,i wonder what the compenies say to em???

**I have 7 2** · 24th March 2009, 09:23 PM

I have been in this pub that most recently caused me hassle a few times since, hoping the landlord would not be in but I swear the guy must work 100 hours a week or something - he`s always there. As soon as I walk in he switches the cock a doodle dough off , he has cottoned on to the fact that`s the one I can make decent money on. So I drank my bud for £2.50 and won £2 on Ant + Dec`s Poker Face lol. It does take the piss though, if I was losing £50 a week on it he would be quite happy to let me carry on playing. What a bastard.

One in Blackpool a couple of months ago(a proper dump, very small, so I`m not surprised I got noticed) did the same thing with their cock a doodle dough and the landlord said to me "Other people put their money in that machine." Well reallllly?

So you can buy a drink but you can`t use the same facilities as everyone else in the pub. Seems fair.

If they can`t stand people winning they shouldn`t have fruit machines in their pub.

**a1056688** · 26th March 2009, 05:43 PM

To be honest, I can see where they come from, they have regulars who will spend £100 per week in their pubs so would prefer that you didn't come in and buy one drink and take the streak every week that's all.

It's the same with Bookmakers, Ladbrokes etc will limit your stakes and even bar you from placing bets if you win consistantly. That's why some professional gamblers like Harry Findlay (owner of Denman) stopped reglular gambling for years until the Exchanges like Betfair were invented.