Hey, this is awesome so far (five minutes in); had no idea that the first pinball machines were games of chance.
But I just wanted to say I remember seeing something like this in Windsor, Ontario, several years before casino gambling was legalized in the province (and I don't know if off-track betting is allowed there yet or not); the place was most definitely a Mafia front (billiards hall, ca 1987/88) and the machine was a sort of horse-racing game. Never seen the likes of it since .. but it was definitely for gambling.
The other Mafia front I walked into was the Grandma Lee's that burnt down on the main street. The clientele was so fucking stereotropical it was hard not to laugh. I was going to sit in and have a coffee, but I just got it to go.
Well, my memory wants to tell me that it might have been some sort of hybrid, and might have been more analogue than digital. This was more than 30 years ago.
Hey, this is awesome so far (five minutes in); had no idea that the first pinball machines were games of chance.
But I just wanted to say I remember seeing something like this in Windsor, Ontario, several years before casino gambling was legalized in the province (and I don't know if off-track betting is allowed there yet or not); the place was most definitely a Mafia front (billiards hall, ca 1987/88) and the machine was a sort of horse-racing game. Never seen the likes of it since .. but it was definitely for gambling.
The other Mafia front I walked into was the Grandma Lee's that burnt down on the main street. The clientele was so fucking stereotropical it was hard not to laugh. I was going to sit in and have a coffee, but I just got it to go.
Was it mechanical or videogame? There have been horse racing games since the 1920's.
Well, my memory wants to tell me that it might have been some sort of hybrid, and might have been more analogue than digital. This was more than 30 years ago.
It's ok. The devices are pretty cool on their own.