pachinko

Pachinko is a Japanese gambling device that resembles a pinball machine. It is a coin-activated, electromechanical game that originated in its modern form around 1930.12

In pachinko, a player inserts a coin to launch a steel ball up an inclined playing area. The ball descends through various obstacles, with electrical contacts registering a score on a lighted panel. Bells and lights accompany the gameplay, and the ball eventually drops into a hole, awarding points.1

While pinball machines were historically manufactured in the United States, Japan developed a similar vertical machine called pachinko after World War II. This version often features an automatic payoff receptacle, similar to a slot machine. Although electronic games have largely replaced pinball in many countries, pachinko remains popular in Japan.12