Fruit machine apps

What fruit machine apps are, and what they are not

In the UK, 'fruit machine' means the cabinet in the corner of a pub, with flashing lights, a hold button under each reel and a trail of features running up the glass. Fruit machine apps bring that style of game to your phone. They are not separate apps for each game: you download a licensed casino app, such as one of the real money casino apps we cover, and open the fruit games from its slots lobby.

Two kinds of game get called fruit machines on mobile. The first is the pub-style fruitie, which copies the British machine: holds, nudges, a number reel, a feature trail and sometimes a cash ladder. The second is the fruit-themed slot, a simpler three- or five-reel game with fruit symbols and few paylines, but none of the hold and nudge business. Both are real-money slots, and both follow the same UK rules. Our page on classic slots apps covers the second group in more depth.

Coral's App Store listing names 'classic fruit machines' among its slot types. For other apps, check the lobby filters or simply search 'fruit' once you are logged in.

Pub fruit machine vs fruit machine apps

The feel can be similar, but the rules and maths behind a pub cabinet and an app game are different. This table sets out the main differences.

The last row matters most. An app ties every spin to a verified account, so you can set a deposit limit or a reality check before you start, which is not something a pub cabinet can offer.

Holds, nudges and feature trails in fruit machine apps

Pub-style fruit games use a handful of features you rarely meet in modern video slots. Here is what each one does on a phone screen.

Holds

When a hold is offered, a HOLD button lights up under each reel. Tap the reels you want to keep, then spin again; the held reels stay put while the others turn. Some games choose holds for you, which is the more common approach online.

Nudges

A nudge moves a reel one position up or down. You may be given a number of nudges to spend, shown on a counter, with an arrow above or below each reel. On a small screen the arrows can be close together, so a careful tap helps.

Feature trails and number reels

A number reel or a run of symbols moves a marker along a trail. Reaching a feature square starts a bonus game, such as a cash ladder or a set of respins. On a phone the trail usually sits above or beside the reels and may shrink in portrait.

Cash ladders

A cash ladder steps through prize values. Some games let you collect at a level or try for the next one. The odds of each step are part of the game's maths, set out in the help screen.

The Gambling Commission's 2021 slot rules target features that give an illusion of control over the result. Whatever you choose on a hold or nudge, the game's published return already accounts for it, and no choice turns the house edge in your favour.

How fruit machine games look on a phone

Fruit games were drawn for wide cabinets, so many open best in landscape. Turn the phone sideways and the reels, trail and buttons spread across the full width. In portrait the reels tend to sit in the middle, with the trail squeezed above and the spin and stake buttons stacked below. Our guide to portrait vs landscape mobile slots explains why some games handle the switch better than others.

• Balance and net position sit along the top or bottom bar on UK games, and stay visible throughout.
• The stake button is usually a coin icon or a plus and minus pair next to the spin button.
• The menu (often three lines or an 'i') holds the paytable, the rules and the RTP.
• Sound is often loud by default; the speaker icon sits in the menu or the top bar.

How to find and play a fruit machine in a casino app

The steps are much the same on iPhone and Android, because the games themselves run inside the app as HTML5 content.

1. Download the casino's app from the App Store or Google Play and check that the developer name matches the licence holder.
2. Sign in, or register and complete age and identity checks. You cannot open any game, even in demo mode, until this is done.
3. Open the Slots or Casino tab and look for a Classic, Fruit or Retro filter. If there is none, tap the magnifying glass and type 'fruit'.
4. Tap a game tile, wait for it to load, and open the menu to read the paytable and RTP before you stake anything.
5. Set your stake with the coin or plus and minus buttons. It cannot go above £5 a spin, or £2 if you are 18 to 24.
6. Tap spin. When a hold or nudge appears, follow the on-screen prompts; the game explains each one in its rules.
7. Close the game from the X or back arrow to return to the lobby. Your balance updates at once.

If a game freezes mid-feature, don't panic: the result is stored on the game server. Reopen the game and it should pick up where it stopped. If it does not, contact the casino's support team with the time of the spin.

Stakes, RTP and volatility on fruit machine apps

The RTP of a fruit game tells you what share of all money staked it is designed to pay back over a very long run of spins. Many pub-style games sit lower than the 96% common on video slots, and several versions of the same game may exist, so the figure in the help screen is the one that applies to you.

Here is what that means in pounds. Say you play 200 spins at 50p, so £100 goes through the game. At an RTP of 96%, the expected cost over a very long run is about £4 per £100 staked; at 92% it is about £8. In a single session you could finish well above or well below those figures, because the RTP is an average over millions of spins, not a promise for your evening.

Volatility describes how the wins arrive. Fruit games often have a lot of small returns and an occasional larger feature, which can make a balance last, but it does not change the cost over time.

UK rules that shape fruit machine apps

Every fruit game in a UK-licensed app follows the same online slot rules as Starburst or a Megaways game:

• Stake limits of £5 per spin for players aged 25 and over, and £2 for players aged 18 to 24. See our guide to UK stake limits on mobile slots.
• At least 2.5 seconds between spins, with no turbo or slam-stop buttons.
• No autoplay: every spin needs a tap.
• No celebration sounds or animations when a 'win' is smaller than your stake.
• Your balance and net position on screen for the whole session.
• Free-to-play demos only after your age is verified.

Bonus buy is not offered to players in Great Britain, so if a fruit game abroad has a 'buy feature' button, you will not see it in a UK app.

Fruit-themed slots to compare in UK apps

If you like the look of fruit machines but want a simpler game, these fruit-themed or retro slots are widely carried by UK casinos. Availability differs between apps, so search for the name in the lobby.

Rainbow Riches comes from Barcrest, a studio with roots in UK machines going back to 1968, which is why its features feel familiar to pub players.

Data, battery and sound on fruit machine apps

Fruit games are light compared with live casino streams. Once a game has loaded, each spin sends only a small message to the server, so mobile data use is modest; the bigger download happens when you first open the game. Bright, flashing animations and loud audio use more battery than the spins themselves. Lowering screen brightness and muting game sound both help, as covered in our casino app data usage guide.

On iPhone, Low Power Mode can slow animations slightly but will not change results. On Android, battery saver may close the app in the background; if that happens, the game resumes from the server when you return.

Keeping fruit machine sessions in check

The quick, familiar rhythm of a fruitie can make time pass faster than you expect. Treat it as paid entertainment and decide your spend before you open the app.

• Set a daily or weekly deposit limit in the app's account or safer gambling menu.
• Turn on a reality check so a reminder appears after a set time.
• Use a time-out if you want a break of a day or more.
• If gambling stops being fun, the National Gambling Helpline is free and open 24/7 on 0808 8020 133, and GAMSTOP blocks all UK-licensed sites and apps.

More help is on our safer gambling page.

Where to play fruit machine games in a UK app

All five apps we cover are UKGC licensed and carry slots, and Coral's listing specifically mentions classic fruit machines. The offers below are for slots in general: 18+, new customers only and full terms apply, including the deposit, stake and expiry conditions shown in each box.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.