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You are at:Home»INSTANT REPLAY»Los Angeles Banned Pinball Machines in 1939

Los Angeles Banned Pinball Machines in 1939

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By Matt Harding on May 17, 2021 INSTANT REPLAY

The Los Angeles Times recently shared from its archives that pinball machines were banned in the city in 1939.

The newspaper reported that a clear majority of 161,000 people voted for a ballot item to ban the games, along with “marble boards, scoop claws and similar devices.” People at the time considered them a public nuisance that encouraged “petty gambling.”

Police were given the authority to confiscate pinball machines but didn’t know what to do with them. Pictured above, you’ll see a shot from May 15, 1940, that captured Urban F. Emme, chief clerk of the city marshal’s office, destroying some with a sledgehammer.

With a slew of arcade bars across the City of Angels today, it just goes to show that not all laws age well. Enjoy your pinballs!

History Los Angeles Pinball Pinball Machines
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