A PLAYER'S VIEWS
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
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1 800 527 5853
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214-630 8004
This message is addressed to Play Meter, in the belief
that the viewpoint of a coin-op machine "patron," or
player might reveal his personal sentiments and
contribute something of interest, especially during an
interval when there seem to be conflicting views
concerning the fine merits or potential faults of the
machine itself.
The writer has been gainfully employed some 40 years,
dividing his labors between corporation auditing, writing
advertising copy, and free-lance writing in general. His
somewhat extensive travels have taken him to or
throughout most of the major cities in the eastern half of
the U.S.A.
Being guided strictly by past experiences and
searching for diversion, I am sincere in the belief that
amusement machines-! mean variously- the pinball,
video games, billiards, and the jukebox-are constantly
offering the public vast and ever-improving sources of
entertainment. Also it is even the more amazing when
one considers that this type of diversion has expanded
itself beyond all geographic boundaries!
As to my own personal experience I have, at one time
or another, used virtually all of these fun -type
amusements-viz, I've used the pinball; played at
billiards (while in variously located YMCA branches) ;
derived lavish enjoyment from listening to popular
melodies pouring from the jukebox; and many other
forms of coin-op games.
But, regardless of how brilliant, enlivening or colorful
our special amusement may be, it seems that it must
inevitably be plagued, or even obstructed by some
perverse development in the guise of either legal
technicality or some stupid restraint arising from
irrational prejudice.
In this regard, I was disappointed to learn, from a
recent issue of Play Meter that the distributors of these
interesting and fun-giving machines are facing trouble
spots in certain areas of the State of Ohio, and other
geographic areas, as result of civic restraints and legal
restrictions. [Play Meter's report on attempts to prohibit
amusement games along with pseudo-gambling devices.]
According to my own sentiments (for whatever they
may be worth) there can be no doubt whatever as to my
attitude. Since these traditional fun-giving devices have
found universal approval, so that they have been
providing entertainment and relaxation for great masses
of people-at all walks of life, of all creeds and
nationalities-it is my fervent wish that they may
continue to expand and flourish .
Somehow, I cannot escape the impression that the
most serious indictment laid at the door of the coin-op
machine would be label it (under certain stipulations) as a
"gambling evil."
Why not look at the other side of the "gambling coin?"
Where have all of our "noble crusaders" been during
recent years? Look at the enormous monetary outlay
involved in the (horse and dog) parimutuels. Baseball
and football parlays, by way of example-also " point-
shaving" "fight fixing" player bribing-these are, of
course, the more evil phases of the broad sporting
fraternity with its wide national range of activity. But
there is hardly anything new about them.
Harold Hartigan
Athens, Georgia
8
PLAY METER, August 15, 1