How do you play a fruit machine?

How do you play a fruit machine? The quick version

A fruit machine is the British name for the reel-based gaming machines found in pubs, clubs and arcades. The aim is simple: get a winning combination of symbols, such as three cherries or three bells, on the win line across the middle of the reels. Most pub machines are Category C, which by law means a maximum stake of £1 a game and a maximum prize of £100, and only adults aged 18 or over may play.

What makes fruit machines different from video slots is the player input between spins. Buttons for holds, nudges, a feature trail and gambles all appear at various points. They don't change the machine's built-in return, but they do decide whether you collect what the machine offers. This page walks through a typical game; our fuller guide to playing fruit machines goes deeper into individual features.

Before you play a fruit machine

• Check you're allowed to play. Category C machines are 18+, and venues should ask for ID if you look young.
• Read the label. Each machine shows its theoretical target return to player; there's no legal minimum, so the figure varies. Our guide on how to read a machine label explains the sticker.
• Decide a cash limit. Take out only what you're happy to spend, and treat it as the cost of the entertainment.
• Bring cash. You can't pay a gaming machine by debit card at present; contactless phone payments count as card payments too.

That last point often surprises people. The Gaming Machines (Circumstances of Use) Regulations 2007 restrict card payments on machines. The government decided on 16 May 2024 to lift the debit card ban once player protections are in place, but as at October 2026 no regulations had been made, so the ban still applies. The Commission's guidance on cashless payment technologies in gambling premises (opens in a new tab) sets out the current position, and our cashless payments on machines page tracks the change.

How to play a fruit machine, step by step

1. Insert coins or a note. The amount appears as credit on the display.
2. Set or check the stake per game. Some machines have a fixed stake; others let you choose, up to £1.
3. Press start (sometimes labelled spin or play). The reels spin and stop on a result the machine has already chosen.
4. Check the win line. A winning combination is added to your credit or prize meter, as the machine displays.
5. Watch for offers. Hold, nudge or feature buttons will flash when they're live.
6. Use any holds before the next spin: held reels stay put while the others spin.
7. Use any nudges to move reels one position at a time to complete a win.
8. Play any feature, such as a trail, cash pot or number reels, by following the flashing buttons.
9. Decide whether to gamble a win if offered, or take it.
10. Press collect when you're done to have remaining credit paid out in coins.

Machines differ in the details, so spend a moment with the instructions panel or on-screen help before you start. Our how to play a slot machine guide covers the basics shared by all reel machines.

Fruit machine buttons and what they do

Not every machine has every button, and some combine functions on one button depending on what's lit. If the machine has a touchscreen, the same choices usually appear as on-screen buttons.

Holds, nudges and features on a fruit machine

Holds appear before a spin. If two cherries are already on the line, holding those two reels means only the third spins, which gives the third reel a chance to complete the win. Holds are offered by the machine; when they're not lit, you can't hold. Nudges appear after a spin and move a reel down (or sometimes up) one place per press. The separate page on how fruit machine nudges work has a worked example.

Features vary most between machines. A feature trail is a board of lit squares you climb towards cash or bonus prizes. A cash pot builds up and is released by a feature. Number reels spin a number that moves you along the trail, and a repeat chance gives a re-spin of the same game. Many features end with a choice: take the prize or gamble it on hi-lo. The fruit machine features guide explains each in turn.

Using holds and nudges well stops you missing a win the machine has offered. No technique beats the machine's built-in payout percentage, and you should expect to lose money over time.

How much does it cost to play a fruit machine?

The price of a game is your stake, up to £1. The long-run cost depends on how much you put through the machine and its target return. Machines don't publish one standard figure, so this table uses two illustrative labels, 85% and 90%, to show the method.

Short sessions vary hugely around those averages, and compensated machines may pay in bursts rather than steadily, as explained in why fruit machines pay out in bursts. To compare the label with online games, see what is the return on a pub fruit machine?

Where you can play a fruit machine in the UK

These entitlements come from the Gambling Commission's gaming machine categories (opens in a new tab) and its licensing guidance. Our venue pages cover pub slot machines and adult gaming centres, as well as arcade machines.

Can you play a fruit machine online?

You can play online slots styled on fruit machines, with fruit symbols, classic reels and sometimes feature trails, but they work differently. Online slots are not Category C machines: in Great Britain the stake limit is £5 a spin for players aged 25 and over and £2 for 18 to 24-year-olds, there's no £100 prize cap, each spin must last at least 2.5 seconds, autoplay is banned, and results come from a non-compensated RNG. Holds and nudges, where they appear, are features within a result already decided. Our pages on fruit slots online and can you play fruit machines online? explain the differences.

Playing fruit machines safely

Fruit machines are quick and repetitive, and it's easy to keep feeding coins. Set a cash limit and stop when it's gone, avoid using a win to keep playing beyond your plan, and take breaks. If you want to stop altogether, many venues offer self-exclusion; see can I self-exclude from arcades?. The National Gambling Helpline is free and open 24/7 on 0808 8020 133, and GamCare (opens in a new tab) offers chat and advice.

From the pub machine to online slots

If you'd like to try fruit-style games online, our partner casinos offer slot lobbies with classic and fruit-themed titles, though availability changes, so search the lobby for what you want. Coral's welcome offer is bet £10 on slots and get 100 free spins at 10p each on selected games (48 hours to accept, valid 7 days, no wagering on winnings). Ladbrokes gives 50 free spins a day for 10 days, up to 500 at 10p each with no wagering, after you play £10 on slots. PlayOJO's 80 free spins at 10p each are played on Big Bass Bonanza, with a first deposit of £10 or more and no wagering.

All three are for new customers aged 18+, exclude certain payment methods and carry full terms. Because one company runs both Coral and Ladbrokes, read each welcome offer's terms before signing up to the pair. Compare them on our casinos page.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: plan a slot budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.