Episode 202 - Bingo Serial Numbers

For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast·podcast_episode·10m 39s·analyzed·Sep 29, 2015

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.017

TL;DR

Bingo serial numbers: locations, formats, and evidence they're unreliable indicators of production volume.

Summary

Nick Baldridge discusses bingo pinball serial numbers in response to a listener question, explaining their locations on machines (cabinet, playfield, head), formats, and the reliability issues. He addresses speculation about organized crime, overseas shipping irregularities, mismatched serials, and serial number padding as common practices in bingo machine manufacturing, while emphasizing the value of serial number documentation through IPSND and specialized bingo databases.

Key Claims

Bingo serial numbers are stamped in three places: cabinet body, playfield, and head, allowing tracing of individual parts' origins
high confidence · Nick Baldridge, host, based on firsthand knowledge
Mismatched serial numbers across cabinet, playfield, and head components are very common, at least in the speaker's area
high confidence · Nick Baldridge, host, based on firsthand observation
Serial number padding—adding an extra digit or inflating totals—was not unusual in bingo machine manufacturing to make production volumes appear higher
medium confidence · Nick Baldridge, host, based on reading and industry knowledge
Some bingo machines intended for overseas sale were wired by the factory for US voltage, suggesting potential fraud or diversion
medium confidence · Nick Baldridge, host, firsthand observation
Bingo serial numbers include stamped production dates, which is unusual compared to standard pinball machines
high confidence · Nick Baldridge, host, based on firsthand knowledge
There was significant organized crime involvement in bingo machines and Las Vegas during their production era
low confidence · Nick Baldridge, host, citing what he has read but expressing uncertainty
Manufacturers may have shipped certain parts across state lines separately to circumvent state-level gambling laws
low confidence · Nick Baldridge, host, speculating on legal workarounds without certainty

Notable Quotes

“Because they're stamped in all three of these places, you can trace exactly where one of the pieces came from.”
Nick Baldridge @ early in discussion — Explains the utility of multi-location serial stamping for part traceability
“I believe it means that they're fudging the numbers a little bit. That's a polite way to put it.”
Nick Baldridge @ mid-discussion — Direct statement about suspected serial number manipulation and fraud
“I am really not certain. But I do know and I have read that there was a lot of organized crime involvement in these machines and in Las Vegas at the time of their production.”
Nick Baldridge @ mid-discussion — Acknowledges uncertainty while referencing organized crime as historical context for serial number irregularities
“These numbers cannot be believed.”
Nick Baldridge @ mid-discussion — Core conclusion about reliability of bingo serial numbers as accurate production counts
“It was not unusual, of course, for serial numbers to be padded. You add an extra one at the beginning or you add an extra 500 to the total and then your numbers look pretty good from the outside.”
Nick Baldridge @ late in discussion — Specific description of serial padding techniques used across the industry

Entities

Nick BaldridgepersonRod McLargepersonDanny LeachpersonFor Amusement OnlyorganizationInternet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND)organizationBallycompany GottliebcompanyDouble Upgame

Signals

?
historical_signal: Bingo machines have production dates stamped on them, which is atypical for standard pinball machines. This practice suggests either unusual record-keeping or regulatory intent.
high · Nick Baldridge: 'what's also interesting about bingo serials is that underneath there are also stamped with the date of production, which is unusual.'
?
historical_signal: Discussion of organized crime involvement in bingo machines during production era, particularly in Las Vegas, as possible context for serial number irregularities.
low · Nick Baldridge: 'I do know and I have read that there was a lot of organized crime involvement in these machines and in Las Vegas at the time of their production.'
?
product_concern: Evidence of systematic serial number padding, mismatches across machine components, and potential intentional fraud in production documentation.
medium · Nick Baldridge: 'I have seen these games with mismatched serials. Very, very common' and 'It was not unusual, of course, for serial numbers to be padded.'
?
regulatory_signal: Possible deliberate separation of part shipments across state lines to circumvent gambling regulations, with components assembled elsewhere.
low · Nick Baldridge: 'what they would do is ship certain parts and only those parts across state lines then they would ship the other parts or pick up the other parts elsewhere. Now some way somehow this would get around the law.'
?
restoration_signal: Multi-location serial stamping (cabinet, playfield, head) enables tracing of individual component origins, useful for restoration and authentication.

Topics

Bingo serial number locations and formatsprimarySerial number reliability and fraudprimarySerial number padding and production volume inflationprimaryOrganized crime involvement in bingo machinessecondaryLegal circumvention through parts shipping and assemblysecondaryOverseas shipping irregularities and US voltage wiringsecondarySerial number documentation and community databasessecondaryPinball vs. bingo serial number practices (comparison)mentioned

Sentiment

neutral(0)— Nick Baldridge maintains an investigative, skeptical tone without emotional coloring. Discussion is factual and educational, presenting evidence of fraud and irregularities matter-of-factly while acknowledging gaps in his knowledge. Tone is neither celebratory nor condemnatory, but curious and historically grounded.

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.032

What's that sound? It's 4 Amusement Only, the EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast. Welcome back to 4 Amusement Only. This is Nicholas Baldridge. I got an email from Rod McLarge, Credit.Pinball. Check out his site at credit.pinball.com for very in-depth and interesting write-ups The aspects of the hobby. Once you start reading it's definitely hard to stop. Credit.pinball.com. So Rod emails and asks, what about the bingo serial numbers? The location on the game and the format of the number itself. Whether the number is an accurate representation of the number of games made. There are lots of little intricacies with pinball cereals and wondering if it's the same with bingos. So, the first thing is that the bingo cereals are actually stamped in multiple places. They're stamped on the cabinet body, they're stamped on the playfield, and they're stamped on the head. Now because they're stamped in all three of these places, you can trace exactly where one of the pieces came from. I have games where the serial numbers don't match. And I've heard stories, just since I started this podcast, I've always wondered why that Let's look at fixes. Click. Temporarily of the hub. Let away raise. New which is pretty a sharp of this the course which is why we would be legal to operate that way but perhaps someone can't make me. But. What they would do is ship certain parts and only those parts across state lines then they would ship the other parts or pick up the other parts elsewhere now some way somehow this would get around the law again i not sure how but what they would do is just assemble these pieces and Then put them out on the street to earn Now the location of the serial number on the cabinet is on the right hand side directly under the side rail on The playfield it's right at the center of the top arch And on the cabinet head, it's on the right hand side at the top. Now, the format of these cereals is slightly different depending on the location. On the cabinet and head, it has a designator for the game which is usually the first letters in the name. So, I have a I have a double up and the designator is DUI. There's usually also a one after each of these, meaning the first production run, I think, and then a dash followed by the production number. Now, you had asked, Rod, about whether these numbers could be believed. And that's a very interesting question. And one that I don't actually have the answer to. I think, based on people that I've talked to and things that I've read, and my own I've learned first hand knowledge with some of these games that these numbers cannot be believed. I don't know that they ever repeated numbers, although that would certainly be an easy way to get around some of the problems inherent in making these devices. I'm a. I'm where the law had started to crack down on them from a federal and a local perspective. And then you have machines that are being shipped overseas. Do these repeat serials? And then you have machines which are supposed to be shipped overseas And yet are wire from the factory for u voltage is I find this rather suspicious so I am really not certain but I do know and I have read that there was a lot of organized crime involvement in In these machines and in Las Vegas at the time of their production. Whether or not that's true, I don't know for sure. I just know what I've read. But what I do know is that I have seen these games with mismatched serials. Very, very common at least in this area. And I have seen games which should not have ever been wired from the factory to operate in the US market. And yet here they are. What this says, I think you can Pistogethere for yourselves but uh... I believe it means that they're fudging the numbers a little bit that's a polite way to put it but uh... yeah I'd I don't think they can be believed uh... and for those reasons now what's also interesting about bingo cereals is that underneath there also stamped with the date of production society unusual if you've been in pinball circles for a while you understand that normally you don't have that cedar part of the serial or not available or it's stamped on if he's paper affixed to the ball arch but not Stamped into the cabinet itself. This is also very interesting. And why might they need to do that? Well, don't have that answer. But I did want to point out that Rod is one of the admins over at ipsnd That the Internet Pinball Serial Number Database They're collecting serial numbers for any pinball game. And I would highly suggest that everyone go register your serials over there. From that we can put together some of this hidden history on where these games may have wound up but more importantly how many were made. It was not unusual of course for serial numbers to be padded. You add an extra one at the beginning or you add an extra 500 to the total and then your numbers look pretty good from the outside. You know, if you're a bally and you're looking at a Gottlieb, if you didn't know that they were doing that, then you'd say, wow, look at how many of these they made. Financial Danny Leach is collecting them on his bingo website, danny.cdyn.com. So after you've submitted to the IPSND, please contact Danny with your serials and he is putting together a bingo specific kind of view of these serial numbers. Well, I want to thank Rod for listening to the show and for submitting the question. And everybody, feel free to do the same. I'm here to help if I can. Thank you again for listening. My name again is Nick Baldrige. You can reach me at 4amusementonlypodcast at gmail.com or you can call me on the bingos line at 724-BINGOS-1-724-246-4671. You can listen to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, via RSS, on Facebook, on Twitter, at Bingo Podcast. You can follow me on Instagram at nbaldridge, or you can listen to us on our website, which is 4amusementonly.libsyn.com. Thank you very much for listening, and I'll talk to you next time.