Pinball: From Illegal Gambling Game to a Classic Pastime | American Obsessions
March 24, 2015
334,141
3,834
362
1.26%
Search the Record
IndexedEvery word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
Vice Episodes Around March 24, 2015
See what was published immediately before and after this episode.
2:40Chloë Sevigny, Fat Mike, & Millionaire Gaming Prodigies: Latest on VICE
12:22Now PlayingPinball: From Illegal Gambling Game to a Classic Pastime | American Obsessions
YouTube Description
as posted by the channelIn the series premiere of VICE's American Obsessions, we take a look at the beloved game of pinball, its controversial history and days of corruption, and dive into the story of the family rooted deep in the nostalgic game's past and future.
Between the 1940s and 1970s, pinball was notoriously banned in some of the biggest cities in the United States, due to claims that it was a mafia-run gambling device that was corrupting the youth of America. It wasn't until 1976 that expert Roger Sharpe testified in court to demonstrate that pinball was a game of skill and not of luck, after which the ban was lifted in New York City.
This, however, wasn't the end of the game's long battle for legality, and some cities today still do not allow pinball in their districts. But now the game is making a comeback — both in court and in the world of gaming.
VICE follows pinball fans, including breakout musician Mac Demarco, and beloved playfield artist Dirty Donny, to learn more about the game's place in American pop culture. We then travel to the 2014 annual Pinball Expo in Chicago to meet with the Sharpe family and watch the best players in the world battle for the reigning title.
Up NextMeet the Celebrities and Millionaires of Competitive Gaming
Watch more American Obsessions
Click here to subscribe to VICE
Check out our full video catalog
Videos, daily editorial and more
More videos from the VICE network
Like VICE on Facebook
Follow VICE on Twitter
Read our Tumblr
Follow us on Instagram
Guests & Subjects Covered
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.