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Pachislo: Like Slots, But Not

Pachislo is a Japanese version of the same slot machines that you know and love. In fact, the name “Pachislo” is a portmanteau for two words: “pachinko” and “slot.” Pachinko is, of course, the traditional Japanese vertical pinball game that has dovetailed with the rising popularity of slot games in the Far East. Pachislo is something like the cheap, disposable version of a slot game. In Japan, these devices sell for the equivalent of a few hundred American dollars. Japanese casinos exploit the novelty of these flashy attractions for a time period that is typically less than two years, and sell them to wholesalers who import them to the United States.

These same slot machine-esque devices are typically repainted and tuned up by American casino operators. Pachislo games represent a heck of a bargain for the operators of gambling establishments. A fruit machine may command a price of more than one thousand dollars, but repurposed Pachislo games can be had for as little as one hundred bucks. These games take tokens, not coins. The tokens used for a particular machine are normally included with the device when it is bought.

Pachislo games are considered “skill stop” titles. They come equipped with toggles that players use to stop the reels individually, introducing some degree of skill into play. Because these machines still carry a set payout percentage, however, there is some degree to which no skill level can truly “beat” a Pachislo slot machine! Pachislo titles are also slowly encroaching on the world of online slot machines.

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