Slot Machines - News

Headlines About Slot Machines

Bally Technologies’ History: Part I of III

We are starting a three part series on the creation of what is now known as Bally Technologies. The company is celebrating their 75^th year as the “World’s Greatest Slot Machine Maker” but that history had to start somewhere.

Some people don’t realize but Bally Technologies has actually been around for the past 75 years. A man called Raymond T. Maloney founded Bally Manufacturing Company in 1932, and never looked back. Maloney founded the company in Chicago with the advent of his first invention – the Bally Baby. The machine would turn out to be the very first slot machine in Bally Technologies history.

The company invented the first slot machines with a bottomless hopper and the first fully electronic reel-spinning slot machine as well. There was the first electronic slot machine system, as well as their newer inventions such as the CineVision – which is a wide screen slot machine. They have multi-level progressive slot machines, community games, etc. – there truly isn’t a slot machine that they make that you won’t find something innovative and exciting about it.

They offer reel slot machines, video slot machines, Class II slot machines, etc. No one thought that the company would last, as it was trying to get started during the Great Depression, but 75 years later, Bally is still one of the top companies in the world, and its name has become synonymous with slot machines. In fact, it turned out that the Great Depression was the best time the company could have started.

Back in 1931 people were depressed and looking for a way to escape the horrors of their everyday lives – and they were looking for a little fun. Arcade games had just come out and people were enjoying playing them. Maloney invented the pinball game called the Ballyhoo, and then went on to start to create other games. By the middle of the 1930’s, they had several games that they could offer the public, each one more of a success than its predecessors.

Next Time: Continuing through the Depression, how did Bally make a go of it when so many could not?

Back to May Index - Slot Machines Fan

Slot Machines

Slot Machine News

Slot Machines - Books