# Episode 3 - Beginner Series - Pinball Maps

**Source:** EM Pinball Journeys  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2024-12-29  
**Duration:** 13m 32s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** Buzzsprout-16320930

---

## Analysis

David Rick Morgan hosts the third episode of EM Pinball Journeys Podcast, a beginner series focused on discovering pinball machines on location. The episode provides a comprehensive guide to using Pinball Map (website and app), including how to search for specific games, filter by location type, add/remove machines, and discover tournaments. Morgan also mentions alternative resources like Pinside's Pinball Map and recommendations for visiting mega-locations with large EM collections.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Pinball Map was started in 2008 by Matt Scott, Wayne Stok, and Ryan Gratzer, with later assistance from Beth — _David Rick Morgan, host, stating foundational facts about Pinball Map creation_
- [HIGH] Pinball Map contains over 10,000 pinball locations and over 44,000 pinball machines listed — _David Rick Morgan citing information from 'Mappin' Around with Matt Scott and Ryan' podcast, episode details_
- [HIGH] Pinside's Pinball Map shows 33,378 pinball machines at 7,110 known locations in the United States — _David Rick Morgan reporting statistics from Pinside Pinball Map interface_
- [HIGH] France has 3,461 pinball games in 2,375 known locations and Canada has 2,336 games in 782 known locations according to Pinside data — _David Rick Morgan citing Pinside Pinball Map statistics_
- [MEDIUM] Some pinball venue operators report that Pinball Map has brought them as many customers as their other paid marketing efforts — _David Rick Morgan summarizing operator feedback from conversations_
- [HIGH] Matt Scott and Ryan released seven episodes of 'Mappin' Around' podcast in 2018-2019, returned in 2024 with five more episodes — _David Rick Morgan citing details from 'Mappin' Around with Matt Scott and Ryan' podcast_
- [HIGH] EM machines are typically from 1975 or earlier; 1976-1978 machines could be either EM or solid state — _David Rick Morgan providing educational information about EM pinball era dating_

### Notable Quotes

> "My favorite tool for this is the Pinball Map app."
> — **David Rick Morgan**, ~0:45
> _Establishes primary recommendation for finding pinball machines on location_

> "The app is simply called Pinball Map and is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store."
> — **David Rick Morgan**, ~1:30
> _Provides concrete distribution information for the core tool being discussed_

> "Pinball players are encouraged to help keep the map up to date."
> — **David Rick Morgan**, ~2:00
> _Explains crowdsourced model that keeps Pinball Map current_

> "Be careful that you are looking at the right version of the game though. Some newer games such as the ones made by Sam Stern come in a Premium Edition, Premium Edition, and limited edition version."
> — **David Rick Morgan**, ~3:45
> _Provides practical user guidance about game variants in database_

> "There are over 10,000 pinball locations and over 44,000 pinball machines listed on the Pinball Map."
> — **David Rick Morgan**, ~10:20
> _Quantifies scale and reach of Pinball Map resource_

> "Some of the pinball places that have been listed on the Pinball Map app for a while have told me that the map app has brought them as many customers as their other marketing efforts that they spent money on."
> — **David Rick Morgan**, ~11:45
> _Demonstrates real business impact of Pinball Map on venue operators_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| David Rick Morgan | person | Host of EM Pinball Journeys Podcast, content creator focused on electromechanical pinball education |
| Matt Scott | person | Co-creator of Pinball Map (founded 2008), co-host of 'Mappin' Around with Matt Scott and Ryan' podcast |
| Wayne Stok | person | Co-creator of Pinball Map (founded 2008) |
| Ryan Gratzer | person | Co-creator of Pinball Map (founded 2008), co-host of 'Mappin' Around' podcast |
| Beth | person | Contributor to Pinball Map development and maintenance (last name not provided) |
| Pinball Map | product | Free website (pinballmap.com) and mobile app showing locations of pinball machines globally, founded 2008, contains 10,000+ locations and 44,000+ machines |
| Pinside Pinball Map | product | Alternative pinball location database accessible via Pinside.com, contains 33,378 machines at 7,110 US locations |
| Mappin' Around with Matt Scott and Ryan | product | Podcast by Pinball Map creators featuring discussions about pinball locations and locations reporting; 7 episodes in 2018-2019, 5 more in 2024 |
| Pastimes Arcade | venue | Mega-location in Girard, Ohio with 100+ pinball machines including EMs, visited by David Rick Morgan |
| Pinball PA | venue | Mega-location in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania with 100+ pinball machines including EMs, visited by David Rick Morgan |
| Electromagnetic Pinball Museum | venue | Mega-location in Pawtucket, Rhode Island focused on EM pinball machines, visited by David Rick Morgan |
| Silverball Retro Arcade | venue | Mega-location in Asbury Park, New Jersey with significant pinball collection, not yet visited by David Rick Morgan |
| Pinball Perfection | venue | Mega-location in Westview, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh with 100+ machines, not yet visited by David Rick Morgan |
| Sunshine Laundromat | venue | Laundromat in Brooklyn, New York listed on Pinball Map with 20 pinball machines |
| EM Pinball Journeys Podcast | product | Podcast by David Rick Morgan focused on electromechanical pinball education and community engagement |
| Wedgehead Pinball Podcast | product | Pinball podcast with episode 43 titled 'Megalocations' discussing large pinball venues |
| Pop-A-Card | game | Gottlieb EM pinball machine from 1972, example game used in Pinball Map tutorial, subject of upcoming EM Pinball Journeys episode |
| Adirondack Pinball | organization | David Rick Morgan's social media presence on Facebook and Instagram |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Pinball Map application and website features, Finding pinball machines on location, Electromechanical (EM) pinball machines, Pinball venue locations and mega-locations
- **Secondary:** Crowdsourced pinball database maintenance, Pinball tournaments discovery, Alternative pinball location resources, Beginner-friendly pinball education

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Host expresses enthusiasm for Pinball Map and related resources, recommends them strongly, shares positive operator feedback, and demonstrates genuine passion for facilitating EM pinball discovery and community building. No critical concerns or negative sentiment expressed.

### Signals

- **[content_signal]** EM Pinball Journeys Podcast launching beginner series for newcomers to EM or pinball generally, with structured education on how to find machines on location (confidence: high) — Episode 3 explicitly labeled as 'Beginner Series' with announced follow-up series (Pinball Machine Spotlight on Pop-A-Card) launching in two weeks
- **[community_signal]** Pinball Map increasingly becoming standard discovery tool for both players and venue operators, with operators reporting it rivals paid marketing efforts in effectiveness (confidence: high) — David Rick Morgan states he has brought multiple venues onto Pinball Map through direct outreach; operators report equivalent customer acquisition as paid marketing
- **[venue_signal]** Multiple mega-locations (100+ machine venues) exist across US with significant EM collections, becoming pilgrimage destinations for EM collectors and enthusiasts (confidence: high) — Host has visited Pastimes Arcade, Pinball PA, and EM Pinball Museum; planning visits to Silverball Retro and Pinball Perfection; mentioned in Wedgehead Podcast episode 43
- **[operational_signal]** Venue operators discovering value in grassroots digital tools like Pinball Map for customer acquisition, potentially reducing reliance on traditional paid marketing (confidence: medium) — Operator feedback reported by David Rick Morgan suggesting Pinball Map effectiveness comparable to paid marketing efforts
- **[market_signal]** North American pinball machine distribution shows US dominance (33,378 machines), with France second (3,461 machines) and Canada third (2,336 machines) according to Pinside data (confidence: high) — Pinside Pinball Map statistics cited directly by host showing comparative location counts across regions

---

## Transcript

This is the EM Journeys Pinball Podcast. Hello, and welcome back to the EM Pinball Journeys Podcast. My name is David Morgan. This is the first episode of the beginner series for those who are new to EM pinball or pinball in general. Today I'm going to talk about where to find pinball machines on location near you, including EMs. There are a few ways to discover where you can play pinball near you and find pinball machines somewhere in your travels. My favorite tool for this is the Pinball Map app. Its creators Scott Wayne Stock and Ryan Gratzer started the Pinball Map website in 2008. Soon after, they created the Pinball Map app, and with the assistance of Beth, it is the best app for pinball players. Both the website pinballmap.com and the app are free to use. The app is simply called Pinball Map and is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Both the app and pinballmap.com show you where pinball machines are on location in places such as an arcade or bar. The features are the same on both the website and the app. Pinball players are encouraged to help keep the map up to date. You can add or remove pinball machines from a location as you find that pinball machines were added or removed or swapped out. The app will help you find pinball machines on location from the EM era as well as the solid state era and newer games. When you open the app, pinch and move the map around until you find numbers on the map. The numbers represent how many pinball machines are at that location. Tap a number to see the name of the location and its address. Tap the name of the location to view a list of the pinball machines at that location as of the last update. From this list, you can favorite the location and confirm the lineup if the games at the location match the games on the list. If you find that the list is incomplete, you can easily add a machine to the list for that location. You simply tap "add a machine." A list of every pinball machine in the database appears. Next, scroll down the list to find the game that you want to add. You can also filter the list with the search box. Tap the game to add it to the list. Be careful that you are looking at the right version of the game though. Some newer games such as the ones made by Stern come in a pro, premium, and limited edition version, so please do try your best to add the correct version. Tap one of the games to view machine comments and high scores that people have added. You can add a comment about the game or add your high score. From here you can also tap "Machine Info" and learn more about the game from Kineticads.com. Tap "Done" when finished. You can also tap "View Playing Tips" on Pintips to view all of the playing tips that are specific to that game title. Tap "Done" when finished. Also from this screen you can remove the machine from the list. Please be sure that the game is really gone from the location before tapping "remove machine." Sometimes pinball machines are not all together in the same place at some locations. You can go back to the location screen using the arrow at the top right. From here you can also click "Activity," which will show you what has changed recently, such as games that were added and removed. You also see any recent comments. There isn't a way to pull up only EM machines on location with the app or website. You have to scroll through the list of games at a location and look at the year. If it is 1975 or older, it's going to be an EM. 1976 through 1978, well, it could be an EM or a solid state. One great feature of the Pinball Map app and website is that you can search for a specific game that you would like to play and see all of the locations where it can be played. On the app, tap the filter icon to the right of the search field. The next page will say "Filter Map Results" at the top. Tap "all locations for this machine," then scroll or search for an EM that you want to play. For example, I'm looking at Pop-A-Card. I only type the first three letters, POP, and the game appears in a list of results as Pop-A-Card, Gottlieb, 1972. Then I tapped "Apply Filters" at the bottom. I then moved the map to view the northeastern part of the US and tapped "Refresh this area." I can see that there are five locations: two in New York, one in New Jersey, one in Ohio, and one in Virginia. When you tap the locations, you can now see other EMs that may be at that location that you also might want to play. There are probably a lot of different Pop-A-Card machines. Chances are they are in good playing condition, but please know there is no guarantee that the game plays well or is even still there. You can also filter by location type. For example, I selected Laundromats and moved the map a few hours south of me. There are eight laundromats with a pinball machine in Syracuse, New York. I've not visited yet, but Brooklyn, New York has a laundromat called Sunshine Laundromat with 20 pinball machines. It looks like they have a lot of great game titles. No EMs though. Other options for filter by location are: Airport, Amusement Park, Arcade, Bar, Bar and Arcade, Bar and Restaurant, Bowling Alley, Brewery, Campground, Casino, Family Fun Center, Game Room, Ice Cream Parlor, Lodging, Mini Golf, Movie Theater, Museum, Music Venue, Pizza Parlor, Pool Hall, Recreation Facility, Restaurant, Shop, Skating Rink, Special Event. I've read in online forums where people have played a virtual version of a pinball machine and now they want to play a real version somewhere on location. I love to hear when this happens. I recommend the Pinball Map to them, and I hope that other people do as well. Another interesting feature of the app is finding pinball tournaments nearby. Tap "More," then tap "Events." It shows a 50-mile radius by default. You can then tap 150 miles or 250 miles to widen your results. You can also track your contributions to the Pinball Map. On the app, tap the word "You" at the bottom. You can see stats such as the number of machines added, removed, machine comments, and location. I often open the app and tap "Activity." This will show you all of the recent activity, such as a newly added or recently removed pinball machine from a nearby location. The radius settings are 30 miles, 75 miles, and 150 miles. I've talked with many operators of pinball places about the Pinball Map app. There are several locations that are now on the Pinball Map app because I told them about it. They have added themselves, or in a few cases, I've added the location myself. You can submit a location by tapping where it says "More" and tapping "Submit Location." You'll need to gather some details about the location, such as their address and website address. The Pinball Map admins will verify and approve the addition in a few days or sooner. I've talked with some operators about their take on the Pinball Map app. Some of the pinball places that have been listed on the Pinball Map app for a while have told me that the map app has brought them as many customers as their other marketing efforts that they spent money on. Pinball Map creators Scott and Ryan have their own podcast called "Mappin' Around with Scott and Ryan." I've listened to all 12 episodes. They put the first seven episodes out in 2018 and 2019. In 2024, they returned with five more. They mentioned that there are over 10,000 pinball locations and over 44,000 pinball machines listed on the Pinball Map. On the podcast, I learned that you can edit and delete your own comments. Also on the podcast, Scott and Ryan have a fun intermittent segment called a "scene report." They leave each other a voicemail talking directly from a pinball location that they're visiting and talk about the experience and highlight some of the games that they played there. They encourage listeners to email them audio of a scene report. They mention this toward the end of episode 10 in case that is of interest. You can help support the Pinball Map app and pinballmap.com by going to the website and clicking "Donate" or by clicking "Store" and making a purchase. Currently, they have beanies and stickers for sale. Another pinball map that you might find useful is Pinside.com's pinball map. Go to pinside.com and click "Pinmap." It is similar to pinballmap.com. I found it a bit easier to search here for where my favorite pinball machines are available to play on location. I have not found the data to be as up to date as the Pinball Map app, but most locations are there. There are also several noteworthy features on the Pinside map. The main page shows a few dozen featured locations. At the bottom right-hand corner of that area, if you click "list all locations," you can browse locations by country. There are currently 33,378 pinball machines at 7,110 known locations in the United States. Interestingly, France seems to be in second place with 3,461 games in 2,375 known locations, and Canada seems to be in third place with 2,336 games in 782 known locations. Also on Pinside, if you search for a pinball machine from the game details page, you will see a statistic showing the number of public locations to play this machine. Below that, click on "Visit Map." The next page shows a list of where to play this pinball machine. A related resource about pinball locations that I recommend is episode 43 of the Wedgehead Pinball Podcast called "Megalocations." They talk about many of the pinball locations that have over 100 pinball machines. Most megalocations also have EMs. All of the megalocations that I've been to have a large number of EMs to play. I've been to Pastimes in Girard, Ohio, Pinball PA in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and Electromagnetic Pinball Museum in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. I look forward to someday soon visiting the Silverball Retro Arcade in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and also Pinball Perfection in Westview, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Please let me know what good locations with EMs you find near you using Pinball Map, as well as any good locations with EMs that you are already aware of. And that concludes today's episode. I want to thank you for joining me today on the EM Pinball Journeys Podcast. I hope that you enjoyed this episode. Please look out for more beginner series episodes. If you want to contact me, I can be reached at empinballjourneyspodcast at gmail.com. You can also follow me on Facebook or Instagram at Adirondack Pinball, and Adirondack is spelled A-D-I-R-O-N-D-A-C-K. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, corrections, or suggestions of future EM Pinball topics. I'd love to hear about your journey so far. Next time on EM Pinball Journeys Podcast, I'll be starting my Pinball Machine Spotlight series and we'll talk about Pop-A-Card. I'll talk about the unique features and their place in pinball history. I also have a story to tell about Pop-A-Card because I bought one as a project. Thanks for listening. I'll be back again in two weeks. Subtitles by the Amara.org community

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

---

*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 1e761ce2-fbd5-4c3e-aef3-daa1d6431ccc*