united coin machine
glassdoor gives you an inside look at what it' s like to work at united coin machine, including salaries, reviews, office photos, and more. this is the united coin machine company profile. all content is posted anonymously by employees working at united coin machine .
, chicago coin, 12 / 51, a pinball machine with fly away style pins like a bowler .
the montana company purchasing united coin machine co. from slot manufacturer alliance gaming corp. said it expects to retain all of the 600 or so workers employed by united coin, nevada' s largest slot route operator .
united distributing company (coin machine sales) limited (the). free business summary taken from official companies house information. free alerts. registered as 01797458
previously, the company operated as century gaming in montana and united coin machine in nevada. combined, the company employs more than 250 people in two states .
slot route operator united coin machine has changed its name to century gaming technologies to reflect the name of its corporate parent and capitalize on changes made to the company’s product offerings .
seeburg began its acquisition strategy in 1958 with the purchase of the bert mills coffee machine. later purchases included the lyons cold drink machine, the bally hot drink machine, the pic - a - pack utility vender, the kinsman organ company, the choice - vend and cavalier bottle and can drink machines, the du grenier cigaret machine, and of course the williams and united game lines. these acquisitions made seeburg a full circle manufacturer of coin - operated equipment including jukeboxes, vending machines, and amusement games (pinball, bowlers, etc) .
under united coin, the company operates 3, 250 slot machines in 440 bars, taverns, restaurants and other locations in southern nevada. century gaming’s slot machine route operation in montana covers 325 locations and 3, 950 games .
, mba / united, 1960, six player, not actually by united by all hardware is united em parts, much like united' s bowl - a - rama with pins attached to cables .
topaz shuffle alley, united / williams, 1978, first solidstate united bowler, flyer, bg .
while united has made many types of amusement machines, its bowling games and shuffle alleys have been primarily responsible for its reputation. williams was strongest in the pinball and baseball machine lines .
good customer base and machine base. close nit team of people on a day to day basis. keep busy all the time .
triple strike shuffle alley, united / williams, 1983, the last
united
shuffle alley, flyer, flyer .
bonus score bowler (shuffle alley), chicago coin, 5 / 55 .
bulls eye bowler (shuffle alley), chicago coin, 7 / 55 .
, chicago coin, 3 / 62, model 250, large score reels .
, chicago coin, 1967, skee ball game with a criss cross option .
super frame bowler (shuffle alley), chicago coin, 3 / 54 .
triple strike bowler (shuffle alley), chicago coin, 2 / 55 .
because of the marriage of united and williams, starting about 1965 or 1966 united bowlers also have a williams manufacturing company logo and address on
united
bowlers. even though after september 1964 united existed in name only, williams continued to use the
united
name because of their reputation as making the best bowling games (this information came from 1964
prize bowler (shuffle alley), united, 1951, one player, first united bowler with score reels, backglass, side, back .
( skeeball), chicago coin, circa 1956, 4 player skee ball game .
triple gold pin pro (shuffle alley), chicago coin, 9 / 61 .
skee alley, united, 11 / 50, one player, united' s first shuffle targette (skee ball but with a puck), flyer .
the willingness to remain flexible and the ability for century gaming and united coin machine co. to offer their customers technology and promotional products unrivaled in the industry have kept the companies at the head of the pack in a highly competitive environment. “players today want more than just the same old gaming product, ” arntzen says. “so we are delivering more. ”
united bragging about the first ball bowler call
bowling alley
in 1956 .
, united, 9 / 52, tenth frame star. was this really the
, united, 1 / 59, playmate has a turn around shuffle layout .
windy city shuffle alley, united / williams, 1 / 72, flyer .
line up shuffle alley, united, 12 / 60, flyer, bg .
coronado bowling alley, united, 6 / 67, five different scoring games .
cape cod shuffle alley, united / williams, 12 / 72, flyer .
bel - air (shuffle alley), chicago coin, 2 / 65, belair .
arntzen said century gaming plans to add 11 new games to its power vision multigame, multidenominational machine. power vision features video poker games, video slots and keno titles with multipliers and bonus rounds .
, chicago coin, 10 / 61, 4. 5
balls, large score reels .
, chicago coin, 8 / 60, 4. 5
balls, large score reels .
, chicago coin, 1 / 61, 4. 5
balls, large score reels .
, chicago coin, 3 / 59, 4. 5
balls, large score reels .
score - a - line bowler (shuffle alley), chicago coin, 9 / 55 .
). the ball is returned to the player at the front coin door area via gravity .
encore shuffle alley, united, 10 / 66, flyer, bg, game .
the following table gives specifications for u. s. mint legal tender coins presently in production for annual sets. specifications for the presidential $ 1 coin and native american $ 1 coin are the same .
aztec bowling alley, united / williams, 9 / 66, five different scoring games .
, united / williams, 1968, the same game as century with minor artwork changes .
, united, 2 / 63, fluorescent bg lighting, white on black score reels .
two player shuffle alley express, united, 1951, two players, bg, game .
, united, 8 / 63, new style pinhood (ugly), led display .
, united / williams, 3 / 66, five different scoring games, pointy artwork .
liberty bell shuffle alley, united / williams, 9 / 71, flyer, game .
all strikes: on each frame, the machine presents each player with 10 pins to score. a strike is worth 300 points. failing to get the
strike
scores only the pins hit. one shot per frame .
imperial shuffle alley, united, 11 / 53, flyer, bg, game, game .
jill - jill shuffle alley, united, 11 / 63, novelty (ny only) .
kick - a - poo ii, united, 1985, a shuffle targette, prototype only .
, united, 1962, lengths from 13, 16, 17, 20 and 24 feet .
marquis shuffle alley, united / williams, 6 / 75, flyer, game, bg .
in the gaming world, it’s often said that the house always wins, and establishments like casinos and bars want to find suppliers who will make sure that their relationship is a win - win for both sides. century gaming and united coin machine co. says they offer their customers more options when selecting gaming machines for their locations, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why they are among the most successful gaming technology suppliers in the industry .
freedom united fcu was chartered on october 14, 1939 by employees of the freedom oil company, freedom pa. in january of 1987, the credit union name was changed to freedom united fcu .
a great place to work. job culture was top notch. operation ran 24 / 7 and everyone worked together. no slackers and really good management. probably the best team effort of any place i have worked with exception of bally technologies which was parent company of the coin machine company. toughest decision i ever had to make was to leave .
, united, 10 / 61, six players, a shuffle alley skee - ball type game .
, united / williams, 9 / 66, five different scoring games, non - pointy artwork .
royal hawaiian shuffle alley, united / williams, 10 / 73, flyer, bg, game .
the following information is broken into three parts. the first list is united / williams games in alphabetic order. the second list is chronological. the third list is other makers (chicago coin and bally mostly) .
barry yost, co - owner of precision tube laser, llc, places a metal pipe into the trulaser tube 5000 laser cutting machine on wednesday, june 20, 2018, in las vegas. bizuayehu tesfaye / las vegas review - journal @ bizutesfaye
rocket shuffle alley, chicago coin, 3 / 58, * two * player, a ball popper shuffle alley .
( shuffle alley), chicago coin, 2 / 60, a baseball shuffle alley, light animated backglass runners .
, chicago coin, 8 / 60, 4. 5
balls, large score reels, wedge style pinhood .
, chicago coin, 1 / 61, 4. 5
balls, large score reels, wedge style pinhood .
only three months later (september 1964), seeburg bought united' s game assets. sam stern, president of seeburg' s williams subsidiary, ran the united operation and retain his duties with williams .
alamo bowling alley, united, 5 / 62, line - up, regulation and bonus bowling modes .
leader shuffle alley, united, 11 / 53, bg, bg, game, game, game .
centenial bowling alley, united / williams, 1968, the same game as century with minor artwork changes .
mad cap bowler, chicago coin, 1953, basically advance bowler shuffle with a different glass. 20 / 30 scoring .
, chicago coin, 1967, same game as
ski ball
( 1967) but with a different color scheme .
, chicago coin, 3 / 65, lazy susan swivel score rack, 13 / 17 foot lengths, 6 games .
, chicago coin, 1 / 57, a shuffle alley using a ball and skee - alley scoring, 10 foot .
another thing that contributes to the popularity of united and ccm bowlers over bally is just the sear numbers. bally stopped making bowlers altogether by 1969, but any bally bowler after 1959 is pretty rare. united and ccm made bowlers into the 1970s. so there are just a lot more united and ccm bowlers out there, and parts are easier to get. also united and ccm bowlers of the 1960s are more feature - rich with multiple games. (bally never got into the 6 - game styles that united and ccm used. )
alliance on wednesday said it would sell united coin to century gaming inc. , montana' s largest slot route operator, in conjunction with two other asset sales aimed at focusing on its core business of making and selling slot machines .
united coin president bill nader will become senior vice president and general manager of nevada operations and will assume a seat on century' s board as part of the transition, century president and chief executive officer j. grant lincoln said .
, united, 12 / 61, 4 / 5
balls, pin indicator hood, seven different games .
, united, 12 / 61, 4 / 5
balls, pin indicator hood, seven diferent games .
, united, 2 / 63, fluorescent bg lighting, larger white on black score reels, led display .
the company called off a planned sale of united coin in 2001, saying the slot route generated a significant and steady cash flow for the company. the company hoped to use the cash to pay down its then - crippling debt load .
, chicago coin, 9 / 58, 4. 5
balls, first ccm ball bowler with non - casket lane .
world series (shuffle alley), chicago coin, 2 / 60, a baseball shuffle alley, light animated backglass runners .
, chicago coin, 3 / 59, 4. 5
balls, large score reels, protruding - nose style pinhood .
returns in the other two units expected to be sold - - louisiana slot route operator video services inc. and german gambling machine maker bally wulff - - have long trailed profits generated by the company' s growth engine and best - known brand, bally gaming and systems .
united
first facts
; bragging about the first shuffle alley called
shuffle - alley
in october 1949 .
the shuffle targette (skee alleys) was invented by united in 1950 (skee alley, 11 / 50). the skee targette was a cross between a shuffle alley and skee - ball (see below). the 1950 united
match - bowl - a - ball, chicago coin, late 1950s (exact date unknown), ball bowler, single game .
build - up shuffle alley, united, 1950s (exact year unknown), bg, lane, side, coindoor .
king tut shuffle alley, united / williams, 8 / 79, solidstate, flyer, flyer, game, inside .
because united games got more complex, there was less backglass real estate available, so the girls were gone! drat .
, united, 11 / 62, fluorescent bg lighting, larger white on black score reels, seven player selectable games .
freedom united fcu is a member - owned and operated financial organization. each member is an owner, saver, and a potential borrower. freedom united fcu is a non - profit financial organization formed under the concept of “people helping people. ”
united coin, founded in 1958, operates about 8, 000 video poker, keno and slot machines in various outlets statewide such as grocery stores, gas stations and convenience stores. it is known locally for operating the
gamblers bonus
slot club program .
the slot route operator is best known in nevada for its gamblers bonus players club program, which is nearing its 20th year. in 2013, united coin launched power vision, a line of interactive multigame slot machines and systems geared toward tavern and bar customers .
, chicago coin, 8 / 62, large score reels, six games, probably the second best ccm bowler (behind majestic. )
, chicago coin, 1957, skee - ball game, a shuffle alley using a ball and skee - alley scoring, 10 foot .
, chicago coin, 9 / 63, normal sized score reels, proturding squared gooseneck pinhood (
swing - away
cabinet) .
, chicago coin, 1 / 57, a ball bowler using skee - alley scoring, 11 or 13 foot long, skee - ball .
, united, 2 / 61, 4. 5
balls, two different games (regulation and line - up) .
omni shuffle alley, united / williams, 4 / 80, solidstate, flyer, flyer, bg, game, electronics .
essentially there are
puck bowlers
( aka
shuffle alleys
) and
ball bowlers
( aka
bowling alleys
), and there are some other variant bowling games too (discussed below). most bowlers (shuffle or ball) are six player games. united manufacturing was the premier maker of coin operated bowling and shuffle alley games during their history. there were other companies making these games (chicago coin and bally for example), but united made the bulk of them (and probably the best games too) .
( 10 / 49). united continued to make shuffle alley all the way to the 1990s. shuffle alleys are the less desirable of the coin operated bowling games, but most people can fit them in their basement (unlike the next type of bowler... )
, chicago coin, 1 / 64, swing - away backbox cabinet for easier service, 13 / 16 / 21 foot lengths, 6 games .
, chicago coin, late 1970s (exact date unknown), uses bally / stern solidstate board system, one of the last ball bowlers made .
united' s first shuffle alley with score reels, the 1952
super shuffle 6 player
with it' s pins revealed .
, united, 9 / 62, roll down bowler, 7 games, six players, 9 feet long, 3
balls .
10th frame manhattan shuffle alley, united, 9 / 52, basically the same game as
10th frame star
shuffle alley .
all spares: on each frame, the machine presents each player with a random set of pins to score. the game selects from 2 to 6 pins that each player has to hit to score the spare, earning 300 points. failing to get the
spare
scores only the pins hit. one shot per frame .
by the early 1960s, united and the other manufacturers had developed alternative bowling scoring systems. some games had as many as seven different scoring schemes, which were user selectable at the start of a game. probably the most innovative scoring ideas came from chicago coin. some scoring systems included :
lucky bowling alley, united, 11 / 62, fluorescent bg lighting, larger white on black score reels, seven player selectable games .
, united, 9 / 58, roll down bowler, 1. 5
balls, 7. 5 foot long, two players .
, united, 6 / 62, a rolldown ball bowler type game in a shuffle alley size cabinet, 5 games. very similar to
case in point; a gentlemen called me with a 13 foot 1958 united ball bowler. the owner' s dad worked for a wiring company in the 1950s that supplied wiring harnesses to united. in the christmas of 1958, a truck pulled up to his house, and out came a brand new 1958 united bonus bowler (thank the united santa claus !) the game remained in their basement the whole time. a
home use only
ball bowler (great condition !), but the game no longer worked, and the owners were moving .
, united, circa 1956 (exact date unknown), perhaps united' s first ball bowler? two players, uses 8. 5
pins and 4
balls (not 3
and not 4. 5
). ball return is on an external ball guide .
duplex bowling alley, united, 11 / 58, 4. 5
balls, 13 / 16 / 17 / 20 foot lengths, first united ball bowler with two scoring schemes (
regulation
with 300 points max, or
progressive
with 990 points max) .
for bowling fans, ball bowlers are the real deal. of the coin operated bowling games, ball bowlers are more desirable than shuffle alleys. unfortunately, bally stopped making ball bowler in 1966, united in 1970, and ccm in 1973. they just took up too much floor space (even compared to shuffle alleys). there is even a rumor that in the 1960s someone tried to sue united for breaking their foot with a dropped ball bowler ball. also ball bowlers were expensive when new (much more expensive than nearly any other coin operated device). for these reasons, 1970 (
, chicago coin, 1967, puck bowler with a basketball theme and scoring, backglass animation that shots balls into a basket in the backbox via kickout holes .
, chicago coin, 8 / 65, lazy susan swivel score rack, 13 / 17 foot lengths (4 / 8 foot extensions), 6 games .
, chicago coin, 1957, a ski - ball type bowler with 3
wood balls, 4 frames per game with 2 or 3 shots per frame .
, chicago coin, 9 / 58, 4. 5
balls, first ccm ball bowler with non - casket lane, protruding - nose style pinhood .
, united / williams, 9 / 68, 13 / 16 foot lengths (additional 4 and 8 foot sections available), 5 games .
copyright © 2018 company check ltd (04905417) registered office: caspian point one, pierhead street, cardiff, cf10 4dq, united kingdom .
, chicago coin, 1967, lazy susan swivel score rack, 13. 5 / 16. 5 foot lengths, 4. 5
balls, 6 games .
, chicago coin, 8 / 64, 13 / 16 / 21 foot lengths, 6 games, last ccm game with oak lanes finished in a wood stain .
, chicago coin, 1968, 13. 5 / 16. 5 foot lengths, lazy susan swivel score rack, 4. 5
balls, 6 games .
superbowl bowling alley, chicago coin, late 1970s (exact date unknown), uses bally / stern solidstate board system, one of the last ball bowlers made .
). this game was significantly different than a shuffle alley (though it shared the same basic game rules). chicago coin and bally introduced their own initial ball bowlers after united, in february 1957 (
bowling league
and
a. b. c. bowling lane
, respectively) .
, united, 10 / 61, 4 / 5
balls, seven star has a pin indicator hood, 7 stars has seven different games .
triple score (shuffle alley), chicago coin, 1952, 30 / 20 strike / spare scoring, frames 5, 7, 10 give
triple
score .
in june 1964, the seeburg corporation (of jukebox fame) bought the williams electronic manufacturing corporation. seeburg operated williams as a fully owned subsidiary, with williams continuing its amusement machine production and maintained its distribution system. in buying williams, seeburg acquired all the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock from the firm' s two shareholders, samuel stern and bernard weinberg .
10th frame manhattan shuffle alley, united, 9 / 52, tenth frame manhattan, basically the same game as
10th frame star
shuffle alley .
century gaming, founded in 1986 with the legalization of gambling machines in montana, will acquire 100 percent of united coin stock by early 2004, the companies said. the deal will be worth roughly $ 127 million, including about $ 103 million in cash, $ 18 million in preferred stock and $ 6 million in debt .
( roll down), united, 9 / 58, roll down bowler, 1. 5
balls, 7. 5 foot long, two players .
, chicago coin, 12 / 58, 4
balls, two ball bowlers right next to each other in a single game (!), protruding - nose style pinhood .
articles). as late as the 1983, williams was still using the united name on their shuffle alleys (1983' s triple strike was the last shuffle with the
united
name). unfortunately, in 1999 williams stopped making all amusement devices (they only make slot machines now, under the williams name) .
power vision is a brand new and completely united coin developed and produced multi - game device, the first of its kind specifically designed for the nevada locals gaming market. everything from the look and feel of gameplay to the paytables themselves have been developed with only one goal in mind - to provide the nevada player with the ultimate in gaming entertainment .
, chicago coin, 1972, 13 / 16 foot lengths (additional 4 and 8 foot extensions available), 4. 5
balls, 5 games (with beer frame) .
in 1967, three years earlier). the other manufacturers (chicago coin and bally) also stopped making ball bowlers about the same time (1973 for ccm). solidstate ball bowlers did sparatically appear in the late 1970s, but not very many models were ever introduced during the 1970s. chicago coin had the last em (electro - mechanical) ball bowler in 1973 called
during the 1950s bowling was a big american past time. to capitalize on this trend, united invented (and other companies copied) coin operated versions of bowling. these games typically were not in bowling alleys (but sometimes were, for those wanting a quick game of bowling, without shoe rentals !), but were in arcades and corner bars .
red pin detroit red pin (shuffle alley), chicago coin, 2 / 59. made specifically for the detroit area. does not use rollover switches but the puck hits the pins .
the company has revised its fiscal year earnings guidance for 2004 to reflect the anticipated refinancing charge. the company expects to earn $ 1. 10 per share for the year, or 94 cents including the refinancing charge of 16 cents per share. the figures don' t include an expected gain of 65 cents per share from the united coin sale by march 2004 .
double - score shuffle alley, chicago coin, 1952, early shuffle with score reels, strikes score as 30 points, spares score as 20 points, certain frames score double the pin points .
, chicago coin, 1969, lazy susan swivel score rack, 4. 5
balls, 13. 5 / 16. 5 foot lengths, six games (including a beer frame) .
7 - stars bowling alley, united, 10 / 61, 4 / 5
balls, seven star has a pin indicator hood, 7 stars has seven different games .
strike master shuffle alley, williams, 1991, dot matrix score display, last shuffle alley made by williams / united, flyer, flyer, bg, pins, game .
, chicago coin, 3 / 59, 4. 5
balls, first ccm ball bowler with large score reels, not to be confused with the later
hi - score king bowler
.
for a playfield switch diagram. this particular diagram is from the 1961 united
line up
shuffle alley. it shows each alley switch and what relay and function it performs .
double - score (shuffle alley), chicago coin, 1952, early shuffle with score reels, strikes score as 30 points, spares score as 20 points, certain frames score double the pin points .
, chicago coin, 1 / 64, swing - away backbox cabinet for easier service with
free back
or
outlaw sprint wing
, 13 / 16 / 21 foot lengths, 6 games .
, united, 8 / 59, 13 / 16 / 17 / 20 foot lengths, one player (most ball bowlers are six player), light animated backglass showing pins left .
, chicago coin, 1971, 13 / 16 foot lengths (additional 4 and 8 foot extensions available), lazy susan swivel score rack, 6 games (include beer frame), 4. 5
balls .
, chicago coin, 1967, giant oversized 6
balls with a single finger hole (but can be used with standard 4. 5
balls too), lazy susan swivel score rack, 6 games, much like
, chicago coin, 8 / 65, lazy susan swivel score rack (rounded gooseneck pinhood), 13 / 17 foot lengths (4 / 8 foot extensions), natural oak lanes with stenciled graphics, 6 games .
i can arrange shipping from nearly anywhere within north america. i buy ball bowlers from 1957 to 1970 ball bowlers (bowling alleys) by united, williams and chicago coin machines (chicago dynamics industries, aka cdi). these are more difficult to ship, but often it is possible (please contact me if you have one for sale, and where the game is located - i am near detroit, michigan. )
, chicago coin, 1952, 3
balls. the first roll - down style bowler. not really a ball bowler, though it does use balls. the balls roll back down the lane and fall into a tray .
rebound shuffle, chicago coin, 12 / 58. simple electronics: a coin mech, relays to drop the pins, and a frame counter in the middle (under the yellow strip), and simple contacts at the far end. when the puck hits the contacts it adds one to the count. when 8 are counted the frame advances one. when the 8 frames are played, the game ends and the pins pop up, ending the game .
, chicago coin, 3 / 59, 4. 5
balls, first ccm ball bowler with large score reels, not to be confused with the later
hi - score king bowler
, protruding - nose style pinhood .
. these three games used a unique
swivel action
reciprocating pins, which allowed the pins to move in any direction (not just backwards like the linear united / ccm games). unfortunately parts for these (often broken) pins are difficult to find, which presents a problem. but on the other hand, these bally bowlers are probably the best all around contact ball bowler for realism. only the 1960 united
a ball bowler ball hitting the pins on united' s
jumbo
ball bowler. this was largely an optical illusion, as the ball hits lane switches in front of the pins which electrically retracted the pins .
30 / 20: prior to 1956, nearly all bowlers used this scoring method - 30 points for a strike, 20 points for a spare. united changed to real
regulation
style scoring in 11 / 55 with
, united, 9 / 59, 4. 5
balls, 13 / 16 / 17 / 20 foot lengths, allowed two or three player teams to compete and kept team scores (or six individual players) .
, united, 12 / 59, 13 / 16 / 17 / 20 foot lengths, 4. 5
balls, player choice of regulation (300 point max) or progressive (990 point max) scoring games .
, united, 10 / 59, 4. 5
balls, allowed individual or team scoring, gave player choice of easy / medium / hard strike feature (changed the lane switch combination required to obtain a strike) .
, united, 12 / 57, 4. 5
balls, ball hits pins but uses lane switches for actual pin retraction, jumbo is exactly the same as royal except royal is a contact bowler and jumbo is not .
bowling alley, united, 11 / 56, united' s first ball bowler, 3
balls, 14 foot length (only) so the flyer says (but 11 footers exist; the 14 foot version has a
man
graphic on the lane by the words
strike spare blow
and the 11 foot version has the word by no man graphic), ball does not hit pins but instead travels beneath them and hits lane switches .
, gottlieb, 3 / 50, 1000 produced, gottlieb' s only (shuffle) bowling machine, 69
long (17
longer than a pinball of this era), and just 22
wide. the game is incredible small compared to puck bowlers by other manufacturers. uses two small 2
diameter pucks with the
gottlieb
logo in the center. puck slides under the pins, which turn off as
hit
. game also came with a metal
t
rake in case a puck was throw lightly (and didn' t get past the pins). puck is returned to the player at the front of the cabinet next to the coin door. if game is over, puck is kept inside the game and is not released until a new game is started .
, chicago coin, about 1961 (exact date unknown), large score reels, 4. 5
balls, 13. 5', 16. 5' or 21. 5' length, 76
x37
x14
backbox, four different games .
, chicago coin, 12 / 64, 13 / 16 / 21 foot lengths (5 / 8 / 10 foot extensions available), 6 games, oak lanes now painted gray instead of a natural wood stain, lane now lit with florescent lamps under pinhood .
, united, 4 / 59, 13 / 16 / 17 / 20 foot lengths, allowed selection of
regulation
scoring (300 points max), or
bonus
scoring (higher points for strikes, 990 points max) .
, united, 11 / 58, 4. 5
balls, 13 / 16 / 17 / 20 foot lengths ,
easy strike
and
normal strike
feature (changed the lane switch combination required to obtain a strike) .
, chicago coin, 9 / 63 ,
swing - away
servicing (aka
free back
or
outlaw sprint wing
, which was only used on four ccm bowlers), normal sized score reels, cool lane lights to show where to throw ball .
team - mate bowling alley, united, 12 / 59, 13 / 16 / 17 / 20 foot lengths, 4. 5
balls, player choice of regulation (300 point max) or progressive (990 point max) scoring games .
chicago coin' s
lazy susan
swivel score rack that allowed the game to be serviced from either side, without moving a game from against a rear wall. it was a great repair idea, but the cabeinet sure was ugly! first used in 1965 on super sonic .
, chicago coin, about 1961 (exact date unknown), large score reels, 4. 5
balls, 13. 5', 16. 5' or 21. 5' length, 76
x37
x14
backbox, four different games, wedge style pinhood .
, united, 3 / 58, a spin and release style roll down bowler with moving sights, uses two 2
balls, 6 foot long, two players, no lane switches (ball hits pins and uses overhead pin feedback switches instead) .
united ball bowlers started out at a whomping 14 feet in length (typically, but 11 to 25 foot alleys were also available). later ball bowler were available in even longer lengths, with chicago coin selling their later ball bowlers in lengths up to 32 feet! (with added extensions .) the alley itself was about 18 inches off the ground (later games were lower), and the player actually rolled one ball (of the usual three balls in the game) down the alley and hit bowling pins, just like real bowling .
, united, 4 / 57, four 3
balls, no gutters. united' s second ball bowler - basically it' s the same game as their first ball bowler
bowling alley
( 11 / 56), but has two additional sets of score reels for accumulated team scoring. length is 11 or 14 foot lengths (a 4 foot section could be added to a 14 foot base game to get 18 feet). ball does not hit pins but instead travels beneath them and hits lane switches .
, united, 8 / 57, 3
balls, 11 or 14 foot lengths (a 4 foot section could be added to 14 foot base game to get 18 feet), ball does not hit pins but instead travels beneath them and hits lane switches .
this document covers post - ww2 and later bowling games (mostly united / williams and chicago coin, but also bally and some other brands too). there are some other styles of games here, which loosely following a bowling theme (i. e. they have a ball or a puck which is launched down an alley). this includes some skee - ball, shuffle targettes, bouncing ball shuffles, and other oddities. but all games listed here basically have one thing in common; they either use a ball or a puck, which is hurled by the player down an alley .
on october 31, 1964, williams announced their move to the larger united plant at 3401 n. california avenue, chicago. williams still owns this plant today (where slot machines are developed, but all williams production has been moved to a new plant in waukegan, il) .
united (and later chicago coin) also sold a hybrid bowler that was a combination of a shuffle alley and a bowling alley. these games had a shorter overall length like a puck bowler (6 to 9. 5 feet long), but used 1. 5
to 3
diameter balls instead of pucks. this hybrid bowler also often used a ball lift motor to return to the ball to the player, like a ball bowler. the ball is actually just let go by the player, and it
rolls down
the tilted lane to the pins. some of these roll down bowlers included
, chicago coin, 3 / 63 ,
swing - away
servicing (aka
free back
or
outlaw sprint wing
, which was only used on four ccm bowlers), normal sized score reels (large score reels abandoned), 13, 16, 21 foot length, 6 games, similar to grand bowling alley .
the only true contact ball bowlers made was united royal (11 / 57), bally lucky alley (8 / 58), bally strike bowler (11 / 57), ccm tv bowling league (11 / 57), ccm lucky strike (1 / 58) and united bowlarama / mba (1960). also some shuffle alleys were contact style too in 1957 / 1958. for the most part i don' t see the big deal with contact bowlers - i actually don' t mind the lane switches (there was a good reason the manufacturers did not make many contact bowler models) .
, chicago coin, 3 / 63, first game with
swing - away
servicing (which was only used for a couple ball bowlers until the
lazy susan
rotating backbox idea was introduced), normal sized score reels (large score reels abandoned), 13, 16, 21 foot length, 6 games, similar to grand bowling alley .
, chicago coin, 3 / 63, first game with
swing - away
servicing (which was only used for a couple ball bowlers until the
lazy susan
rotating backbox idea was introduced), normal sized score reels (large score reels abandoned), 13, 16, 21 foot length, 6 games, similar to grand prize bowling alley .
, chicago coin, 3 / 63, first game with
swing - away
servicing (aka
free back
or
outlaw sprint wing
, which was only used on four ccm bowlers), normal sized score reels (large score reels abandoned), 13, 16, 21 foot length, 6 games, similar to grand prize bowling alley .
then there' s which bowler manufacturer to pick. as discussed above, this is largely personal preference. i like united and ccm bowlers best as i feel the quality and styling is top - notch. bally bowlers feel strange to me personally, but the 1963 - 1969 units are perhaps the best ball bowlers ever made .
, united, 6 / 58, 4. 5
balls, 13 / 16 / 17 / 20 foot lengths (a 4 foot section could be added to the 13 or 16 foot base game to get 17 or 20 feet), extra shots can be won at 5th and 10th frame, ball hits pins but uses lane switches for actual pin retraction .
, one player, has stationary small light - up bowling pins above lane. the puck on this game does * not * bounce back to the player after a shot. instead the back drains out the game, and is returned to the player at the front coin door area of the game via a belt (when the game is over, the puck is kept inside the game). essentially this game is just like gottlieb' s 1950
. here' s another 1950 ccm bowling alley that was' updated' by a chicago coin or maybe a distributor. note the addition of lighted pins on the alley (non - moving, with an added solid red panel infront of the original bg pin lights), and the professionally repainted cabinet (but not the backbox). the background to the backglass is a different color than the above bowling alley, so perhaps this update was done by the factory .
, chicago coin, 12 / 64, 13 / 16 / 21 foot lengths (5 / 8 / 10 foot extensions available), 6 games, proturding squared gooseneck pinhood (
hi - style
cabinet) ,
spare lit
backbox lights showing where to throw ball for a spare, oak lanes now painted gray instead of a natural wood stain, weird green backglass and cabinet paint (less traditional), lane now lit with florescent lamps under pinhood .
as for styling and game play, personally i like the 1961 to 1964 games best. these games usually have multiple games (
flash
being my favorite of the alternative - to - regulation games) and 4. 5
balls. by 1964 for united and 1965 for ccm, the games get really ugly in styling. yes they are good playing games, but the classic looks of good backglass graphics, natural oak trim, and cabinet style / paint are gone .
( 1 / 62). ccm' s variety and united' s circus / silver were the longest at 9. 5 and 9 feet respectively, and pixie bowler was 7. 5 feet long. though these game were smaller, they were not very popular (or they would have made more of this hybrid bowling game !) the rolldown games aren' t really
bowling
, so they didn' t sell or earn as well as ball bowlers or even shuffle alleys .
shuffle horseshoes (shuffle alley - 2nd version), chicago coin, early 1950s (exact year unknown), 2 players. instead of hitting bowling pins, there are lighted horseshoe stakes at the end of the alley. if you slide the puck right, you can get a ringer just like in a real game of horseshoes. vary your shot slightly and have your puck hit just to a side of the stake and you can get awarded varying points. a
blow
is not getting close to the stake, and you get zero points .
frozen score motor: during the 1950s, united used an enclosed score motor (unlike gottlieb or williams). the same grease that solidified on the score reels and stepper units is used inside the score motor! this can be a bear to fix, necessitating
splitting the case
on the score motor, and cleaning it (the case is riveted together). sometimes 3 - in - 1 oil can be squirted inside the case (without
splitting the case
), on motors that are only slightly sluggish .
being the' end of the line') are great games with nice natural oak trim, handsome looks, and feature - rich games. to me, the 1964 ccm majestic and 1962 ccm royal crown are the big ball bowler for looks, play, features, and repairability. but even the 1965 to 1973 ccm bowlers are good games, maybe not as good looking, but still good games. (i have to admit, the ccm lazy susan head makes repair * way * easier than any united or bally game. )
as for looks, united' s 1957 to 1960 games are hard to beat, and their quality is quite good, probably better than ccm. but from 1961 to 1964, i prefer ccm games for looks and play. also ccm bowlers are feature rich, with good play action and fun options. and they were less expensive at their release, so there is a good supply of these fun playing ccm ball bowlers out there. because of this i really like ccm ball bowlers prior to 1965. from 1965 to 1973, none of the bowlers look good! the ccm
lazy susan swivel
score rack cabinet style (used from
, used a small metal puck which slide down an alley toward targets at the other end. in place of bowling pins, shuffle targettes used a bulls - eye - style target lined with open holes. a
lip
at the end of the alley launched the puck up into the bulls - eye, earning different amounts of points depending on where the puck fell. after a set number of pucks had been played, the points were totaled. these shuffle targettes were a big success, and united continued to make shuffle targette games into the 1960’s. these games were made mostly in the early 1950s, and are about as collectible as shuffle alleys .
( 1957). notice none of these machines use
skee ball
in the name and the scoring is a bit different, due to potential problems with philadelphia toboggan. united didn' t make any (they stuck to the skee - alley which used a puck instead of a ball), probably because they didn' t want to deal with legal hassles of using skee - balls. i personally don' t like any of the philadelphia toboggan company skee - ball machines, as they don' t have the quality of ccm or genco machines (but the philly toboggan machines are pretty easy to find), and also don' t have the interesting scoring .
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investors reacted favorably to the deal, pushing shares of alliance up $ 1. 25 to $ 20. 26 wednesday .
century has lined up partners to fund the purchase, with financing contingent upon obtaining gaming licenses in nevada, lincoln said .
he declined to comment on the company' s long - term strategy once the deal is finalized. century, which employs about 40, has been eyeing a deal with alliance for at least nine months, he said .
the bally unit - - which reported a 43 percent increase in revenue driven by game sales that were up 50 percent for the quarter ended march 31 - - has a well - known brand that is emblazoned on tens of thousands of machines nationwide .
the transaction is subject to several conditions, including that it achieve a minimum cash flow of $ 21 million during a specific period prior to closing and that century achieve necessary licenses from nevada regulators .
the purchase is an opportunity to acquire a slot route operator with a
proven track record, an experienced management team and a substantial base of proprietary technology ,
lincoln said .
we also will continue to look at new opportunities to further enhance our position as the industry leader ,
he said .
alliance also intends to sell its 49 percent stake in video services, a slot route operator in the new orleans region, to gentilly gaming llc by june 30, 2004. vsi operates about 710 machines in nine off - track betting parlors in the region. alliance intends to sell all of its vsi stock to gentilly, a newly formed company of new orleans investors. the companies didn' t disclose the cost of the transaction .
revenue for the nevada slot route fell 5 percent and cash flow fell 29 percent for the quarter ended march 31. revenue for the louisiana route fell 7 percent and cash flow fell 25 percent .
the third subsidiary, european manufacturer bally wulff, will be sold to an unnamed private equity investment group for $ 16. 5 million in cash. the deal is expected to close by july 31. alliance said it will take a charge on the sale in the second fiscal quarter to reflect the unit' s declining value .
alliance also is reviewing plans to refinance debt issues worth $ 190 million and $ 150 million by the first fiscal quarter of 2004, which would result in a pre - tax charge of about $ 12 million .
in april, alliance raised its earnings - per - share estimate for fiscal 2003 to 88 cents based on the strength of bally gaming. including a 20 cent charge for the write down of bally wulff, earnings would be 68 cents, the company said wednesday. the company anticipates earning about 80 cents per share from its bally gaming and systems unit and about 8 cents from its soon - to - be discontinued operations this fiscal year .
this is the culmination of several years of planning
since around 1999, bally gaming vice president of marketing marcus prater said .
that was the year the company' s former chief executive, morry goldstein, left the troubled company and appointed bob miodunski as chief operating officer .
the bally wulff division has been a cash drain for alliance for some time. but the company had held off from selling it because its value would be dampened by poor performance .
under miodunski, the company decided to cut costs and reduce debt while focusing on its bally unit, prater said .
the future of vsi' s 60 or so employees is too early to determine because that deal is further off, prater said .
the bally wulff deal is expected sooner but the investment group is still formulating its management strategy, he said. the berlin - based subsidiary employs about 300 people and makes wall - mounted gambling machines specifically for the german market .
unit revenue fell 8 percent and cash flow dropped 38 percent for the quarter ended march 31 .
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century gaming ceo steve arntzen said the name change “better reflects” the products offered in both nevada and montana .
“this centralization not only streamlines operations to realize significant economies of scale for the company, ” arntzen said, “it encourages implementation of best practices and policies that combine to make century products smarter and far more advanced. ”
the company recently launched several technical upgrades; game tender, which allows for continual monitoring, faster bonus awarding and up - to - the - minute data of the company’s gaming machines, and i3, which allows cash for play at any gambling establishment where century operates the games .
the system was recently installed at 54 rebel gasoline stations and convenience stores in southern nevada .
“our system provides valuable marketing information to management while delivering strong technology support to convenience store clerks who don’t have the ability to have direct one - on - one contact with key players, ” he said .
“our ultimate goal is to deepen player engagement and loyalty, ” arntzen said .
contact reporter howard stutz at hstutz @ urltoken or 702 - 477 - 3871. follow @ howardstutz on twitter .
exhale nevada ceo pete findley talks about the one year anniversary of the legalization of recreational marijuana in nevada. (k. m. cannon / las vegas review - journal )
united coin machine co. is a slot route operator based in paradise , nevada . it operates slot machines in locations such as bars , convenience stores , and grocery stores . it is owned by century gaming , a montana-based slot route operator . for many years , united coin was the largest slot route operator in nevada . 
united coin machine co. is a slot route operator based in paradise, nevada. it operates slot machines in locations such as bars, convenience stores, and grocery stores. it is owned by century gaming, a montana-based slot route operator. for many years, united coin was the largest slot route operator in nevada.
united coin machine co. is a slot route operator based in paradise, nevada. it operates slot machines in locations such as bars, convenience stores, and grocery stores. it is owned by century gaming, a montana-based slot route operator. for many years, united coin was the largest slot route operator in nevada.