The 12-sided pound coin has been making headlines for months now as, when it is introduced in March 2017, fruit machines and other coin-operated gaming machines will need a software or hardware update in order to accept it.
But even before then, the new £5 note to be issued this September will be printed on polymer – giving it a plastic rather than papery texture, and again needing some work to upgrade fruit machines with note slots.
The new fiver arrives in September 2016 as the first polymer banknote issued by the Bank of England, and will be followed by the £10 note in 2017 and the £20 before the end of the decade.
Eventually all notes in those three denominations will be polymer, not paper – but what does this mean for coin-operated (and note-operated) gaming machines?
The answer is that it depends on the slot machines you already have, and on the note slot hardware and operating software installed in them.
Some may need a software update or a new hardware slot, while others will unfortunately be unable to upgrade, and will need to be replaced – Manco Automatics can help you to work out what you need.
Bear in mind that this is a nationwide change of currency, and that means every note-operated gaming machine in the country is affected, which is a lot of upgrades and replacements.
There will be a run on the manufacturers and on companies able to carry out the necessary maintenance work, especially around September as many owners and operators will leave it until the last minute to make arrangements.
Don’t be left with a fruit machine that only accepts expired currency – get Manco to look at yours today and you can beat the rush, while making sure the replacement parts or new machines you need are not out of stock.