Page Created 11-16-2022

I wanted to do one more page for the Horse Race machines`…the One Balls

The best source of tracing this history is the IPDB with help from Billboard magazine`…so I wanted to

bring a few loose threads together`…to help researchers`…help the Hunters`

Preakness from Bally in 1936 started things and with a few spins and iterations, its “unique” sectional playfield

would be used for most of the machines`…by Bally and everyone else, running out to 1951 and the Bingos

This image originally appeared in Coin Slot magazine

Yep, the One Balls`…and what player/gambler would not fall for this format`

Penny/Nickel level gambling in your local establishment`…with a wildly popular Horse Race theme`

There were a few variations like Belmont`…with multiple holes closer to the Bingos

But at the end of the day`…the Win, Place, Show playfield format would become the standard`

The ubiquitous playfield most of us are familiar with and that we still see around here-and-there`

How popular were these early machines, these 30s/40s games`…so-so, they did not dominate the industry`

Payout pinballs in America were many, were popular, and dated back to the early 20s and early 30s

The wide-spread presence of the One Balls, would not occur until the mid-40s, after the war and

once America’s economy and manufacturing strengths would start to return in peacetime`

With GI’s finally coming home from WWII, the coin-op industry slowly started to pick up again

and in late 1945 with very little fan fair, the race games start to appear in advertisement`

Bally made some announcement for the games in Billboard`…Narrative, but Amusement Company

advertisement down in the Coin-op Section, down in the last pages of each issue`…the Sales Ads

would take some time to surface and would place second to larger more popular genres`

In 45`we see the machines hovering in the background; with the larger advertisement dollar going

to Slots. Hockey Games, Regular Pinballs, Stand-ups of all kinds, and Punch Cards

1945 and our story really gets started`…The Billboard

Excellent`…now we can easily start following and tracing the machines`

And right out-of-the-gate these contraptions are named One Balls

United Coin Machine immediately starts placing them in a category of their own`

Clear distinction and separation from pinballs`…“Don’t be fooled folks`…these are unique and special”

And this list of machines really lays down the groundwork for the first chapter of this Story

When were each of these games designed, built, and released – I am not at all too sure`

Clearly there is some “gray” area when it comes to the dates on these games`

This list above from United Coin is listing “reconditioned” pins - Meaning that they are “Used”

1945 and Turf King, Pimlico, Thistledown, Grandstand, Jockey Club

Santa Anita, Sport King, and Race King have not only been released already`

They have been sold, been out on Route, been fixed and repaired, and are now being “resold”

_ Now let’s look at how a couple of these are “dated” on out on the IPDB _

How do you explain the “recondition dates” in 1945 if the “Manufacture” dates were 1950

I think the detail on the IPDB only tells us a bit of the story`…Hence, my reference to a “gray” area`

It is probably more correct to guess that Bally had more than one build date for a few of the One Balls

The 1941 dates`…the “Project Dates” are probably accurate, and likely some machines were built in those early years`

It is the “only” way there would be machines to “recondition” in 1945

Race King is equally interesting`…being a conversion of either 1938’s Sea Biscuit or Thistledown

Billboard June 12^th, 1943

Race King helps prove machines were being reconditioned and hints to another side of this story`

Naming-convention`…Were names being used again, re-issued, changed-up`…based upon their popularity in Horse Racing..?

The pricing here also tends to support my guesswork`…Were popular names and machines brought back`

Themes changed-up`…The higher prices on some machines here suggests so`

On the Bingos, new pricing and resale pricing was always based upon the age of the machine`

The newest games were always priced higher, and prices dropped with age`…by date on the Bingo

Were some of these One Balls built more than once`…Started, but then put on-hold in 1940/1941

It could be true`…WWII changed-and-delayed so many things`…likely the One Balls too`

Maybe just a few were built up early on, and then some were also re-released later based upon popularity`

Clearly there is a hidden story here that these small hints point to`

_ Ok, let’s move on with Billboard _

So, you’re Bally, you’ve been designing One Balls for a few years`…How do you restart after the War

Well, you re-release a few titles and then you turn to design`…start letting the engineers run`

The Billboard December 1945

The Amusement Companies start “showing: Victory Derby with New Multiple Pay Table in December

Full Page advertising starts up in January

From a complete absence of ads for any of the One balls, a full page ad quickly follows`

Bally is looking forward again`

…They hire Don Hooker and as the economy allows, and the story of the One Balls continues`

Advertising from the design houses immediately settles down and doesn’t reappear until 1947

But going along, the advertising from the Amusements Companies slowly increases from a trickle`

98% of the “sales” are for Bally product, but a few games from Keeney also appear`

Then in 1947 we see a big change`…Bally releases machines more frequently and all with “sales” ads`

And now other players in the Industry pop back into the game`…wanting some of the earnings out there`

_ 1947 Billboard Magazine 1947 _

February 1947

Here Bally released (2) full page ads back-to-back for their namesake game Bally Entry

Page 243 and Page 250

April 1947

An interesting glimpse as to “sales” – Brand New, Just a Few Left, While they Last

Gottlieb pops out with Daily Races

Keeney was right there all along with Handicapper and Derby Champ dating back to 1938/1939

…and comes back here with a new game and ad as the One Balls start to take hold again`

And, in April we see the list of One Balls “fill out” with a couple of extra company names`…Excellent

There is still not a lot of fanfare for the One Balls, not in comparison to the Bingos

But clearly going forward, Billboard reflects an explosion in the Coin-op Industry`…”sales” are booming`

_ Snippets _

_ 1948/1949 _

1948 and Jockey Club is back`…Yes, back as in Re-released`

New machines`…New features, New Fanfare

Photo jacked from the IPDB`…Awesome`…1948 Holiday Magazine

Pricing starts to stabilize, get competitive, and begins lining up with the Bingo format`…Old-to-New

October 1948 changes everything once again and leads to the most popular One Ball ever`

It might be argued, leads to the most popular gambling pinball ever`

Trivia: This is the first ad in “color” ever ran by Bally

_ Bally’s Citation _

Everyone who has an opinion says that this is Don Hooker’s first machine`

…I say “no” but certainly it screams Hooker`

And certainly, it sets the stage for the Bingos`…where each new release would be more expansive`

This ad would run consecutively week-to-week through the end of the year`

…and run into 1949 over-and-over`…with a few iterations`

And this One Ball did just that`…these things were everywhere`

The last-and-the-best`…a true tribute to Bally’s expertise and this legacy of games`

_ One Ball Jargon _

Looks like I will need to make one more “follow-on” page for Terminology

So, Stay Tuned

Multiple Pay Table`… “Pays out more than one Way`

Some of these games are advertised as F.P. _ Free Play

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