Are you sure? It's £1 stake / £70 max jackpot now for Cat-C, was £35 jackpot until recently, plus the hoppers typically now only hold £250, in the past it was £200. May have been an unlicensed, illegal, machine.

How many of the last 5+ years have any sort of career






Will Young.. Leona Lewis.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Anyone else?

They're young people being exploited when in reality there isn't a career for them. The record contracts they sign are so unbelievably weighted towards Cowell and Co it's unreal. Lets just say there's not many of them driving Ferrari's.
They're back as pub singers/Chicago rock touring within 12/18months and it's even worse in a recession because the music's garbage

But surely they are not exploited in the fact that a) they dont have to go on the show b) they do not have to sign the contract. It's a fair reflection of supply and demand for me. It's more about making a TV show and "a star a year" rather than making a superstar.

Plenty of real talent makes it the traditional way in the music industry anyway.

Bingoooo, and why? Because there is a support base built up over time. X-factor contestants stay in the limelight as long as Sir Cowell feel like keeping them there while they bleed a bit more cash out of a teen market and bored housewives. There's no real support fanbase, hence why they do little touring and fall flat very very quickly.
Hell, when Shane Warne toured years ago all he did was sing Jacko songs all night. This doesnt need to turn into a debate on the music industry, but people who watch Big Brother have the IQ of a goldfish and people who watch the X-factor need a musical education

Next week, Ricky Ponting sings a medley of hits from the West End. His 'Jesus Christ Superstar' has to be heard to be believed.

Oh Yeah, I'm sure. I could breakdown what I spent every penny on.

They used to have two or three of them, four reel efforts. It was normally ridiculously difficult to even got on the baord, this just nudged straight in, it was bizarre.

Lots of places, Tetley Walkers, Snookers, had £250 jackpots back then, definately.

Ah right, these are club machines or Cat-B machines (members clubs), I thought you meant in a regular pub of which the jackpot is £70.