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Pub Gambling Machines "Rip-offs"

Digital games bring big money to pubs, but what are the odds? Ten times worse than casinos ...

Blackjack game at a pub in Hounslow. Digital gaming machines in pubs offer odds far inferior to casinos.

Blackjack game at a pub in Hounslow. Digital gaming machines in pubs offer odds far inferior to casinos (Jason Alden/The Independent

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Thousands of roulette, poker, and blackjack gambling machines in UK pubs are offering far lower returns than their counterparts in real-life casinos and betting stores, The Independent has learned.

Digital gambling machines have morphed into a gold mine for struggling pubs, but fair gambling champions caution that tens of thousands of punters are being hoodwinked into squandering their hard-earned cash on abysmal odds right in their local watering holes. So next time you're tempted to try your luck, maybe pop over to this website first.

According to an investigation by The Independent, roulette, poker, at pubs operated by Spirit Pub Company, which operates the J D Wetherspoon, Enterprise Inns, Punch Taverns, and Taylor Walker pub chains, Casino-style games such as roulette, poker, and blackjack were found to be offered at inferior odds. Machines in other pub chains are likely to be offering similarly inferior odds.

Roulette and blackjack are often preferred by gamblers because they offer a gambler-friendly "edge" (a term referring to the margin that casino and gaming machine operators take from each bet). However, the digital gaming machines in pubs offer far inferior odds, sometimes as much as 10 times worse than those in casinos.

The so-called mathematical "edge" of roulette, when played correctly, is 2.7 percent on a long-term bet. This means that for every £100 wagered, £2.70 goes to the house side.

The Independent saw digital games run by major high-street pub chains run on margins of up to 24 percent, and in many cases gamers have little idea they are playing at such inferior odds. In cash terms, this means that for every £100 wagered, £24 remains in the hands of the gaming machine operator there menacasino.com.

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