Pachinko

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Pachinko (Japanese: パチンコ; pronounced [patɕiŋko]) is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game and, much more frequently, for gambling. Pachinko fills a niche in Japanese gambling comparable to that of the slot machine in the Western world as a form of low-stakes, low-strategy gambling. Pachinko parlors are widespread in Japan, and usually also feature a number of slot machines (called pachislo or pachislots); these venues look and operate similarly to casinos. Modern pachinko machines have both mechanical and electrical components. Gambling for cash is illegal de jure in Japan, but the widespread popularity of low-stakes pachinko in Japanese society has enabled a specific legal loophole allowing it to exist. Pachinko balls won from games cannot be exchanged directly for money in the parlor, nor can they be removed from the premises or exchanged with other parlors. However, they can be legally traded to the parlor for so-called "special prize" tokens (tokushu...

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