What does malfunction voids all pays mean?
What does malfunction voids all pays mean? It is a clause in a slot’s rules saying that if the game or system develops a genuine fault, any wins and bets on the affected rounds are cancelled, and stakes normally refunded. It covers technical errors, not unlucky or lucky results, and in the UK it must be applied fairly.
By the Best Slots UK team. Last checked .
Key takeaways
- The clause cancels results caused by a genuine technical fault, not wins the casino would rather not pay.
- UK operators must fix faults, tell affected customers and treat them fairly under the Commission’s technical standards.
- Consumer law requires terms to be fair and prominent, and a 2021 High Court case went against an operator relying on a glitch clause.
- If a win is voided as a malfunction, ask for the technical evidence and the round record.
- Where you see it
- Bottom of the slot’s rules screen
- What it covers
- Genuine software or hardware faults
- Usual outcome
- Round cancelled, stake refunded
- UK rule
- RTS 5: faults fixed, customers treated fairly
- Key case
- Green v Petfre (Betfred), 2021
What malfunction voids all pays means in plain English
Break the phrase into its parts. A malfunction is the game or the system around it not working as designed. Voids means cancels, as if the round never happened. All pays means every payout from the affected play, and many versions add ‘and plays’, meaning the bets as well. Put together: if something breaks, the results it produced don’t count.
In practice the casino should then put you back where you were before the faulty round, which usually means refunding the stake. You’ll find the clause in the small print at the end of almost every slot’s rules or paytable, often as a single line under the RTP figure. Our guide on reading a slot’s game info screen shows where it sits.
Where the clause comes from
The wording dates from land-based machines, where it was printed on the glass of slot and fruit machine cabinets. Mechanical and early electronic machines could genuinely misfire: a reel could stick, a coin hopper could jam, a sensor could misread. The clause told players that a display caused by a physical fault didn’t create a valid prize.
Online slots inherited the line, but the context has changed. The result of an online spin is produced by a tested random number generator on a server and recorded before any reels move on screen. Faults still happen, but they look different: a configuration error, a display bug, a jackpot value set wrongly, or a payout table loaded incorrectly.
What counts as a malfunction, and what doesn’t
The most important point is that a large or unexpected win is not, on its own, a malfunction. Every licensed slot has a published max win and its maths is verified before release, so a top prize landing is the game working. The table separates real faults from things that only feel like one.
| Situation | Likely a malfunction? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A symbol paid from the wrong paytable value | Yes | The game paid differently from its published rules |
| The screen showed a win the server never recorded | Yes | Display and result don’t match |
| A jackpot displayed far above its real pool | Yes | The value shown wasn’t the value held |
| A win larger than the stated max win | Possibly | Results above the published cap point to a fault |
| A big win within the published max win | No | Part of the tested maths |
| Several wins close together | No | Random results cluster naturally |
| A long run of losing spins | No | Normal variance, especially on high volatility slots |
| Your connection dropped mid-spin | No | An interruption, handled under separate rules |
Interruptions are a different category. If your device freezes, the spin result usually stands, as explained in what happens if a slot freezes mid-spin.
What UK rules say about slot faults
The Gambling Commission’s remote gambling and software technical standards (RTS) set the baseline. Three parts matter here:
- Result determination (RTS 5). Where unexpected system flaws, faults or errors affect a customer, the operator must correct them as soon as practicable and treat the customer fairly. The guidance adds that customers should be told when errors affect them.
- Random outcomes (RTS 7). Results must be acceptably random, and adaptive behaviour, meaning a game that adjusts its odds to hit a target, is not allowed. A casino can’t treat a win as a fault simply because the game is ‘paying too much’ on a given day.
- Interrupted gambling (RTS 10). Systems must be able to recover from failures, void gambles and return stakes where needed, and operators must publish their interruption policy.
Operators must also monitor each game’s live RTP against the advertised figure for both under- and overpayment, under the Commission’s testing strategy. That monitoring is how a genuine paytable error is usually found, and it’s a different thing from questioning one player’s win. More on the checks in how online slots are tested in the UK.
Fair terms: why the clause has limits
Casino terms are consumer contracts, so the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies. Terms must be fair and transparent, and a term that would significantly disadvantage a consumer has to be brought to their attention clearly. The Competition and Markets Authority has previously taken action against online gambling operators over terms it considered unfair, and the Commission’s licence conditions also require fair and open terms.
For a malfunction clause, that means a few practical tests: is the clause clearly visible, is the ‘malfunction’ a real technical fault, and has the operator treated the player fairly, for instance by refunding stakes? A vague clause used to cancel a legitimate win is open to challenge.
The Betfred glitch case and what it changed
The best-known UK example involves Andrew Green, who won around £1.7 million in 2018 playing an online blackjack game at Betfred. The operator refused to pay, saying a software fault had affected the game, and relied on terms that excluded liability for malfunctions.
In 2021 the High Court found for Mr Green. The judge decided that the exclusion terms were not clear or prominent enough to defeat his claim, and that, read properly, they didn’t allow the operator to withhold the winnings in the way it tried to. The ruling didn’t say malfunction clauses are invalid; it said they must be drafted clearly and drawn to players’ attention. Operators have since paid closer attention to how these terms are worded and displayed.
How a genuine slot malfunction should be handled
When a real fault is found, a fair outcome usually looks like this: the casino identifies the affected rounds from server logs, cancels them, refunds the stakes, tells the affected players and explains what went wrong. Where the fault paid players too little, it should top them up. If the supplier finds a fault in a game, it may take the game offline across many casinos while it is fixed and retested.
A malfunction void should be specific. ‘Your account has been affected by a malfunction’ with no detail isn’t enough; you are entitled to know which rounds, what fault, and how the outcome was worked out.
How to challenge a malfunction decision
- Ask the operator, in writing, to identify the exact rounds affected and the term it relied on.
- Request a description of the fault and whether it came from the game supplier or the casino platform.
- Ask whether other players were affected and whether the game was taken offline.
- Check your own game history and screenshots against the operator’s account of events.
- Confirm what happened to your stakes on the voided rounds.
- If you’re not satisfied, raise a formal complaint; after 8 weeks, or on a final response, take it to the operator’s independent ADR service.
Our guide to how to complain to a slot site sets out the full route. Other reasons wins are cancelled, such as bonus breaches, are covered in why was my slot win voided.
How often this actually happens
Malfunction voids are rare compared with the number of spins played. Pre-release testing by approved test houses, change control rules that force retesting after any change affecting fairness, and live RTP monitoring all exist to catch faults before they reach players or soon after. For most slot players, the clause is a line they’ll never see used. Reading a game’s rules before playing, including the RTP and max win, gives you the reference points to judge any dispute if one does arise.
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Frequently asked questions
Does malfunction voids all pays mean the casino can cancel any win?
No. It only covers genuine technical faults, such as a symbol paying the wrong amount or a display not matching the recorded result. UK operators must correct faults and treat customers fairly under the Gambling Commission’s technical standards, and consumer law requires terms to be fair and clear. A big win inside a slot’s published max win is the game working as designed. If a win is cancelled as a malfunction, ask for evidence. Our page on slot max win explained covers the published caps.
Do I get my stake back if a spin is voided for a malfunction?
You should. Voiding a round means treating it as if it never happened, so the fair outcome is to return the stake as well as cancel the result. The Commission’s technical standards expect systems to be able to void gambles and restore the amount staked. If the operator voids a win but keeps the stake, ask why in writing and raise a complaint if the answer isn’t satisfactory. Our guide on how to complain to a slot site explains the steps.
Where do I find the malfunction clause in a slot?
Open the game’s rules or information screen, usually through an ‘i’ or menu icon, and scroll to the end. The line normally sits near the RTP figure and other general rules, sometimes worded as ‘malfunction voids all pays and plays’. The casino’s own terms usually contain a wider version covering its platform. Reading both before you play is sensible. Our guide to reading a slot paytable walks through each part of the rules screen.
Is a frozen slot the same as a malfunction?
Not usually. A freeze on your device is an interruption to the display, and the spin result is normally already recorded on the server, so it stands. Interruptions are covered by separate rules that require operators to restore unfinished features or refund stakes where no result was produced. A malfunction is a fault in the game or system itself that produces a wrong result. Our page on what happens if a slot freezes mid-spin covers interruptions in detail.
What happened in the Betfred malfunction case?
In the 2021 case of Andrew Green against Betfred’s operating company, the High Court ruled that the player was owed around £1.7 million he had won on an online blackjack game. Betfred had refused payment, citing a software glitch and terms excluding liability for malfunctions. The judge found those terms were not clear or prominent enough to stop the claim. The case shows malfunction clauses must be properly drafted and highlighted. See UK slot rules for wider protections.
Can a slot be faulty if it is tested?
Yes, although it is rare. Testing by an approved test house checks the random number generator, the maths and the game against its rules before release, but configuration mistakes or bugs can still appear later, for example after an update or on one operator’s platform. That’s why operators must monitor live RTP against the advertised figure and investigate gaps. Changes that could affect fairness must be retested. Our page on who tests UK online slots explains each stage.
Does the clause apply to fruit machines in pubs?
A version of it does. The phrase began on land-based machines, where it was printed on the cabinet, and pub and arcade machines still carry similar wording. Physical faults like a jammed hopper or misreading reel are the classic examples. Disputes about a pub machine go first to the venue and machine supplier rather than an online operator. Our comparison of online slots vs pub fruit machines covers other differences between the two.
Who can I complain to if I think a malfunction claim is wrong?
Start with the operator’s formal complaints process, in writing, and keep the reference number. UK licensed operators have 8 weeks to resolve a complaint. If they don’t, or you disagree with their final decision, you can take it free of charge to the Alternative Dispute Resolution provider the operator names. The Gambling Commission doesn’t settle individual disputes, but you can report concerns about an operator to it. Our guide to checking a slot site’s licence shows how to confirm who runs a site.