National Pinball Day
August 1, 2025-August 1, 2025 -
USA, USA
National Pinball Day
When folks during the Great Depression were looking for a cheap form of entertainment, the game pinball was born. With roots that can be traced back to 18th century Europe, or perhaps even further, the concept of the game wasn’t necessarily new, but the execution came about in the early 1930s. By the late 1940s, flippers were introduced and the essence of the game of pinball hasn’t changed a whole lot since that time.
Although the mechanics of the game are not so different, pinball’s popularity has ebbed and flowed at different times. For instance, in a somewhat misguided effort to reduce crime and gambling, New York City outlawed pinball from 1947-1976. Other cities followed suit and, especially in Chicago, pinball even became associated with organized crime for a little while.
Pinball gained a bit of their reputation back in 1976 when Roger Sharpe, a representative from the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA), testified in court that pinball should be recognized as a game of skill and not of chance. But even with that official testimony, pinball still didn’t recover quickly.
01 Aug 25
00:00 - 23:59
National Pinball Day
