An Introduction to Bally Slot Machines, Manual 6000 1979. This is a good primer for Bally electro-mechanical slot machines. Page 22 corrects the myth of how the slot machine got its name-it certainly wasn't what I thought. This manual, in PDF format, is 45 pages in length and it is broken down into five parts for easier downloading.

Bally Slot Machine Repair

In 1963 Bally converted the console to a casino slot, refined the hopper payout, and created a front opening case. That was the formula for success.

Bally Slot Machine Model Identifier

In 1968, Bally introduced the Model 831, the first three line payout slot machine. The multi-coin, multi-line slot machine is still the standard today, 30 years later.

Needless to say, with these innovations, Bally took over the slot business and drove the giants, Mills and Jennings, virtually out of the business.

In 1969, Bally introduced the Model 847 Continental, a four reel, six coin multiplier with a right-to-left payout sequence, as well as the more traditional left-to-right payout.

In 1970, Bally introduced the Model 889, a three line progreesssive, with each coin played adding to the jackpot's value. As you can see, each of of the Bally innovations revolutionized the way slots are played.

Another interesting new concept in slot play, was the Bally Model 935 Reel Dice that was introduced in 1972. The goal of the reel dice was to have the two reels with dice symbols equal the 'proposition' that showed up in a window on the left side, next to the two reels. Unfortunately, this slot concept never became very popular.

Fortunately for collectors, all these revolutionary machines are over 25 years old and can be purchased for home use in most states. In addition, collectors are also lucky because there are several detailed repair manuals and trouble shooting guides available for all 1986 slots to keep your slot in tip-top condition.

Marshall Fey, one of the publishers of Bally Service Manuals, states that ' Bally Electro-Mechanicals are well constructed and, consequently, very dependable requiring a minimum amount of servicing. The mechanical components need little attention except for occasional lubrication. If there is an operational problem, it is generally attributed to electrical parts. Once located, most malfunctions are generally easy to remedy, because what appears to be a maze of wiring is actually a combination of simple circuits.'

Now-a-days, it's not unusual for slot collectors to include Bally's 1960s slots along with their 1930s slot collection. Those who play slots in today's casinos often prefer the Bally 1960s slots because of their similarity to the casino slots.

Copyright: 1998 Ken Durham.

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Antique Slot Machine Price Guide

Owning a vintage slot machine is one of those fun yet daunting ideas. Many old school one-armed bandits are beautifully designed and instant conversation pieces. Plus slot fans who own a machine don’t ever have to worry about losing money to the house.

Charles August Fey, a Bavaria-born inventor, was living in San Francisco when he invented his first gambling machine in 1984. His games grew to be so popular at local bars, he quit his day job and opened a factory to start mass producing them, most notably the Liberty Bell machines in 1899. A lot of the functionality from that early game remained in place through much of the 20th century. Watch this video to see the seven mechanical actions set into motion when you pull back the bandit’s arm. The inner workings are probably a little more complex than you expect.

Bally Slot Machines - Free Bally Slots

Given that a lot of old slot machines are hand built, it isn’t surprising that coins can get jammed on their way through the mechanism. Big warning: If your machine jams, don’t force the arm or you can break, twist or damage a part inside. Different models and makes tend to have common jam points. The Mills model shown in the above video can have coins stuck in the “elevator” section that displays the last five coins dropped into the machine. Getting the slot working again can be as simple as cleaning the gunk off of an old part. You just need to be smart when you’re disassembling and reassembling the machinery.

Okay, there are plenty of more places where a coin can get stuck and the above video demonstrates how to fix a variety of jams. It also explains how to disassemble the major parts of the machine and where common problem areas are.

Curious how an antique slot machine knows how much money a winner gets? This video shows the punch-card like communication that trips payouts and how. If you ever need to replace the reel symbols or calibrate the machine you’ll need to understand how these work. Even if you don’t ever plan on owning a machine, the metallic “circuitry” is interesting to see.

Want to own a modern slot machine? New ones have plenty more bells, whistles and dings, and also a lot more advanced parts. If you plan on getting one, you may want to have an idea of what’s inside. In addition to the classic reels, there are speakers, motherboards filled with programming chips and plenty of wires. Unless you have a way with a soldering iron you probably won’t try and fix it. But in case you do, here’s a clip from Discovery showing what’s inside.

Did you know newer slot machines are smart enough to test themselves when a problem happens? This video shows you the procedure for having the machine check its own system. The host’s desert dry delivery is also enough to make this vid worth a watch.