Slot machine vs. Pachinko; American Dream Against Japanese Pop
The first slot machine was a symbol of the American dream; the dream that you can achieve the unthinkable. Pachinko on the other hand is a Japanese invention and reminds one of the pop culture in Japan and its colorful and vivid creations. It is once again a battle of the nations over the better invention, so now it is on; which one will prevail? The slot machine or the Pachinko machine?
The first slot machine was built by Charles Fey in the 1890s and was named the liberty bell because it had the liberty bell symbols on its reels. The first slot machine jackpot was worth a couple of nickels, which was then a lot of money. The Pachinko history however only began in the 1920s when Pachinko was first built as a children's toy but it was meant to serve a greater purpose and a greater consumer range. Since the invention of the slot machine happened earlier and the machine was originally invented for the purpose it serves today, it wins the first round.
The interface of slot machine is fairly easy; you drop the coin into the machine, pull a lever of press a button and wait if you have three in a row. If not, you simply try again. Pachinko is not as easy as a slot machine because it has little metal balls that are being shot into the machine. The balls can go straight into a hole which means that you have lost the ball and with it the Pachinko game, or it can pass by the center where the points are waiting to be activated. The modern Pachinko machines will activate a slot scenario in the center. The Pachinko machine borrowed the slot machine concept and therefore the slot machine has also won this round.
This round decides who shall be named the winner of the nations and this round shall be used by comparing the prizes that one can get while playing both games. Slot machines have a high probability for small payouts and the chances are slim for the big jackpot, but at least there is a chance. In Pachinko the prizes are either more balls or little tokens. The jackpots consist of prizes such as pens, Zippos, or even electronic bicycles. Japanese law is anti-gambling that explains why Pachinko does not pay out cash; because it is not allowed.
The winner of the battle of the machines is definitely the slot machine because the slot machine has an older history, a better game interface, and a better payout than Pachinko. Overall you could even say that parts if modern Pachinko have been copied from slot machines.