BMCo. UK to US and back again!!!

[terry]

Hi! I'm a new member to the site and wonder if anyone has any ideas on my latest acquisition. Bought from the States this would appear to be of BMCo. stock but the ball gallery is unfamiliar to me. It was suggested by John Peterson that the shaped hole covered up by red plastic backflash may have once been a reserve ball feature but on closer inspection it would appear to only be decorative. It would seem to have had a recase some time ago as the case is pine but both box and door have an old coat of paint. It works nicely and once I've refitted a lock and backing board it will be popping up on ebay! Does this look like a standard BMCo. model or a rehash of BMCo. parts??
Terry.

[pennymachines]

The door and mech certainly look 100% BMco. but I can't put a name to it.
Far as I know, they never made a reserve ball machine so I think you're right to assume it wasn't. The Reserve ball feature seems to have been pretty much exclusive to German allwins and a few British and French copies of German allwins.

[whoop-john]

Hi Terry, I am up the road in Wallington. I would love to see your machine. I had a rare BMCo billiards so I am interested in them. The expert on BMCo is Steve Hunt, but he is busy restoring Colwyn Bay pier.

John

[terry]

Hi, John! I didn't know of any slot machine collectors around these parts apart from Jez in Ewell! The BMCo, machine of which you mention has long since been sold on but a few remain in my loft! I have a Little Fivewin, a Favourite with stepped winning cups and a Playball with automatic payout. I also have plenty of other allwins including Whales, Hawtins, Bryans and a Parkers. You are quite welcome to have a look as long as you don't mind digging around under junk in the garage!! I was never one for displaying a machine nicely! As for Steve Hunt and the mythical pier, I think he must have jumped off the end of it years ago!! All the best and let me know if you have any allwin spares knocking around as I'm always on the hunt for the internals...especially old 1d payouts, coin slides, chutes etc.

Best regards.

Terry.

[13rebel]

Regarding the internal photo of the above BMCo allwin machine, there is a silver coloured slidey gizmo under the ball win lever. This can be pushed in one position to allow a free ball after a win and another position to divert the ball back to the start position so as to make it penny return only. A gap can be seen where the ball drops down to allow this. Would operators have been so mean to only allow a penny return or could it have been there to appease the authorities when for example the police were expected and the operator would make it only penny return at a time when the gaming law was stricter/ somewhat vague? I am aware that BMCo made so called skill games as penny return only but to do it on an allwin seems mean. Thanks.

[pennymachines]

Would operators have been so mean to only allow a penny return or could it have been there to appease the authorities when for example the police were expected and the operator would make it only penny return at a time when the gaming law was stricter/ somewhat vague?

More or less the latter, I think, particularly after WW2 when anti-gambling regulations were less rigorously enforced. Even post war manufactured wall machines, (e.g. Bryans) often had operator adjustments for coin return only. Many operators must have realized that, up to a point, generous payouts brought greater profit by encouraging more play. On the other hand, operator-added bugs, fixes and fiddles seen on many old games suggest many thought it best to ensure the player couldn't win a bean.

See also Who kept check on the operators?

[13rebel]

Thank you for the reply Mr PM. As BMCo didn't survive www2 and their allwins were made mostly in the 1930s perhaps the facility for a free ball after a win was there in anticipation of a relaxing of the law. Or as you suggest, a 'suck and see' attitude of the operator and gauge which way gives us the most money in the cash box.

[arrgee]

Here is another BMCo, same model as in original photos, the mech also appears to have the 'slidey gizmo' Interesting to note the same green paint on the mech.

[13rebel]

I have waded through the Hansard reference to the Gaming Bill a number of times before but it is a debate rather than the bill itself which can be seen at 'Gaming act 1968 Legislation.gov.uk chapter 65 part 3 section 26 with relevance to slot machines. Some time ago I gave up looking for the 1960 act in the flesh so to speak as just about any content was all about betting shops, nothing about slot machines. It appeared that the only place to view it was in the National Archives in Kew. You could order a 'page check' for £8 and so I did this stating that I wanted the relevant page[s] to gaming machines. The £8 was non refundable if they could not find the item. If they found the item they would then advise as to how much it would cost to send you a copy. I thought it would be good to be able to post it on this forum for all to see. A couple of weeks later a reply came stating that it was too hard to find and that I should book an appointment to view at Kew or get a professional to investigate. Ho hum, maybe one day.

[pennymachines]

You're to be congratulated on your efforts, even if they came up empty.
I often find myself near Kew, but have yet to find time to explore the National Archives.