JD Wetherspoon has confirmed the extent of the impact its portfolio of gaming machines is having on the pub estate.

The signals were sounded last week by the UK’s leading chain, but the stats, well they filtered through in th detail. And what a tale the detail had to tell.

Gaming machine revenue for the first half of the financial year reached £35.5m, helping the pub company manage more comfortably its 4 percent drop in operating profit.

Machines revenue was the third largest income stream behind food and drink for the period, and grew faster than both combined, as customers continue to pair pints with play.

“In a challenging economic environment, Wetherspoons has seen its slot machine earnings rise by 12.4 percent year-on-year, outpacing food (5.4 percent) and drink (4.3 percent,)” reported Business Matters. “Over the past six years, this arm of the business has ballooned by 60 percent, signalling a shift in how customers engage with their local Wetherspoons.”

“To put it in perspective, while £35.5m in slot machine revenue is still small compared to the £589m spent on drinks alone, it’s clear that gambling terminals are becoming an increasingly important revenue stream for the 45-year-old company.”

The growth in food, drink and machines comes as a positive boost for a company facing a £60m increase in annual costs as a result of increases in wages and Employer NICs, with operating profit for the period dropping from £67.7m to £64.8m year-on-year.