from the editor
Next to the coin operated phonograph, probably the mo t
important piece of amusement equipment to affect the course of the
industry was the pinball game.
Originating in the early days of the Depression, pinball has
become not only a national pastime, but perhaps more importantly,
the greatest ambassador the industry has ever had. Thanks to the
motion picture Tommy and its Bally Manufacturing Corp. tie-in,
articles and pictorial in Play boy and G ntlema n' Quar terly,
articles by author-pinball enthusiast Roger Sharpe in the New York
Time and New York Daily Ne w, operator-sponsored state and
local pinball tournaments, on-location consumer-oriented scoring
incentives and, last but certainly not least, the manufacturers here
and abroad who have been producing some of the best pinball
games ever--the pinball game is winning over more hearts and is
steadily becoming not just a national pastime, but a national
ob e ion ..
Alas, every silver lining has a cloud that goes along with it. And
the cloudy problem hanging over pinball is that there are literally
millions of American citizens who are daily being denied the liberty
to play pinball. No thanks to operators and manufacturers who in
the early days of pinball, took advantage of a situation, got greedy
and contrived pingames that were used as gambling devices and
were, in fact, games of almost pure chance.
Because of the backward step pinball took in the early days,
legislation was enacted at state and local levels to ban the operation
of any form of pinball game. Ironically, many of the laws that were
meant with all good and proper intention then are today being
scorned and criticized because pinball isn't what it was way back
then. Today's pingame is a test of skill that's plain simple and plain
relaxing. And the good news in all this is that legislators are now
beginning to listen and the more enlightened are now not only
realizing that pinball today is good, clean, family fun, but that it can
also be a meaningful source of new tax revenue.
With any luck at all and with a little help from all of you, pinball
can become legalized everywhere in the U.S. well before 1980.
As for the majority of you who are free to operate and play
pinball, don't feel disconcerned about the legal problems of other
areas. Think for a moment--if pinball were to be declared legal
everywhere, manufacturers would have to begin making enough
games to meet the new, increased demand. Greater quantities
produced means a lower per unit cost of new games.
In this issue you will have an opportunity to examine the
progress of pinball, meet some of the companies that make
pingames, talk with a man who is writing a book all about pinball's
history and experience some views on pinball and its effects on the
industry. I think the pinball machine is important and will be a
telling factor in the future of the industry.
Sincerely,
Ralph C. Lally II,
Publisher & Editor
Calendar
'I a\ I I · iii
\Iu..,i(· a nd :\mu"'(' /lH'nl :\ ~~o ·
(' ia lion I '- l' \\ York I. a nnu a l
(' onn·ntion . ~t( ' \ ' (' n !'> \'ill (' {'o un -
Ir-,\
('Jub . ~\\ a n I. a k t·. :\t' W
York .
May 21 -23
Mu s ic Op e rator s of T ex a s,
annual con ve ntion . Rice Ri t-
t e nhou se Hot e l, Hou t on ,
Texa '.
June 5-6
Mu 'ic Ope rator of Minne ota ,
annual meeting. The Radis on
outh , Minneapoli , Minn.
June 11 -13
nlinoi ' Coin Machine Opera-
tor ' Association , annual con -
vention . F ren h Lick her'a-
ton , F rench Lick , Indiana .
Jul y23-25
Montana Coin Machine Opera-
tor A ociation , annual con -
ve ntion. We t Ye llow ton e,
Montana.
Augu t 27 -29
:'\orth Carolina oin Ope rators
A . 'ociation, annual con ve n -
tion . Charlotte, ;\orth aro -
lina. Site not ye t elected .
ept. 9-12
Florida Amu e ment- Merchan -
di ing A ociation, annual con-
ve ntion .
h e raton Tow e r
Hotel, Orlando, Fla.
Septe mber 16- 18
!\1u 'ic Ope rators of Virginia ,
annual con ve ntion. Hy a tt
Hou 'e, Ri chmond, "irginia.
Oct. 14- 16
We t Virginia Music & Ven-
ding A ociation , annual con -
vention . heraton Inn , lark -
burg, We t Va .
PUt' Itf£TEB
6