They think it's all over - PUBSAFE is here...it is now....read on
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 1:27 am
A worrying article in yesterday's South Kesteven Herald...
John Stanley of the Grimshaw Inn, Grantham is one of a number of landlords growing incresingly weary of strangers playing his games machines for profit. He describes how these out of towners roll up at his pub and take thousands of pounds a day from the machines.
He is not alone, it seems this phenomena is not unique to his pub. Many landlords across the whole of the UK are echoing his woeful tales, backing up something that once seemed like an urban myth, confirming the abject horror of its reality.
However there appears to be a solution to this scourge of popular criminality. Mr. Stanley has networked relentlessly with various games machines distributors, and the founders of an organisation known as MachineGuard. MachineGuard is available for all premises that host games machines and it allows subscribers to receive updates detailing prevention methods for cuttting edge machine fraud and other alerts, such as pictures of machine thief gangs operating in local areas.
The result of this collaboration is 'Pubsafe', the safest way to operate UK gaming machines.
Mr Stanley explains that it is currently illegal for any gaming machine to accept debit or credit cards as a way of payment for credits. This is where pubsafe acts as a middle man. Regular machine players and casual punters alike are assigned a unique ID card upon a simple application being completed. Using a standard card machine the punter is invited to deposit a set amount onto his ID card via his or her debit or credit card. Once the transaction is accepted the ID card is updated and this can be taken to any of the machines within the pub. Customers can even use it in the jukebox or pool table or at the bar to buy drinks if required.
A seperate Pubsafe box is attatched to each machine showing the balance on the ID card allowing the customer to freely transfer credit from the card to the machine. Should the customer be lucky enough to win a substantial sum of money, this can be paid back to his or her credit/debit card up to the full sum of money on the ID card.
Mr Stanley is a far happier man. He enthusiastically tells us how the advantages are numerous. Firstly, I don't have to keep extra cash on the pub premises. I have three machines that used to hold almost £1000 between them. We were broken into back in Novomber 2012 and thieves smashed up two of the three machines and escaped with the best part of £1000. With this system there is far less cash to attract this level and type of criminal activity.
Secondly, we can refuse anyone an ID card on application. If someone is acting suspiciously, or has a strange accent or has abnormal numbers of coins in their pockets we can refuse access to the machines. There is also a database that can reject known troublemakers as well. We still accept cash for drinks purchases though and the jukebox and pool table have dual methods of payment. Customers can use Pubsafe or good old fashioned cash. Thirdly the system picks up abnormal payout patterns. A large sum of money being won could indicate a scam in progress. Now we are entitled to hold these funds in lieu, if we believe foul play is in action. We can involve engineers, distributors, even the police if necessary to settle any disputes before offenders pocket the cash and leave. Finally, although I invested significant time and money in the system, other pubs will be offered it for free for a trial period. Then it will operate on a % of purchases system. We believe it actually increses spending throughput as punters do not face inconveniences such as faulty coin mechs that more traditional systems suffer from at times. It's smooth, it's neat and we are getting positive feedback from our customers on the new system. It's not just safer for us, it's safer for them as well.
Already two major distributors are looking to implement Pubsafe on a small scale to begin with and then I can't see why it wont be launched on a much larger, hopefully nationwide scale, claims Mr. Stanley.
All we know is that there will be a dramatic drop in magnet and mobile phone sales when the local thieves hear about this new system.
Jaith Keithton - Leisure correspondent, South Kesteven Herald
JG edit: To be honest I can see this becoming very widespread. I'd heard about this before I was shown the newspaper article and the people involved will get this rolled out nationwide I'm told. If that's the case we can all kiss goodbye to doing a route of pubs. It IS all over in that sense.
John Stanley of the Grimshaw Inn, Grantham is one of a number of landlords growing incresingly weary of strangers playing his games machines for profit. He describes how these out of towners roll up at his pub and take thousands of pounds a day from the machines.
He is not alone, it seems this phenomena is not unique to his pub. Many landlords across the whole of the UK are echoing his woeful tales, backing up something that once seemed like an urban myth, confirming the abject horror of its reality.
However there appears to be a solution to this scourge of popular criminality. Mr. Stanley has networked relentlessly with various games machines distributors, and the founders of an organisation known as MachineGuard. MachineGuard is available for all premises that host games machines and it allows subscribers to receive updates detailing prevention methods for cuttting edge machine fraud and other alerts, such as pictures of machine thief gangs operating in local areas.
The result of this collaboration is 'Pubsafe', the safest way to operate UK gaming machines.
Mr Stanley explains that it is currently illegal for any gaming machine to accept debit or credit cards as a way of payment for credits. This is where pubsafe acts as a middle man. Regular machine players and casual punters alike are assigned a unique ID card upon a simple application being completed. Using a standard card machine the punter is invited to deposit a set amount onto his ID card via his or her debit or credit card. Once the transaction is accepted the ID card is updated and this can be taken to any of the machines within the pub. Customers can even use it in the jukebox or pool table or at the bar to buy drinks if required.
A seperate Pubsafe box is attatched to each machine showing the balance on the ID card allowing the customer to freely transfer credit from the card to the machine. Should the customer be lucky enough to win a substantial sum of money, this can be paid back to his or her credit/debit card up to the full sum of money on the ID card.
Mr Stanley is a far happier man. He enthusiastically tells us how the advantages are numerous. Firstly, I don't have to keep extra cash on the pub premises. I have three machines that used to hold almost £1000 between them. We were broken into back in Novomber 2012 and thieves smashed up two of the three machines and escaped with the best part of £1000. With this system there is far less cash to attract this level and type of criminal activity.
Secondly, we can refuse anyone an ID card on application. If someone is acting suspiciously, or has a strange accent or has abnormal numbers of coins in their pockets we can refuse access to the machines. There is also a database that can reject known troublemakers as well. We still accept cash for drinks purchases though and the jukebox and pool table have dual methods of payment. Customers can use Pubsafe or good old fashioned cash. Thirdly the system picks up abnormal payout patterns. A large sum of money being won could indicate a scam in progress. Now we are entitled to hold these funds in lieu, if we believe foul play is in action. We can involve engineers, distributors, even the police if necessary to settle any disputes before offenders pocket the cash and leave. Finally, although I invested significant time and money in the system, other pubs will be offered it for free for a trial period. Then it will operate on a % of purchases system. We believe it actually increses spending throughput as punters do not face inconveniences such as faulty coin mechs that more traditional systems suffer from at times. It's smooth, it's neat and we are getting positive feedback from our customers on the new system. It's not just safer for us, it's safer for them as well.
Already two major distributors are looking to implement Pubsafe on a small scale to begin with and then I can't see why it wont be launched on a much larger, hopefully nationwide scale, claims Mr. Stanley.
All we know is that there will be a dramatic drop in magnet and mobile phone sales when the local thieves hear about this new system.
Jaith Keithton - Leisure correspondent, South Kesteven Herald
JG edit: To be honest I can see this becoming very widespread. I'd heard about this before I was shown the newspaper article and the people involved will get this rolled out nationwide I'm told. If that's the case we can all kiss goodbye to doing a route of pubs. It IS all over in that sense.