Mayfield Electronic Dice & Streets Spot Luck identified

[pennymachines]

Players would bet on the outcome of the dice throw, e.g. double one, double two, etc. (I am not sure of the exact betting possibilities), to win anything from 2d to 12d.

I seem to remember that the outcomes you bet on were 2 + 2, 3 + 3, 4 + 4, etc.

I don't think this can be right. Suppose it paid, for example, 2d on 1 + 1, 4d on 2 + 2, 6d on 3 + 3, 8d on 4 + 4, 10d on 5 + 5 and 12d on 6 + 6... There would be no point in betting on anything but sixes as they have the same odds of coming up (assuming the dice are fair) as any other double. Besides with odds of 1/36, it wouldn't be worth betting. Unless each station had just a single slot and you were gambling on any double coming up (similar to a bandit), rather than betting on a particular double.

[Potless]

Thinking about it, that's very logical - as I said, memory is a bit sketchy on that point!
Maybe it was particular combinations of faces that were bet on? I certainly seem to remember multiple betting slots at each station.

[rippyspennyarcade]

Pennymachines is correct, you could bet on more than just doubles coming up. I watched that machine in action for quite a while on each day of my week's holiday. The top and bottom of the cage was thicker, so this must have somehow activated the payouts. It's different to Streets Spot Luck (that I mentioned earlier), as those dice did have holes in the spots, but a wiper reset the dice and only then did that machine pay out once the dice were returned to their starting point. This did NOT happen on our machine. The machine paid out and then the cage just turned again for the next game. I do remember a lot, but it's annoying me that I can't remember the machine's name!

[slotalot]

I have been fascinated by this thread from the start as I had very vague memories of playing this machine in the 1960s. I was also getting frustrated at not being able to find out more about it despite spending hours searching the internet - then I had an idea. I thought that if anyone can find or remember this machine it will be Freddy Bailey.

As some of you will already know Freddy has spent all his life living and working in the amusement trade, and at one time his family owned an arcade in Great Yarmouth near to where this machine is thought to have operated. He also has what must be the biggest collection of amusement trade papers and magazines in the world.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I contacted Freddy and made him aware of the question, and after several emails between Freddy and me this is what he has come up with.

So on behalf of the members of the Pennymachines website I say a big thank you Freddy for taking the time to thumb your way through hundreds of pages of information to answer this question.

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO MAKE THEM BIGGER...

[gameswat]

Nice sleuthing there Slot!! But what a pity the article didn't go into detail about how it works?? Strange as this was a trade publication and not for the general public. So you'd think they'd want operators to know all about it to spur sales!?

[rippyspennyarcade]

That's the one! Many thanks to Slotalot and Freddy for coming up with this article / picture. I never thought a picture would surface. This brings back so many happy memories for me, and probably Potless. Thanks Again!

[Potless]

Yes yes, that has to be it! Wow - it's like rediscovering a long lost friend. Don't recall the giant die on top of the machine - maybe it was a later addition, or maybe I was too dazzled by watching the dice cage in operation to notice it!

May I add my thanks to Freddy and Slotalot for finding this for us, it is very much appreciated. It's amazing what can be produced by a forum if you keep at it....

[13rebel]

Freddy and Stuart

[Potless]

You are not going to believe this - now I know what the machine is called, and who made it, I was able to find this COMPLETE PATENT SHEET which describes everything about it, from a block diagram of operation, how the dice are read, through to the cabinet details, payouts, etc. It seems I was correct about doubles paying out, but other combinations are also winners.

But get this - each die actually contains an OSCILLATOR, which radiates a signal when the dice are are at rest, AT A DIFFERENT FREQUENCY FOR EACH FACE. The signals are picked up by a discreet aerial in the machine. Astonishingly, each die has its OWN RECHARGEABLE BATTERY, which is charged periodically by the machine! The spec. makes fascinating reading....

It was pretty advanced stuff for machines of this era - no wonder we couldn't work out exactly how the dice were read. It must have been incredibly expensive to buy too; no wonder only the larger arcades had them! Maybe they were hired?

[Potless]

Forgot to mention, the patent was found here:

http://www.directorypatent.com/GB/1180560-a.html

[badpenny]

Some superb sleuthing there chaps, this forum really is cracking.

Radio! Who'd have thought it?
Clearly not us.

[jonesthegarage]

Well done to all involved in solving this mystery but no points to the creative heads in the marketing department for taking an electronic dice game and calling it the remarkably accurate "Electronic Dice" - now if you'll excuse me I think I'll go off and design a one arm bandit and call it "one arm bandit."

Mike Jones
Masters Degree in the bleedin' obvious

[slotalot]

WOW!! it just gets better....
I was told that the machine was not without its problems with regards to judging the payout amounts, and now having seen the patent I can understand why, quite advanced for its time..

[wembleylion]

Regarding Rippys dice with holes in the spots; I wonder if these could have been read by pneumatic equipment.
If a table akin to a small air hockey game was used air could be drawn through the holes at a constant rate with a vacuum pump to create a vacuum below the table surface. If such a table had any part of its area covered air through the table surface would be restricted so causing a rise in the vacuum below the table which could be recorded by a vacuum gauge or sensors. Depending which way the holed dice fell the vacuum, air being drawn through the dice holes, would vary and could be measured.
I think it would only be possible to use one dice on its own table but two tables could be placed side by side and the pay-out equipment operated in a series configuration. I don’t think it would be possible to have two dice on the same table because a three spot and a five spot, eight holes, would have a vacuum reading the same as two four spots, also eight holes.

John

[13rebel]

Going by the article in Coin Slot on the Mayfield electronic dice machine, my calculations result in the payout percentage being 66.66% - quite fair for the era I think.

[rippyspennyarcade]

Wembleylion, The Streets Spot luck with the dice that had holes in, did have 2 dice. These dice were thrown out on a flat surface one at a time on separate tracks, A metal bar then swept BOTH dice back in to their respective starting blocks, then the payouts kicked in, so your payout theory could have worked with this machine. Let's ask everyone now to search for a picture of Streets Spot Luck.

[pennymachines]

How gratifying! A name, maker, description, date, photo and patent! Well done to all who contributed, especially our resident sleuth for taking the initiative to chase it up with Freddy. Re-reading the thread, I must say your memories proved pretty sharp on the details. My jest about secret futuristic technology wasn't far off either! What an incredible device! It's astonishing that a British made arcade game of the '60s was so advanced.

When I was exploring the patent trail last night I found this 1948 counter-top payout dicer: US patent 2693962 A. It's also pretty sophisticated for its day. It simulates the game of craps and utilizes contact feeler switches which probe the indicia (pips) to read the lower faces of the dice.

No doubt the complexity (hence cost and unreliability) of the mechanisms limited their success in arcades, but I think the complexity of the rules of the games they simulated would also have been a deterrent to the average punter (who can rarely be bothered to read instructions).

OK - so now the hunt's on for a picture and patent for Streets Spot Luck!

And a bit modern for us, but someone at Wikipedia wants to know...

Circa 1990, in British amusement arcades, there was a coin-op machine offering Chuck-a-Luck, although the dice weren't in the usual "birdcage" but were each in its own tube, and were "thrown" by being blown upwards (and tumbled in the process) by jets of air. I think the stake was 10p, which would be about average for British AWP machines at that time. Unfortunately I can't recall anything else about this machine, such as what it was called or who made it.

[slotalot]

Let's ask everyone now to search for a picture of Streets Spot Luck.

Is this the one you mean??? Sorry it's not a very good photo, but beggars can't be choosers...

[rippyspennyarcade]

Hi Slotalot, yes, that is Streets Spot Luck - well done! The two dice were kicked out one at a time from their respective traps from the right hand side as we look at the image, then a bar swept them back in to their traps, and then the payout was activated. Very nice to see a picture, it was just as I remember it!

[heenehenry]

Hi all,

I am the inventor of this machine. I have details of all aspects of the making, sale and progress to the market.

If anyone is interested just ask I would be more than happy to tell all..................

Thanks for your interest.

JT