Coin Slot Magazine - #080 - 1981 - October [International Arcade Museum]
The Token Corner
Continued from page 42
One of the Amusement pioneers in Southern Califor
nia was Charles Looff. He and his son Arthur operated
Looff s Hippodrome at number 300 on The Pike in
Long Beach's amusement zone, beginning about 1913.
Looff operated
amusements at that address
(and elsewhere) until The Pike closed down about 2
years ago. Looff also operated Looff s Pier in Santa
Monica and the amusements on that pier, around
1916-1918. He issued many tokens for use in his
games. The last Looff enterprise was Looffs Lite-A-
Line game at 300 The Pike, a bingo-type competitive
pinball game, with players trying to be the first to light
up a row of five lights on their board, controlled by a
pinball setup (not coin operated). Winners were paid in
tokens (see illustration).
Other old piers in the Santa Monica-Ocean Park-
escription of Caliente
very Sunday
Venice area include Venice Pier, Horseshoe Pier,
Bristol Pier, Newcomb Pier, Lick Pier (featuring the
Aragon Ballroom with Lawrence Welk; a roller coaster;
and other rides), and Ocean Park Pier. Many of the
amusement game booths on Ocean Park Pier used
tokens. In the 1920's and 1930's, water taxis from
piers here and in Long Beach took people out to the
gambling ships anchored in Santa Monica Bay and off
Long Beach.
An advertising card of the S.S. REX gambling ship off
SantaMonica, 1938-1939, printed in blue and red. Note
the Bingo reference, and the "World's Largest Casino"
claim. The back of the card features horse racing and
ship safety data.
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© The International Arcade Museum
44-THE COIN SLOT
1108 Front St., Lisle, IL 60532
(312) 964-2555
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
October 1981