Why Pinball Was Considered To Be Illegal in the United States During the Mid-Twentieth Century

In an October 2015 episode of Retro Report, journalist and pinball aficionado Seth Porges spoke about his love for the game, explained why pinball was outlawed in the mid-twentieth century and the strange laws that were passed out of fear for the children.

The thing about pinball, it was viewed as a game of chance, not skill – the ball is going wild, it goes everywhere, there is just innate chaos to the pinball machine and no matter how good you are at pinball, you can’t control that ball. And thus, according to the logic of the time, that made them gambling machines. But unlike other gambling machines out there…pinball machines were also viewed as a game that would appeal to children and turn them into stark raving mad gambling addicts.