New Arrival: Bally Venice 20 hole Bingo machine

My newest arrival: Bally Venice 20 hole bingo machine with the "Super double-up" side game. When It was first released in 1968, Bally didnt even bother making a flyer for it. It's the second Bally Bingo machine with a side game, the first being Bally Orient. Bally Venice was followed by Bally London bingo.

OK.

As I write these words, I've had the game for 13 days already. Not exactly fresh news. I had a bit of writer's block. Sorta. I didnt feel like publishing anything. The game is still in two parts in the middle of my livingroom. I don't want to jump into it. I have other projects to wrap up first. Patience.

I read somewhere, on someone else's blog: "How to write a successful blog". I didn't actually click the link and read how to write a successful blog but It sure isn't by writing about old pinball machines and bingo machines. Aim for the lowest common denominator. Popular subjects: Eating, Travelling, Cars, Potty training toddlers, Not Bingo machines. Furthermore, people don't want to read anymore. It takes too long. Make a video and put it on youtube.

Luddite! Whatever!

I am what I am. I can't help it. I write about what I like.

I digress.

I'm relieved to finally have this extremely rare Bally Venice 20 hole bingo machine. I knew of the location of this particular game for almost 4 years. It took the help of a good friend to convince the owner to sell it. It was part of a bingo machine lot and the seller didn't want to sell me just that one game.

The backglass is broken but the mechanicals are pristine. This is one of the most complex bingo machines ever produced. So complex that it has a small transistorised circuit for the Odd / Even detector for the side game. Transistors! In a bingo machine from 1968! Predates other games by at least 5 years. The only EM flipper pinball machine with a transistorized circuit I know of is 1973 Williams Travel Time and it had ONE transistor.