Let us begin by explaining what exactly Pinball gambling is, Pachinko is a gambling activity which began shortly after WW2 in Japan. It involves a slightly modified pinball machine and the aim of the game is to drop as many silver ball bearings as possible into a middle scoring hole by turning a single wheel that controls how the balls shoot into the machine, before bouncing down the pins. It’s the games pins which the house regulates. It’s still a game of chance, with a small amount of skill involved. Odds are slightly in the houses favour.
How many people play Pachinko
Surprisingly 1 out of 11 Japanese people play in pachinko parlours once a week but industry is threatened by legalisation of casinos. Japanese gamblers spend a colossal $200bn (£152 bn) a year on these pinball themed gambling machines.Let me put that in real terms and not just numbers for you. That equates to over 30 times Las Vegas annual gambling revenue which is regularly viewed as the gambling capital of the world.It amounts to twice as much as Japan’s entire worldwide car export industry. It’s also more that over 100 countries GDP in the world including New Zealand.There are around 10,600 pachinko parlours and each parlour has at least 50 machines inside, so thats a lot of game playing.
Why is Pachinko so popular
It combines all the fun of a pinball machine, flashing lights and the element of gambling. After the recent changes enforced by the UK government on fixed-odds betting terminals, where the maximum bets went from £100 to a mere £2. This could be a new addition in the UK.