Bingo Machines in Australia

[rockhole]

I can recall playing Bingo machines in Melbourne Australia during the 1960's.

They were all Bally machines as I recall and they had a unique feature that I have not seen in the various web sites I have looked at which deal with this fascinating subject.

The traditional plunger mechanism to launch the ball had been replaced with a small bat thus eliminating any player skill in launching the ball as the small bat consistently delivered the same force.

Thus the machines were know as "Baseball Machines" down here. Before too long, they were classed as gambling machines and ultinately outlawed but not before some enterprising people made a lot of money from them.

I have started a search to try and locate one of these machines but so far have been unsuccessful. They were all over Melbourne in the sixties so I am sure at least one has survived.

I wonder if anyone down under is aware of any Bingo Machines in Melbourne


regards,

Bruce Reid

 

[flipper]

I played a few in Melbourne during the late 70's at "Moon Shadow" on the corner of Warrigal Rd & North Rd, Oakleigh. The arcade had around 5 of the line the balls in rows still *cough cough* operating then under the counter. I only played them a few times to "have a go* and won a few bob each time which i put though the real pinball machines in the joint.

I can still remember the "Oakleigh Wogs" protecting the place"

I do know of one machine privately owned (don't know which one) in Montmerency which i saw when i looked at buying a Black Knight a few years back. I did not get the Black Knight which was stuffed and the other machine was also for sale.

Head down the hill from Rosanna, past macdonalds and before you get to the bridge hang a left and in there a couple of streets on the right is a Addams Family mansion (only one for miles), thats the place, ya never know it might still be gathering dust.

 

[ohmwiz]

No variable plunger in Aussie bingos? That would just leave nudging as the only way to influence where the ball goes. How was the tilt set? Was the game real easy to tilt or was the game 'shakable'?

You really learn how to nudge a pinball playing bingo...

Ken
1951 Bally 'Spot Lite' bingo

 

[flipper]

The ones i played all had variable plungers.
My time frame was the late 70's




Cheers

 

[ohmwiz]

Do you have any pix of old bingos that I can see?
Where can i see one? The pix does not have to be VP ready...

Ken
ohmwiz@yahoo.com

 

[davidsss]

I remember bingo machines at a small place in Gardenvale which, from memory, was called The Elvis. Me and my brother used to go and play pinball there (Sky Jump from memory). Actually I always remember them being called inline machines. I certainly never saw one with a bat as a plunger, most had normal plungers. However, I do distinctly remember a machine which had some sort of electronic mechanism to lift the ball where you put pressure on the front of the machine to lift the ball - there was no button just a worn spot on the machine, very strange.

I hardly ever played bingo, being a fan of conventional pinball. You could also find bingos in some of the coffee shops in Richmond where we used to play pinball - most of these places had just 1 machine but there were lots of them, all with a group of, usually Greeks, playing poker out the back. I remember playing a Hot Shot at one of those places for ages, we'd ride our bikes there on the weekend. Haven't seen a bingo in use for years and years.

DS