Bingo pinballs
Created on 07-03-2020
I like this short 1965 court case
for a couple of reasons: First it immediately lists out the serial numbers of
two Bingos
that almost have to be the same
game and if so, those two machines are only 181 machines apart off the assembly
lines
at Bally ~ Which very well might mean that
100-or-200 of that same model may have gone to Kentucky`
Now there were no Bingos made in
1964, and only 6-card and 20-holes made in 65`and with that B-xxxx prefix these
had to be earlier games anyway,
maybe Ballerina or my guess Beach Time`
...quite a stretch maybe, but if
so, 200 bingos of one model going to 1 State ~ Say only 100 ~ x50 States`
That is pretty huge math, meaning
1000s-and-1000s of this Bingo were
made`
...and then the second reason for
this page, a nice explanation of the meters ~ Enjoy`
241 F. Supp. 57: United States v.
Two Coin-Operated Pinball MacHines
Kentucky Western District Court - 241 F. Supp. 57
March 26, 1965
241 F.Supp. 57 (1965)
UNITED STATES of America,
Libelant,
v.
TWO COIN-OPERATED PINBALL MACHINES, Nos. B-1197 and B-1378, Respondents.
Civ. A. No. 4727.
United States
District Court W. D. Kentucky, at Louisville.
March 26, 1965.
Boyce F. Martin,
Jr., U. S. Atty., for W. D. Ky., Wm. E. Scent, former U. S. Atty., Louisville,
Ky., for W. D. Ky., for libelant, United States of America.
Ben T. Cooper,
Louisville, Ky., and Paul R. Connolly, Washington, D. C., for respondents and
claimants.
BROOKS, Chief
Judge.
This matter having come on regularly for hearing before
the Court and a Jury, *58 upon the Amended Libel filed for and on behalf of the
Libelant, United States of America, and upon the Answer to the Libel filed for
and on behalf of the Claimants, H. M. Branson Distributing Company, a Kentucky
corporation, with its principal place of business at 814 East Broadway,
Louisville, Kentucky and Lion Manufacturing Corporation, an Illinois
corporation, with its principal place of business at 2640 Belmont Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois; and both the Libelant and the Claimants having presented
their evidence and arguments at the conclusion of which the Court submitted to
the Jury the following interrogatory:
"Were the Two Coin-Operated Pinball Machines, Nos.
B-1197 and B-1378, Respondents, designed and manufactured primarily for use in
connection with gambling and by the operation of which a person may become
entitled to receive as the result of the application of an element of chance
any money or property?" To which interrogatory the Jury responded in the
affirmative and after hearing further argument by the parties hereto, the Court
makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law.
FINDINGS OF FACT
1. That subsequent to February 4, 1964, the respondents,
Two Coin-Operated Pinball Machines, Nos. B-1197 and B-1378 were transported
from Chicago, Illinois to Louisville, Kentucky.
2. That the respondents are coin activated electrically
operated machines. The machines when assembled and ready for use consist of a
vertical section attached to a base section to which are secured four legs. The
base section contains a plunger device, a number of holes drilled into an
inclined playboard and a quantity of posts with rubber bumpers placed at
intervals thereon. The devices are each equipped with eight metal balls, five
of which are released for play upon insertion of a coin. The vertical section
has a glass front upon which the results of play are recorded by electrically
operated equipment. The object of play of the devices is to propel the balls by
means of the plunger onto the inclined playboard so that the ball will fall
into certain holes and thereby light corresponding light bulbs located on the
vertical section of the machines. When three or more bulbs are lit in a row, or
in some other predetermined order, the machine registers so-called "free
plays." The machines are so constructed that any number of coins may be
inserted therein before actual play of the game begins. The number of
"free plays" to be awarded for successful operation of the device can
be increased by insertion of additional coins prior to play of the machine,
although the rate of increase of free play awards cannot be controlled by the
player and may or may not increase upon the insertion of a particular coin. The
machine also provides other "features", the most prominent of which
is denominated "skill-shot" which will award a designated number of
"free plays" if the first ball played falls into any of several predesignated
holes. After striking the ball with the plunger, the ball is propelled onto the
playboard and descends the inclined plane totally dependent upon the law of
gravity and chance contacts with the posts affixed to the board. The player has
no control over this descent and only negligible, if any, skill is involved in
the operation or play of the device. Free plays won on the machine are recorded
on a three-digit counting meter (Replay register). The register is numbered so
that it will apparently record 999 free games but a stop is contained in these
devices so that, in fact, the register will record only 899 free games. Free
games so recorded may be used by depressing appropriate buttons to activate the
machine; to activate the mechanism which controls the increase of the free game
awards, or to activate other features of the machine. Each such use decreases
the number shown on the replay register by one. The replay register can be
immediately cleared by operation of an on-off switch located on the base
section of the device or by disconnecting the device from its power source and
then reconnecting it.
Inside the base section are *59 located two
additional meters referred to as the total plays meter and the replays meter.
The total plays meter records the number of coins inserted in the device and
the number of free plays used in the play of the machine. The replays meter
records the total number of free plays which have been won on the play of the
machine. Subtracting the total registered on the replays meter and the total of
coins in the coin box from the total registered on the total plays meter will
result in the number of free games eliminated from the machine without being
used in play.
The devices are so equipped that the replay meter may be
readily rewired in order to record only the number of free games so eliminated.
3. The great number of free games which can be achieved
by players, the provision for multiple coin insertion in order to increase the
reward for successful play, the facility with which free plays can be eliminated
from the free play register and the ease by which free plays so eliminated can
be counted renders these devices peculiarly and uniquely suited for gambling
purposes.
4. Successful play of these devices cannot be achieved by
the application of skill and depends upon the result of the application of an
element of chance.
5. The successful player of these devices will win not
only a right to replay the devices but also the opportunity to have free games
redeemed for cash or merchandise.
CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
1. The respondent machines are Gambling devices as
defined in 15 U.S.C. § 1171 in that they are designed and manufactured
primarily for use in connection with gambling and by the operation of which a
person may become entitled to receive as a result of an application of an
element of chance money or property.
2. The respondent machines are not specifically
enumerated as lawful devices in Section 436.230(5), Kentucky Revised Statutes.
3. The respondent devices are not exempted from the application
of Chapter 24 of Title 15, U.S.C. by virtue of any exception contained in 15
U.S.C. § 1178 or any other section of Chapter 24.
4. Chapter 24 of Title 15, U.S. C. as applied to the
respondent devices is a constitutional exercise of the legislative power.
5. Transportation of respondent devices in interstate
commerce is prohibited by Section 1172 of Title 15 U. S.C.
6. The respondent devices are guilty and subject to be
condemned and forfeited to the United States, pursuant to the provisions of Section
1177 of Title 15.
7. The libelant is entitled to a decree of forfeiture.
References 241 F. and *58 and *59
suggest that this detail is part of a larger document`
Hmmm,
~