What’s Playing an FOBT Like?

Fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) are quite common in the UK. They’re available at many betting shops throughout the country.

Assuming you’re not from the UK, though, then you probably won’t have any experience with FOBTs. Furthermore, you may wonder what it’s like to play one of these machines.

If you’re a gambler who’s thinking about visiting the UK someday, you may be interested in the following guide. This page discusses the FOBT scene, how to play these machines, and what kind of winnings are available.

The Typical FOBT Scene

Fixed-odds betting terminals are exclusive to the UK gambling scene. You can visit the nearest betting shop to find these games.

Upon walking in, you’ll see up to four fixed odds terminals. The country’s national gambling laws dictate that each shop can have a maximum of four FOBTs.

These games appear similar to slot machines found in casinos throughout the UK and beyond. However, the cabinets look a little different than the average slot.

You normally won’t have too much trouble finding an open machine at a nearby shop. However, peak lunchtime and evening hours may be a different story.

Luckily, many UK cities have betting establishments on nearly every corner. You can always move along to the next shop if you can’t find an available game.

How to Play FOBTs

Assuming you’ve played any slot machine before, you won’t have trouble getting started with fixed-odds terminals. Even if you haven’t, though, you should find the playing process rather easy.

• Everything begins with inserting money into the machine. For instance, you might put £20 into the note acceptor.
• Next, you need to choose your bet size. If you sit down to a roulette FOBT, for example, you may be able to wager between 10p and £2.
• After selecting the stake, you need to choose a specific bet or action. Roulette and virtual horse racing are two games that give you plenty of choices when it comes to wagers. Actions come into play into the fold when you’re playing a blackjack FOBT. Here, you must decide whether to hit, stand, split (with pairs), or double down (when available).
• The next step is to start the round. You’ll see a button that reads “Deal” or “Play.” Once you push this button, the FOBT will play out the round unless additional actions are required.

Following a round, you can select “Replay” to use the same exact bet and stake size. Or you can choose “Clear” to make a new selection before beginning the next round.

If you have any questions about a particular game, you can always consult the info screen. This section shows information on the game rules, betting process, and more.

What Kind of Payouts Can You Win?

Unlike slot machines, FOBTs don’t give you an opportunity to win enormous amounts of money. Instead, the maximum amount that you can win is £500.

You won’t even have a chance at this kind of money with most games. After all, Parliament reduced stakes to a maximum of £2 in 2019.

Their goal with this move was to protect problem gamblers. In the process, though, they put a huge damper on the FOBT scene.

If you make even-money bets in roulette, for example, you’ll only be able to risk and win up to £2. In the best-case scenario, you’ll bet £2 on a single number and win back £70.

Virtual betting, like horse racing, slots, and bingo FOBTs give you an opportunity to hit bigger payouts. But again, the most you can look forward to with these games is £500.

RTP on FOBTs

With regard to RTP, fixed-odds betting terminals are quite similar to slots in land-based casinos. Slots FOBTs generally offer between 90% and 95% RTP.

These payout percentages aren’t amazing in the general scheme of gaming. But they’re at least in line with what you can expect when playing slot machines in UK casinos.

Roulette and blackjack terminals offer the highest payback in the market. European Roulette FOBTs deliver 97.3% RTP no matter which bet you make.

Blackjack fixed-odds terminals feature variable payback depending upon the rules. On average, though, you can look forward to between 98% and 99.5% RTP with these games.

You should consult the aforementioned info screen if you’re interested in learning the payout percentage for a given game. Some developers list the RTP in this section.

FOBTs vs. Online Casino Games

Fixed odds terminals offer electronic games just like online casinos. However, they also feature the following differences from internet casino games.

Not as Convenient

One big reason why FOBTs have become so popular is that they’re more accessible than land-based casino games. As mentioned before, betting shops are found on many street corners throughout the UK.

You can easily walk to a nearby shop in most cities. Brick and mortar casinos, in contrast, are much more spread out.

However, betting shops don’t come close to matching the convenience of gaming sites. The latter are accessible through a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

You don’t need to go anywhere to play real money online casino games. You do at least have to walk out the door to visit a betting venue.

The Social Element

Why on earth would anybody want to leave home to play casino games when they could just grab their smartphone or tablet? The answer is because betting shops offer social elements that online casinos can’t always match.

When you visit a local shop, you can chat with the workers and fellow players. Even better, you could bring a friend and play next to them.

You’re probably not going to meet any new buddies at betting establishments. However, you’ll at least enjoy a live atmosphere with people around while you gamble.

Lower Maximum Stakes

Fixed-odds gaming used to be fairly competitive with internet gaming in terms of stake ranges. Just a couple of years ago, you could risk up to a maximum of £100 on these machines.

But UK lawmakers voted to severely reduce the max bet sizes. Now, the most you can wager in one round is £2. Some gamblers consider this bet size to be low stakes.

Meanwhile, online casinos often allow you to bet up to £100 on slots and £500 on blackjack and roulette. If you’re looking for high roller play, you’re definitely not going to find it in a betting shop.

No Bonuses

Some shops may offer comp programs for players. However, they’re not going to give you a large welcome bonus for playing at their establishments.

This aspect differs greatly from online casinos, which frequently offer bonuses. The most common deal includes a match deposit bonus.

Here’s an example on how these work:

• A casino offers a 100% match bonus worth up to £250.
• You deposit £125.
• You qualify for a £125 bonus.

Of course, you won’t be able the cash out the $125 right away. Instead, you need to meet terms and conditions before withdrawing the funds.

Internet casinos expect you to work to get these bonuses. But they at least give you an opportunity to make extra money on the side, whereas FOBTs don’t.

Conclusion

Overall, fixed-odds betting terminals are quite easy for the average gambler to learn. They feature simple gameplay and even info screens that provide additional help.

Assuming you’re experienced with slots, then you’ll be able to walk right into a betting shop and start enjoying FOBTs immediately. Even if you’re not, you’ll still have relatively little trouble playing these machines.

Fixed-odds terminals are available in abundance throughout the UK. You can find them on virtually every major street in the country.

Unfortunately, you can’t bet and win as much as in the past due to recent regulations. But you should still have fun with FOBTs even if it’s for low stakes.