The Difference between Japanese Pachinko and Slots

Before discussing the difference between Japanese pachinko and slot machines, you should first get to know what pachinko is all about.

Pachinko is a gambling game which does not result in a cash prize. In operation, it is similar to a pinball machine installed vertically. What the players win if they can manoeuvre the pin-balls out of the chute and aim them correctly, are the pin-balls themselves.  The target like in most other slot machine games is to hit the jackpot – inserting pin-balls instead of coins. Initially you need to purchase an amount of pin-balls and use the same to play on the machine. If you strike it lucky and hit while you play Eurojackpot, you will have access to the winnings box which will be full of pin-balls from previous players.

The pin-balls you win after hitting the jackpot have no value in themselves. But you can exchange the same for money in the gaming room or in backstreets of the city. Though gambling is presently a banned activity in Japan, because of its immense popularity the Japanese government is considering legalizing the same.

When compared to slot machines, the only difference with pachinko is that instead of walking away with ready money, you leave the pachinko machine with pin-balls. This translates into your having to trade the pin-balls for cash before each round you play. Also, pachinko machines use metallic balls, while slot machines use reels.  Similarities in both machines are the LCD screens with eye-catching art work and enticing sounds.

In the present scenario slot machine gambling like Multiloto in Japan cannot compare with pachinko which the local people are intensely proud of and consider the same as a national identity; literally bordering on a national obsession.  It is estimated that the number of pachinko establishments in Japan – around 12,000 in number – rake in about 30 trillion yen annually.

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