subject: The Truth Behind Why Pinball Was Once Illegal [print this page] Pinball. We've been enjoying playing this fun and exciting game for decades. But, did you know that at one point in time, playing pinball was illegal? It may seem difficult to believe, but yes, pinball was illegal for a number of years in the US.
From the early 1940's until the mid-1970's, pinball was considered to be a game of chance and not skill, and because there was money involved, it must be a form of gambling. This thought probably goes back to the earliest days of pinball, when players would play games for prizes and small amounts of money. Most of the larger cities in the US had a ban on pinball, including Chicago, the "birthplace" of pinball, and the place where most, if not all, of the machines were manufactured. But, by the time the ban went into effect, pinball was more of a fun way to pass the time than anything else.
Just to give the "other side" a fair advantage in the pinball/gambling argument, we will admit that in the beginning, before the advent of flippers, pinball was more a game of chance. The flipper wasn't invented until a few years after the ban went into effect. Of course, the ban could have been lifted when the flipper was added to the game, but, for whatever reason, pinball would still be considered a form of gambling for another 30 years.
Pinball Gets Raided In NY
When the pinball prohibition went into effect, then-Mayor Fiorello Henry La Guardia staged a series of raids on New York City arcades in 1949. More than 2,000 pinball machines were confiscated during these raids, which were ceremoniously destroyed by La Guardia and the city police commissioner, then dumped into the rivers.
For many years following the raids, arcades continued to flourish underground, and when found, continued to be raided. Pinball machines could now be found in the seedier businesses, including porn shops, and was considered by many to be just as terrible as prostitution and tattoos.
The NY Ban Is Finally Lifted
The New York City ban on pinball would last for more than 30 years before one man appeared in front of New York City Council to appeal the crazy law. Roger Sharpe, a pinball game designer and historian, approached council members to testify on the behalf of the popular game.
Sharpe let the councilors watch him play, and see for themselves the amount of skill that went into playing the game. He even called shots just as one would while playing pool, and the shots went exactly where he said they would. Fortunately, the councilors saw that pinball was indeed a game of skill, and the ban was lifted. The following year, the pinball ban would also be lifted in Chicago, and other cities would soon follow suit.
For 30 years since the ban on pinball was lifted in the US, millions of people have been able to enjoy the game in public places without feeling like a social pariah. The allure of the game has never faded, and even today, there are pinball competitions all over the world.
