Pinball HOF New Site is OPEN
June 25th, 2021 at 10:26:06 PM
permalink
Related Thread: https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/las-vegas-attractions/other/34703-pinball-hall-of-fame/
I drove out to the old site on Tropicana on Thursday to find a handwritten sign with the new address on a piece of cardboard on the door. ( I guess I missed the memo - oh well ). It is NOW on the East side of Las Vegas Blvd just North of the LAS VEGAS Sign, and is a big improvement.
My brothers, a sister-in-law, and my daughter enjoyed playing for an hour or so. I enjoy the old games the most, and the ones with the wood frames are pretty cool.
The sign is hard to miss:
Can you figure which star is missing from the game based on the Apollo 13 movie ?
This has to be one of the newest ones ( ? ):
I drove out to the old site on Tropicana on Thursday to find a handwritten sign with the new address on a piece of cardboard on the door. ( I guess I missed the memo - oh well ). It is NOW on the East side of Las Vegas Blvd just North of the LAS VEGAS Sign, and is a big improvement.
My brothers, a sister-in-law, and my daughter enjoyed playing for an hour or so. I enjoy the old games the most, and the ones with the wood frames are pretty cool.
The sign is hard to miss:
Can you figure which star is missing from the game based on the Apollo 13 movie ?
This has to be one of the newest ones ( ? ):
Last edited by: JohnnyQ on Jun 25, 2021
There's emptiness behind their eyes
There's dust in all their hearts
They just want to steal us all and take us all apart
July 2nd, 2021 at 9:25:01 AM
permalink
Vital Vegas is reporting that, according to PHOF owner Tim Arnold, a surveying error has resulted in the new building extending over the property line onto the property where Dream Hotel is currently planned to be built by about eight feet.
July 2nd, 2021 at 10:58:29 AM
permalink
link:Quote: ThatDonGuyVital Vegas is reporting that, according to PHOF owner Tim Arnold, a surveying error has resulted in the new building extending over the property line onto the property where Dream Hotel is currently planned to be built by about eight feet.
https://twitter.com/VitalVegas/status/1410809969361002501
surveyor's insurance will be paying out.
interested in seeing how this will be resolved.
im guessing the worse case scenario:
Dream Hotel gets court to order PHoF to remove/demolish the 8' of building encroaching their property.
surveyor's insurance pays for that and for PHoF to rebuild.
Hopefully surveyor company doesnt go bankrupt if not enough insurance
Craps is paradise (Pair of dice).
Lets hear it for the SpeedCount Mathletes :)
July 2nd, 2021 at 12:35:00 PM
permalink
I saw Tim Arnold there a couple of days ago and said hello. ( I recognized him from TV even though he was wearing a mask ). He said something like "if it could go wrong, it has" without going into details.
Then he said I could help by buying a T-Shirt and bringing my friends. I had already bought 2 shirts and brought 2 more friends along on that visit. We had a nice time. The new building is a big improvement.
So, I share this here too. If you can support them with a visit, it sounds like it would be a big help.
Then he said I could help by buying a T-Shirt and bringing my friends. I had already bought 2 shirts and brought 2 more friends along on that visit. We had a nice time. The new building is a big improvement.
So, I share this here too. If you can support them with a visit, it sounds like it would be a big help.
There's emptiness behind their eyes
There's dust in all their hearts
They just want to steal us all and take us all apart
July 2nd, 2021 at 12:52:11 PM
permalink
iv'e been to PHOF it was really nice to see all the games.. Some i used used to play in the day...I can't believe that DREAM HOTEL can't just let it go.. Ya no plant some bushes or trees on that spot. Or maybe have PHOF pay a yearly stippend WTF why not?? People these days are sooooo fing greedy.. anything to sue someone it's pathetic.....Quote: JohnnyQI saw Tim Arnold there a couple of days ago and said hello. ( I recognized him from TV even though he was wearing a mask ). He said something like "if it could go wrong, it has" without going into details.
Then he said I could help by buying a T-Shirt and bringing my friends. I had already bought 2 shirts and brought 2 more friends along on that visit. We had a nice time. The new building is a big improvement.
So, I share this here too. If you can support them with a visit, it sounds like it would be a big help.
davey
July 2nd, 2021 at 12:59:51 PM
permalink
Quote: daveyandersen1iv'e been to PHOF it was really nice to see all the games.. Some i used used to play in the day...I can't believe that DREAM HOTEL can't just let it go.. Ya no plant some bushes or trees on that spot. Or maybe have PHOF pay a yearly stippend WTF why not?? People these days are sooooo fing greedy.. anything to sue someone it's pathetic.....Quote: JohnnyQI saw Tim Arnold there a couple of days ago and said hello. ( I recognized him from TV even though he was wearing a mask ). He said something like "if it could go wrong, it has" without going into details.
Then he said I could help by buying a T-Shirt and bringing my friends. I had already bought 2 shirts and brought 2 more friends along on that visit. We had a nice time. The new building is a big improvement.
So, I share this here too. If you can support them with a visit, it sounds like it would be a big help.
The building is eight feet over the line, but how much of the building is over the line? If it is a rectangular building, doesn't that mean one whole side of the building is over the line? How many square feet of property is affected?
I don't know what stage the Dream Hotel is in, but changing plans isn't all that easy.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
July 2nd, 2021 at 1:16:42 PM
permalink
It would be nice to find a satisfactory solution for both parties that is the LEAST disruptive, but I don't think the next lot owner can just say "never-mind".
Don't most zoning laws prevent putting a structure with-in XX feet of the property line ?
Don't most zoning laws prevent putting a structure with-in XX feet of the property line ?
There's emptiness behind their eyes
There's dust in all their hearts
They just want to steal us all and take us all apart
July 2nd, 2021 at 1:22:40 PM
permalink
They would certainly be within their rights to demand the PHOF building be removed from their land. God, what a mess.
Worse, usually you can't have a building within 3 feet of the property line, so we might be talking about an 11 foot slice of structure. Oops.
Worse, usually you can't have a building within 3 feet of the property line, so we might be talking about an 11 foot slice of structure. Oops.
Have you tried 22 tonight? I said 22.
July 2nd, 2021 at 6:43:11 PM
permalink
Quote: JohnnyQDon't most zoning laws prevent putting a structure with-in XX feet of the property line ?
2 issues here. They built 8 feet into someone else’s property and they have also likely built beyond setback lines of their own property.
A mess.
Dream Hotel holds all the cards.
Last edited by: TDVegas on Jul 2, 2021
July 2nd, 2021 at 7:17:30 PM
permalink
I’d think the surveying company will pay out of their insurance.
Surveying is one of the riskiest parts of any construction project (financially) and companies doing that type of work carry hefty policies. This type of thing happens more often than most would think.
Surveying is one of the riskiest parts of any construction project (financially) and companies doing that type of work carry hefty policies. This type of thing happens more often than most would think.
Last edited by: gamerfreak on Jul 2, 2021
July 3rd, 2021 at 3:43:26 AM
permalink
Just pay $25K or whatever and redraw the line so PHOF is within their own bounds.
July 3rd, 2021 at 5:30:53 AM
permalink
Quote: ChumpChangeJust pay $25K or whatever and redraw the line so PHOF is within their own bounds.
‘Or whatever’???
Try adding a couple of zeros to that. $25K would be chump change for this kind of problem.
Oh wait, look who I’m talking to… 🤪
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ —————————————————————————————————————
Superstitions are silly, irrational, childish rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
July 3rd, 2021 at 6:33:46 AM
permalink
This is a big mess.
July 3rd, 2021 at 8:43:41 AM
permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear‘Or whatever’???
Try adding a couple of zeros to that. $25K would be chump change for this kind of problem.
Oh wait, look who I’m talking to… 🤪
Priceless
July 3rd, 2021 at 8:53:22 AM
permalink
Quote: ChumpChangeJust pay $25K or whatever and redraw the line so PHOF is within their own bounds.
It’s not that easy. Even if they sold the 8 feet to PinBall…the building would still be sitting on the property line instead of set backs. Dream Hotel doesn’t want a physical building on their “new” property line.
The infringement is on the south side which means they would have to sell Pinball an entire slice of land east to west, running the entire length of the property. Dream Hotel is not going to want their rectangular property to have an “indent”.
This looks to be a mess.
Best solution would be to lift the building and move it….if that’s even possible.
$25K?….you’re not even in the ballpark. Not close.
July 3rd, 2021 at 9:20:49 AM
permalink
An engineer brought in to examine this mess will charge $25,000 just for his consultation..
I've been following this story since he purchased this plot of land as it seemed like the owner was working on a shoestring budget. I hope this error wasn't a result of his trying to cut corners.
I've been following this story since he purchased this plot of land as it seemed like the owner was working on a shoestring budget. I hope this error wasn't a result of his trying to cut corners.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
July 3rd, 2021 at 9:40:17 AM
permalink
A little more from Vitalvegas.com:
In chatting with Arnold at the grand opening, he shared a frustrating situation concerning the attraction’s new building.
It seems a surveyor made an error during the planning stages of the $10 million structure.
The screw-up resulted in the Pinball Hall of Fame extending eight feet too far south, encroaching on a neighboring parcel owned by Dream Hotel Group.
Face, meet palm.
This stunning WTF has now set in motion what’s expected to be protracted litigation. Dream sues the Pinball Hall of Fame, Pinball Hall of Fame sues the surveyor, all that.
What should have been a celebration of an amazing accomplishment by the all-volunteer Pinball Hall of Fame team now ends up involving what’s likely to be a legal quagmire.
In chatting with Arnold at the grand opening, he shared a frustrating situation concerning the attraction’s new building.
It seems a surveyor made an error during the planning stages of the $10 million structure.
The screw-up resulted in the Pinball Hall of Fame extending eight feet too far south, encroaching on a neighboring parcel owned by Dream Hotel Group.
Face, meet palm.
This stunning WTF has now set in motion what’s expected to be protracted litigation. Dream sues the Pinball Hall of Fame, Pinball Hall of Fame sues the surveyor, all that.
What should have been a celebration of an amazing accomplishment by the all-volunteer Pinball Hall of Fame team now ends up involving what’s likely to be a legal quagmire.
There's emptiness behind their eyes
There's dust in all their hearts
They just want to steal us all and take us all apart
July 3rd, 2021 at 10:11:01 AM
permalink
Above makes it sound like it’s 8ft over the setback not 8ft over the property line.
The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; but that is the way to bet.
July 3rd, 2021 at 10:17:59 AM
permalink
Hope it wont be a big mess. If everyone comes to sense, they will figure a number acceptable to all parties. That is the reason insurance is soooooo important.
July 3rd, 2021 at 10:49:00 AM
permalink
Quote: unJonAbove makes it sound like it’s 8ft over the setback not 8ft over the property line.
If that was true, then they could retroactively apply for a variance. I do not believe it’s that simple. The fact that Dream Hotel and all parties have “lawyered up” tells me it’s more involved beyond a variance/setback issue.
July 3rd, 2021 at 12:36:51 PM
permalink
Good point.
The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; but that is the way to bet.
July 3rd, 2021 at 1:34:26 PM
permalink
The easiest solution seems like the Hall could lease the portion of the property. It might take a variance and obviously, the Dream Hotel would have to agree but that seems like the best solution.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
July 3rd, 2021 at 2:42:55 PM
permalink
Based on other developments on the Strip, the north and south (and possibly east) required setback is 0, which isn't unusual for urban development.
July 9th, 2021 at 2:23:37 PM
permalink
This one is a classic imho:
There's emptiness behind their eyes
There's dust in all their hearts
They just want to steal us all and take us all apart
July 9th, 2021 at 2:50:59 PM
permalink
Does it make a wax mold kind of thingy? If yes, I remember similar machines at the San Antonio Zoo when I was a kid. You could get a mold of say a gorilla/lion/giraffe etc. Loved em. Was it operational and do you remember the cost?
*(eta - I just noticed the $4 price tag on the machine) :) *
I need to check this place out.
*(eta - I just noticed the $4 price tag on the machine) :) *
I need to check this place out.
July 9th, 2021 at 2:54:49 PM
permalink
Im surprised they don’t have those with 3D printers yet
July 9th, 2021 at 5:30:18 PM
permalink
GF: Methinks you are missing the point. It is COOL because it is the REAL thing from the 60's ( ? ).Quote: gamerfreakIm surprised they don’t have those with 3D printers yet
There's emptiness behind their eyes
There's dust in all their hearts
They just want to steal us all and take us all apart
July 9th, 2021 at 5:44:48 PM
permalink
Quote: JohnnyQGF: Methinks you are missing the point. It is COOL because it is the REAL thing from the 60's ( ? ).
Oh I get it. I have an unusual interest in vintage coin op machines.
What I meant is that I think the concept will eventually be reprised with 3D printing.
The biggest issue with that idea is that 3D printing is very slow.
Anything worth printing usually takes at least 30 minutes. But I’m sure someone will figure it out.
July 9th, 2021 at 6:41:30 PM
permalink
I'm not a gamer nor do I enjoy pinball but I did enjoy playing a few of the early video games. I bought a Galaxia(?) arcade unit when I lived in Vegas but sold it after a few weeks. I was flipping the channel yesterday and QVC had countertop games with 17inch monitors for $200. I bought a Pac-Man that had seven other games installed. They say the screen and controls are identical to the arcade version, and it plays the same without the enormous footprint an 80s arcade model takes..
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
July 9th, 2021 at 7:40:59 PM
permalink
Quote: JohnnyQThis one is a classic imho:
I remember similar machines at the Brookfield Zoo in the Chicago suburb.
Here's an article about them: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mold-a-rama-archive-retro-plastic-mold-a-matic
July 9th, 2021 at 8:12:23 PM
permalink
Thanks for posting that. I vaguely remember them. One Christmas, around 1965 or so, there was a machine that made toy soldiers in a store, but it only made the really lame poses and left a lot of flashing on them.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
July 10th, 2021 at 6:55:12 AM
permalink
Great Article, thanks for sharing ! The Zoo where I grew up also had one.Quote: LoquaciousMoFWHere's an article about them: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/mold-a-rama-archive-retro-plastic-mold-a-matic
There's emptiness behind their eyes
There's dust in all their hearts
They just want to steal us all and take us all apart
August 29th, 2021 at 6:30:37 PM
permalink
If online list of pinball games for HOF is right I will scratch from my bucket list. Age 12 6th grade penny candy store.
Back room had a penny pinball machine. 1 penny got you 2 horses from numbers one to 7. Could get more and higher odds from more pennies. One ball , 4 sections purse, show, place, win from top to bottom. . Think Right Left and Cupat borrow. Yes it was for pennies. Lucky Strike cigarettes were 15 cents a pack by store owner sold them for a penny a piece. Can find anything like this in HOF list.
But more amazing do not see a listing for Bally bingo machines. Theses machines finances so many
Y businesses like greasy spoons diners pools rooms etc. I know the Greek was financed by Bally machine Man in early 50’s. And as late as 1978 a friend has pool room financed. Interest free. But you did not get your half of payout until loan was paid off.only 8 tables but 20K loan paid off in 6 months.
Mid 1980s raid of big bar near a federal office complex. Reported payoff to bar over 250k. That means the total win was over $1 million. Because usual setup was for example 4K profit on machine , then business owner and machine man each put 1K down on books. Kept IRS happy and Feds away
Saw those Bingo machine in towns big and small.if you saw one you remember extra ball feature FirstExtraBall
Second ExtraBall Third Extra ball alight behind each word for 9 lites total Higher odds were harder to get 3 lites in a roe.once a guy had 8 lites, hit small on first and second ball in addition to original 5 balls. Ran down all his credits plus $60 before giving up
Video Poker replaced these in 90s and expended to include grocery store. Don’t every remember seeing a Bingo pinball in a grocery store. I can understand horse race machine not being there, but Ball Bingo. Somebody tell me I am wrong
Back room had a penny pinball machine. 1 penny got you 2 horses from numbers one to 7. Could get more and higher odds from more pennies. One ball , 4 sections purse, show, place, win from top to bottom. . Think Right Left and Cupat borrow. Yes it was for pennies. Lucky Strike cigarettes were 15 cents a pack by store owner sold them for a penny a piece. Can find anything like this in HOF list.
But more amazing do not see a listing for Bally bingo machines. Theses machines finances so many
Y businesses like greasy spoons diners pools rooms etc. I know the Greek was financed by Bally machine Man in early 50’s. And as late as 1978 a friend has pool room financed. Interest free. But you did not get your half of payout until loan was paid off.only 8 tables but 20K loan paid off in 6 months.
Mid 1980s raid of big bar near a federal office complex. Reported payoff to bar over 250k. That means the total win was over $1 million. Because usual setup was for example 4K profit on machine , then business owner and machine man each put 1K down on books. Kept IRS happy and Feds away
Saw those Bingo machine in towns big and small.if you saw one you remember extra ball feature FirstExtraBall
Second ExtraBall Third Extra ball alight behind each word for 9 lites total Higher odds were harder to get 3 lites in a roe.once a guy had 8 lites, hit small on first and second ball in addition to original 5 balls. Ran down all his credits plus $60 before giving up
Video Poker replaced these in 90s and expended to include grocery store. Don’t every remember seeing a Bingo pinball in a grocery store. I can understand horse race machine not being there, but Ball Bingo. Somebody tell me I am wrong
August 29th, 2021 at 7:35:23 PM
permalink
Quote: FastEddieIf online list of pinball games for HOF is right I will scratch from my bucket list. Age 12 6th grade penny candy store.
Back room had a penny pinball machine. 1 penny got you 2 horses from numbers one to 7. Could get more and higher odds from more pennies. One ball , 4 sections purse, show, place, win from top to bottom. . Think Right Left and Cupat borrow. Yes it was for pennies. Lucky Strike cigarettes were 15 cents a pack by store owner sold them for a penny a piece. Can find anything like this in HOF list.
But more amazing do not see a listing for Bally bingo machines. Theses machines finances so many
Y businesses like greasy spoons diners pools rooms etc. I know the Greek was financed by Bally machine Man in early 50’s. And as late as 1978 a friend has pool room financed. Interest free. But you did not get your half of payout until loan was paid off.only 8 tables but 20K loan paid off in 6 months.
The "horse race bingo" machine you are describing is usually referred to as a "one-ball"; it was the predecessor of the five-ball bingo machine. According to one source, every one-ball machine except one had a horse racing theme (the exception had an Oscars theme; I am guessing the levels were something like Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Picture.) I have never seen a working version of one of these, although there is a YouTube video of someone playing one.
The previous location of the PHOF had one bingo machine (complete with a handwritten sign along the lines of: "We do not buy back credits"). I saw a picture of one at the new location, but they couldn't use it because it actually dispenses nickels instead of credits. I have seen (and played) a few in California, but they are hard to find as they are illegal, and the stories are that they are pretty much smashed on sight if discovered.
Here is an example of one. The bottom three holes marked "Feature" awarded bonuses for your next game.
August 29th, 2021 at 7:52:11 PM
permalink
Thanks for the link. Look just like horse race I remember. REALLY. And Bingos being destroyed answered why so few survived . Front of candy store had this small counter top machine that was a penny and you could win a candy bar if two spinners matched names of candy bars. Now 12 year olds are in online poker rooms and won’t bend over to pick up a penny. Used to buy a licorice pipe, roll of dots, wax milk bottle filled with juice, Mary Jane, etc for a penny. And Mary Jane a candy you ate, not something you smoked. Thanks again for the link.
August 30th, 2021 at 10:21:46 AM
permalink
When I was about ten or so, a candy store in Queens installed a pinball machine and an early quasi-video game called Sea Wolf or something similar. About a week later, the NYPD showed up, dragged the pinball game into the street and beat it to death with what looked like ax handles. They left the remains where they were and left. They left the Seawolf game because I guess they were legal.
Seawolf wasn't released until well after this so it was most likely a game called Periscope or possibly Sea Devil.
Seawolf wasn't released until well after this so it was most likely a game called Periscope or possibly Sea Devil.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
August 30th, 2021 at 3:13:34 PM
permalink
Quote: billryanWhen I was about ten or so, a candy store in Queens installed a pinball machine and an early quasi-video game called Sea Wolf or something similar. About a week later, the NYPD showed up, dragged the pinball game into the street and beat it to death with what looked like ax handles. They left the remains where they were and left. They left the Seawolf game because I guess they were legal.
If the pinball machine offered replays, it was (and, AFAIK, still is) illegal in New York City, presumably because the government thought that the machine owner would buy back replays for cash. There are quite a few "pairs" of pinball machines that are identical except that one gives out replays while the other only gives extra balls (they are usually called "add-a-ball" games). For example, the Gottlieb game "Melody" is identical to the same company's "Sing Along" except that Melody is an add-a-ball while Sing Along awards replays. Note that Add-A-Ball games did not have a "match" feature. Modern games let you choose which one you want in its internal software.
There used to be an arcade in Manhattan until about 1996; I think the facade appeared in an episode of NewsRadio. It had five or six pinballs that were modern at the time, but all of them were set to add-a-ball.
Games like Seawolf didn't award replays; IIRC, if you had a high enough score, it would give you additional time, but that's it.
August 24th, 2025 at 3:01:40 PM
permalink
When the casino executives see this news story, the Strip will change back to the way it used to be and the tourists will stream back in!
August 24th, 2025 at 3:58:15 PM
permalink
Excuse me? 50 years ago, it was 10 cents a game, 3 for a quarter, and that was usually 5 balls per game. Today, the newer games are $1 per game, and you get 3 balls. Even the games from the 1970s are 25 cents a game.
August 24th, 2025 at 5:00:48 PM
permalink
Quote: ThatDonGuyExcuse me? 50 years ago, it was 10 cents a game, 3 for a quarter, and that was usually 5 balls per game. Today, the newer games are $1 per game, and you get 3 balls. Even the games from the 1970s are 25 cents a game.
link to original post
The pinball I was playing in the wild today was around 10 games for $4. I think there is some latitude within the configuration settings for the operator.
May the cards fall in your favor.
August 25th, 2025 at 1:26:45 AM
permalink
Quote: ThatDonGuyExcuse me? 50 years ago, it was 10 cents a game, 3 for a quarter, and that was usually 5 balls per game. Today, the newer games are $1 per game, and you get 3 balls. Even the games from the 1970s are 25 cents a game.
link to original post
Depends on where you were. Sometimes there was a machine in a bar (yes, they let me!) or a store someplace that was cheap, was there forever, and was not worth the owner reconfiguring as it was just a minor thing to entertain people in his business. If you went to a place that was just an arcade and had to make their living that way, like a Jersey Shore arcade, you'd pay a quarter a game. Makes sense businesswise as people are going there specifically to play the games and were prepared to pay, and it was still cheaper than drinking in a bar.
I remember adults telling me that these were gambling machines, and explaining the business of earning replays and selling them. And I said "What? Why? Nobody does that." Tough way to earn money, and I have to hope someone would rather give me a quarter for my replay than just stick the quarter in a machine. I'm sure there were guys who bet against each other but that went on with all kinds of games.
August 25th, 2025 at 8:24:38 AM
permalink
Quote: AutomaticMonkeyI remember adults telling me that these were gambling machines, and explaining the business of earning replays and selling them. And I said "What? Why? Nobody does that." Tough way to earn money, and I have to hope someone would rather give me a quarter for my replay than just stick the quarter in a machine. I'm sure there were guys who bet against each other but that went on with all kinds of games.
link to original post
Depends on the machine. For the most part, pinball machines with flippers don't have the owners buying back replays, although I assume there are a few that do; if there is a sign saying that minors are not allowed to play the machine, that is a sign that it might be one of them. On the other hand, "bingo pinballs" - the ones without flippers, and 25 numbered holes that correspond to a 5 x 5 "bingo card" on the back glass - exist pretty much solely for the owners to buy back credits. This is why there is a sign on the one in the Pinball Hall of Fame saying that they do not buy back credits (a shame, too - it's the only one on which I ever got 5 in a line).
I have a feeling the preponderance of machines where you could buy back replays in New York City is what led to its "no games may give out replays" law.
August 25th, 2025 at 8:45:03 AM
permalink
I never saw a ten-cent pinball game in NYC. I remember a weird bowling game in a bar near Great Gorge that had a ten-cent bowling game, but it was ancient.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
August 25th, 2025 at 12:18:33 PM
permalink
Quote: billryanI never saw a ten-cent pinball game in NYC. I remember a weird bowling game in a bar near Great Gorge that had a ten-cent bowling game, but it was ancient.
link to original post
Machines switched from 10c / game to 2 games for a quarter in the early 1970s - definitely by 1975. They were 25c / game when I was in college, in the early 1980s.
August 25th, 2025 at 1:02:58 PM
permalink
Pinball got popular in New York and Long Island around 1976. I recall that some older game machines offered two games for a quarter, but pinball machines were a quarter each. I was more into foosball and only played a few machines. Video games replaced pinball in most places not long after. When I opened my first comic shop in 1983, I had a Galaxia and Missile Command that I split 50-50 with the owner, only he advanced me $3,000. I think they made about $300 a week and could have done better if I'd stayed open later. It took a few months to pay him off, but after that, the machines covered my rent.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
August 25th, 2025 at 4:50:20 PM
permalink
I first saw Space Invaders in 1979 and that was a quarter, and after that I never saw any pinball for less than a quarter.
There were some earlier video-type games like Night Driver and I recall them being always a quarter too.
There were some earlier video-type games like Night Driver and I recall them being always a quarter too.
August 25th, 2025 at 5:20:34 PM
permalink
NYS add-a-ball was so much better than out of state replay games. I look at the replay games and it's a total novelty to me and I could run it up to 25 credits at times, but I still prefer a longer higher scoring game with add-a-ball. Some games could be at home in both states without much trouble, like Bally's 1974 Bon Voyage.
August 26th, 2025 at 12:25:47 AM
permalink
Quote: ThatDonGuyQuote: AutomaticMonkeyI remember adults telling me that these were gambling machines, and explaining the business of earning replays and selling them. And I said "What? Why? Nobody does that." Tough way to earn money, and I have to hope someone would rather give me a quarter for my replay than just stick the quarter in a machine. I'm sure there were guys who bet against each other but that went on with all kinds of games.
link to original post
Depends on the machine. For the most part, pinball machines with flippers don't have the owners buying back replays, although I assume there are a few that do; if there is a sign saying that minors are not allowed to play the machine, that is a sign that it might be one of them. On the other hand, "bingo pinballs" - the ones without flippers, and 25 numbered holes that correspond to a 5 x 5 "bingo card" on the back glass - exist pretty much solely for the owners to buy back credits. This is why there is a sign on the one in the Pinball Hall of Fame saying that they do not buy back credits (a shame, too - it's the only one on which I ever got 5 in a line).
I have a feeling the preponderance of machines where you could buy back replays in New York City is what led to its "no games may give out replays" law.
link to original post
Ah OK thanks for the clarification. Those machine I would have called pachinko machines, and that's not precise either but I guess that's where the word pinball came from, as the ball bounces off pins.
We called them "pops" instead of replays because of the sound the non-digital tables made, which was reproduced in some digital machines. And there were three ways to pop a machine- either a target score or certain in-game achievements, or after game over, there was a spinner that spun randomly and if it matched the last 2 digits of your score you popped. You felt like a real hero when you were having a great game and the machine starts popping away for all to hear.
But I wonder if NY didn't like the random replay either. There's no way to monetize that.
August 26th, 2025 at 5:46:45 AM
permalink
It's been decades since I used to play pinball regularly. There is an arcade I can travel 50 miles to that has many pinball machines and I think they award free games now although machines still award free balls in regular game play when it says "Shoot Again". I don't know when the laws changed to allow the match feature and Specials to award free games, maybe it's just an oversight at this one place and nobody is looking. Pinball is just about long gone from the scene so finding anything to play is difficult and usually a trek to get to. At my age, getting carpal tunnel in my wrists from playing for 3 hours is a risk.
Pinball machines have game codes which you can scan with your phone. I don't quite understand what the deal is with those. Phone reception may not be all that great inside an arcade, and remembering passwords or signing up at websites seems like too much effort for what with these codes? I guess if I want to enter a personal high score and get on a leader board, that would be one reason. The Stern site only has codes going back to late 2017. I've only been to this arcade twice.
https://sternpinball.com/support/game-code/
Insider connected leader boards
https://sternpinball.com/support/insider-connected-leaderboards/
Pinball machines have game codes which you can scan with your phone. I don't quite understand what the deal is with those. Phone reception may not be all that great inside an arcade, and remembering passwords or signing up at websites seems like too much effort for what with these codes? I guess if I want to enter a personal high score and get on a leader board, that would be one reason. The Stern site only has codes going back to late 2017. I've only been to this arcade twice.
https://sternpinball.com/support/game-code/
Insider connected leader boards
https://sternpinball.com/support/insider-connected-leaderboards/
Last edited by: ChumpChange on Aug 26, 2025
August 26th, 2025 at 6:09:09 AM
permalink
Those codes look like they're for doing software updates on the pinball machines.
You probably can't do much with them without a suitable pinball machine, keys, and a service laptop.
You probably can't do much with them without a suitable pinball machine, keys, and a service laptop.
May the cards fall in your favor.
