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Preparing for new polymer banknotes and the new £1

14 July 2016

New banknotes and a new £1 coin are being introduced to the UK over the next few years and Dransfields has now completed the strategic planning needed to make sure we’re ready for the changes.

The new banknotes will be printed on polymer, a thin and flexible plastic material which will be cleaner, more secure and more durable than paper notes. The new £5 note is due to be introduced in September this year, with a new £10 note following in September 2017 and a new £20 sometime in 2019.

Our promise to our customers is that we will endeavour to ensure all Dransfields gaming machines are able to accept the new banknotes from day one of their introduction.

To help us achieve this, Dransfields has invested heavily in brand new note acceptors from Innovative Technology which have undergone rigorous testing with the new banknotes. The new note acceptors are currently being rolled out across the entire Dransfields gaming machine estate. At the same time, any existing note acceptors that can be upgraded to accept the new notes are being re-programmed on site.

The new £1 coin will be phased in from March 2017. It will be a two-colour, 12-sided coin, with a nickel-brass outer around a nickel-plated solid alloy inner section.

As the primary coin used in our machines, the new £1 presents a substantial challenge. Preparing for its introduction will mean upgrading coin acceptors in all the types of equipment Dransfields operates, from pool tables, quiz machines and kiddie rides to jukeboxes, cranes and vending machines - and that’s in addition to all those gaming machines!
Quite a mammoth task, and one, incidentally, for which the Government gives no assistance, financial or otherwise. The cost of implementing the new £1 coin across our estate will be borne entirely by Dransfields, which demonstrates our commitment to ensuring top quality service to our customers.

Our plan is that all coin mechanisms will be reprogrammed or replaced so that they are ready to accept the new £1 coin by the time of its planned introduction in the spring of 2017.

It’s going to be a busy summer!