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OGAKI, Gifu -- A bank based here has come up with an unusual way to attract customers to its automatic teller machines -- by installing slot games in them.
From Aug. 8, Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank will introduce slot games in ATMs that give customers the chance to win back bank fees or cash.
Bank officials say they hope the new ATMs, reportedly the first of their kind in Japan, will give customers a sense of "excitement."
"When it comes to ATMs, financial institutions eagerly compete to make them convenient," a bank representative said. "Banks are part of the service industry. We want people to enjoy a 'feeling of excitement' with a sense of fun."
After customers withdraw money, the numbers on the slot game automatically begin spinning. When a triple seven or the "gold" or "super gold" pictures appear together, the 105-yen after-hours bank fee becomes free.
When pictures line up on the slot game, the customer also wins 1,000 yen cash, which can be received from the bank counter at a later date. The chance of getting three sevens is about one in 10, while customers have about a one-in-500 chance of the pictures lining up.
The service will begin at 10 branches in Gifu and Aichi prefectures, but it will spread to 135 branches across Gifu, Aichi, Mie and Shiga prefectures by Aug. 12. As a rule, one slot ATM will be installed at each participating branch. (Mainichi)
