Illegal Gambling Pins??

videodan

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Police officers carry a confiscated illegal electronic pinball gambling machine out of Jimmy's Lounge on Stoughton Street in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston on Apr. 2, 1980. State and local police raided 16 barrooms in the Greater Boston area and confiscated the illegal pinball machines at each location.
 
Not sure I've seen a gambling pinball machine, or at least recognized it when I saw it. However, I've seen lots of video gambling machines.

As long as it's regulated, then I don't personally see the issue. People have gambled since the beginning of time. Seriously, people can gamble on anything, including the number of pickles in a jar, how many hotdogs someone can eat, or how loudly someone can yell.

Scott C.
 
Bingo and other flipperless pinballs are essentially gambling devices, which is where pinball got its bad rap from. There were many different states and counties that had different restrictions on pinball that lasted into the 70s. Add-a-ball versions of games were designed for these locations where it was considered gambling if there was anything on the game displaying the amount of credits, or if the game had the ability to award a free credit. In the 70s Roger Sharpe proved in the Manhanntan courts that pinball was in fact a game of skill. A ton more history to it than that, but that's the basic gist.

 
What's the question?
I thought most people knew that BITD players could rack up free games, then redeem for money under the table once they were done playing.
 
My Cyprus Gardens is just a redemption slot machine. The payouts are right on the back glass.
 

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I have a 1954 Williams Colors pinball, and it was basically made as a gambling machine. Drop in a nickel to play a game, or drop in a second nickel to activate the "Star" feature. When your ball drained, it would light up a random number at the top, and if the number matched your last two digits of the score, you were awarded replays. If you matched every time, you could get a couple hundred replays. When game was over, the player would go to the bartender and show him the replays, which would be paid out as cash. Under the machine is a knockoff button which would wipe out the replays.

The machine also has impulse flippers. When you would push a flipper button, it activated both flippers. That way, a person could play the game while holding their beer.
 
I have a 1954 Williams Colors pinball, and it was basically made as a gambling machine. Drop in a nickel to play a game, or drop in a second nickel to activate the "Star" feature. When your ball drained, it would light up a random number at the top, and if the number matched your last two digits of the score, you were awarded replays. If you matched every time, you could get a couple hundred replays. When game was over, the player would go to the bartender and show him the replays, which would be paid out as cash. Under the machine is a knockoff button which would wipe out the replays.

The machine also has impulse flippers. When you would push a flipper button, it activated both flippers. That way, a person could play the game while holding their beer.
That's awesome!😎
 
I have a 1936 Exhibit Bagatello "pre-war" pinball that has a payout mech that drops coins into a hidden drawer that swivels out. It can also be disabled/payout drawer locked in case Johnny law comes sniffing around.
 
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