Amusement with prize or amusement with prizes (AWP) are
slot machine
A slot machine, fruit machine (British English), poker machine or pokie (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers.
A slot machine's standard layout features a screen disp ...
s that provide some level of player interaction. They do not, however, depend on the skill of the player; machines that depend on player skill are called
skill with prize (SWP) machines. Both of these terms are trade terms, and such machines are referred to by alternative names by the public.
These machines are commonly named after the software of the arcade style cabinet.
Most common are Cherry Master, Pot-o-gold and the generic term 8-liner.
United Kingdom
The term is particularly used in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, where they are also called
fruit machine
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propagat ...
s, and are found in
amusement arcade
An amusement arcade, also known as a video arcade, amusements, arcade, or penny arcade (an older term), is a venue where people play arcade games, including arcade video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, mercha ...
s and
public house
A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...
s.
The distinction with slot machines is not clearly defined; in the United Kingdom, such machines found in arcades and pubs are called AWPs, while machines in casinos may instead be called slots. There is different licensing depending on the premise, with AWP machines having lower limits on stake wagered and payout.
Regulation
AWP machines are generally regulated as gambling devices; in the UK, they are regulated under the
Gambling Act 2005
The Gambling Act 2005 (c. 19) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It mainly applies to England and Wales, and to Scotland, and is designed to control all forms of gambling. It transfers authority for licensing gambling from the m ...
.
Games that involve skill are considered SWPs, and may be regulated separately; games that provide amusement but no prizes are generally considered a kind of
video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
.
In
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, AWP machines – but not SWP machines – have been banned since 1 April 2005.
Photo Play - Open House 2005
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References
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Gaming devices
Arcade games