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Expert: - 12/22/2010


Question

UNKNOWN SLOT MACHINE
Hello,

My name is Mark Spencer, I live in Modesto, California, and I'm trying to help a friend identify, date, and then sell his old slot machine.  I'm hoping you will be willing to assist with part or all of my task.  

To the best of my limited knowledge, here in California a machine has to be at least 25 years old to be legally owned (or sold# by a civilian, and therein lies the rub:  he has no idea how old it is.  He says ALL the ID tags were removed #by Aladdin?) long before he bought it.

I've attached a picture of the thing.  Whether it will tell you much remains to be seen...

Thank you for your time.



All the best,

Mark in Modesto

Answer
Hi Mark,

This looks to me to be a I.G.T. S-Plus model type game. This is called a slant top type of game or (sit down machine). The serial number and id tag may of been removed but not by Aladdin as this is a very illegal thing to do in the state of Nevada. Most likely they were removed by someone later on after it left it's service in the gaming business. IGT did put a double serial number and model number tag in side the machine on a lot of there slots of this vintage, and it is possible that you can find one inside if that hasn't been removed also. California has changed there laws on ownership a few years ago and I am not up on it now. At one time you could posses new slots on site, if you were a regerested dealer and they were going to be sold to leagle states or contries, but you did have to be registered with the Department of Justice in order to do this and have the DOJ letter in your hand, if not, then you had to live within the 25 year law like we have here in Washington. Like I say, your laws have changed and are different now, and you would have to check into it. I am sure you could just give the California gaming commissions a call and get all the information you need. The IGT S-Plus machines are getting close to 25 years old now, closer every day. The IGT S-Slot (Predecessor to the IGT S-Plus machine) first seen the light of day around 1987 to about 1992 when the S-Plus machines came out and took over the world. As for just what year your game is, I don't know without that model/serial number tag, as they produced the S-Plus for many years. So, I would say that this machine still needs to sit down in the dark hidden Prohibition speakeasy Bar for a few more years before you take it out for play at the church social, but the machine might be old enough to take it out to the bar for a drink being maybe 21 years old or very close to it. If... it is a S-Slot and not a S-Plus slot, it could only be a couple of years away from being safe to have here in Washington State at 25 years are older. If you know how to remove the MPU board you can tell if it is a S-Slot or a S-Plus game by looking at the game EPROM. the S-Slot only has one Game EPROM, the S-Plus has a Game and Reel EPROM. These programs are easy to spot as they are the only large EPROMS on the board with paper glued to the top of the EPROM with typed information. On a S-Plus game chips, one chip will have a SP typed ahead of the number and on the chip, and the other will have a SS in front of the number. I believe that the one chip that the S-Slot uses the number starts with a RS. Well, I hope this helps you and you can determine just what model slot you have, and how long you have to wait for it to age just like good whiskey.

Thank You
Sincerely

Rodger Knutson
http://www.coinslots.com  
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentI am STUNNED at the lightning fast reply, with about fifty times the amount of information I'd hoped for when I first asked my question. And all for free!! Thanks you TONS, for sharing with a stranger... Mark Spencer Modesto, CA


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Rodger Knutson

Expertise

I am an expert on old coin operated machines, slot machines, trade stimulator's, jukeboxes, old arcade machines, etc. I have been identifying these for people who respond to my web site listed below, for a few years now. In almost all cases I am able to tell them about their old coin operated machines, the year, the value, and other general information about their machines. I do not know much about soda vending machines, coin banks, or scales, but I will try to help you with these if I can. Please email photo's to: jackpot7@ix.netcom.com My web site is at: http://www.coinslots.com

Experience

I bought my first slot machine, a .50 Cent Mills Black Cherry in 1969 and have been hooked from that time, I still have that Slot machine! Before that I found a open barrel full of old scraped jukebox wall boxes behind a restaurant, I wanted them all but never took a one of them. Anything that took a coin drove me nuts!

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