Some Observations About Bally Technologies and Slot Machines
Bally Technologies (sometimes also called Bally Gaming)
has been in the slots and pinball business since the early 1930's and
remains one of the giants of the industry. The company was named after
its first pinball game, Ballyhoo, and was founded in the depression era
by Chicago visionary, Raymond Maloney. Bally has been a mainstay in the
gaming world for over 70 years, and according to some reports, there are
over 350,000 Bally produced
slot machines in casinos across the world.
This might be a surprise to the folks who think of Bally as primarily a manufacturer of pinball and video games. But in the modern world, slot machines are just another type of coin operated game, only with the chance to win money built in. (And Bally sold their pinball and video game division in 1988, even though they got back into the pinball biz in 2005.)
But this is a slots website, and this article is about the Bally slot machines which fill virtually every casino in the world. With the sheer number of slot machines in the Bally stable, it's hard to know where to begin naming the best among them. In the wake of the progressive jackpot revolution, it's probably best to begin with the progressives.
Bally Progressive Jackpots
Bally's progressives demonstrate remarkable ingenuity and variety, and the most famous one would be the Millionaire 777 slot machines. When three particular sevens line up on the maximum wager payline, you win a large progressive jackpot.
A hallmark of most Bally slot machines is the inclusion of the 777 progressive in many of their games. Among those which come to mind include:
- Triple 777 Double Jackpot
- Triple 777 Triple Jackpot
- Diamond Live 777
- Triple Blazing 7 Seven Times
The Millionaire 777 slots offer jackpots ranging well over a million dollars.
These are just some of the jackpots that Bally Gaming is responsible for.
More Jackpots
QuarterMillions slots offer $250,000 payoffs when you hit the right combination.
Cartoon Jackpots allow you to play slots with your favorite cartoon characters. If that isn't enough, the game offers $100,000 pay schedules.
Monte Carlo Spin offers two ways to win a progressive jackpot. You can win playing a standard Blazing 7 game, or take down the prize with a spin on the Monte Carlo spin bonus game.
One of the most unusual jackpots I've ever seen is the Cash For Life slots game. If you win the jackpot, you aren't paid off all at once. You aren't even paid off in a set number of installments.
Cash For Life pays off the winner every single week for the rest of their life.
The winner of the Cash For Life jackpot will pay $1,000 a week for as long as the jackpot winner stays alive.
Celebrity & Entertainment Slots
Some of Bally's competitors (International Gaming Technology) have made a big splash in the celebrity tie-in slot machine. Bally is no different, collecting some of America's edgiest popular culture icons to place on slot machine boxes.
The many stars of NBC's Saturday Night Live appear on the SNL slots game. You'll be treated to some of the most memorable lines from SNL's 30-plus years of making America laugh, along with a progressive jackpot that resets at $10,000.
If you prefer beauty to humor, Bally Gaming can hook you up. The Playboy slot machine is one of the most visited games in the casino. Playboy combines a high payout ratio with eye-catching video artwork. Playboy and Vegas go hand in hand, so it was only a matter of time before Hugh Hefner contributed his brand name to the casino-going public.
Bally's Other Businesses
Besides manufacturing slot machines and pinball machines, Bally has been involved in multiple industries and had multiple divisions, including:
- Restaurants
- Arcades
- Casinos
- Hotels
- Fitness clubs
Over their 70+ year career, Bally has seen many changes in corporate structure and has opened and closed multiple divisions. You can read a more detailed history of their corporation (one that isn't focused solely on slot machines) at the Wikipedia, and you can also find more information at Bally Technologies official website.
Other Pages of Interest
IGT Slots
Beverly Hillbillies Slot Machines
I Dream of Jeannie Slot Machines
Gilligans Island Slot Machines
Million Dollar Pyramid Slot Machines
