Number of pachinko parlors continues to decline， Smart Slots are introduced， new banknotes．．．small and medium-sized parlors continue to face a tough situation．
New banknotes began circulating this year, and vending machines and currency exchange machines across the country are being adapted to accommodate the new banknotes. Pachinko parlors are one of the facilities that are undergoing such changes. Nowadays, each machine is equipped with a machine called a SAND, which recognizes banknotes and dispenses medals. This sandwich would be no good unless it was made compatible with the new banknotes, so each hall worked hard to replace their equipment. Most gambling halls that are still open as of October have already completed this process, but I know of two nearby gambling halls that closed before the new banknotes were introduced. I haven’t asked the store manager about the direct causal relationship so I don’t know, but one reason for the decision to close could be that the recent removal of the existing coin-operated machines and the installation of smart units for Sma-Slot and Sma-Pachi machines became a burden, or it could be that they did not have the capacity to accommodate the new banknotes. Looking at it on a national scale, I’m sure there are cases where especially small halls have had to close due to these reasons. In the end, it will probably only be the major hall companies that can withstand large-scale renovations of their store systems. What makes me think this more than anything is the fact that the number of halls is steadily decreasing. ■ Number of pachinko parlors finally drops to about 6,000 It’s surprising, considering that there was a time when the number of pachinko parlors nationwide was more than 43,000. This was in the 1950s, when entertainment options were still scarce in post-war Japan. In those days, gambling was not as common as it is today, and it seems to have functioned as a leisure industry for the common people. I started going to pachinko parlours around 2003. At this time, the number of stores was 16,000, a significant decrease from its peak, but there were still a considerable number of halls remaining. Now let’s move on to the present. In recent years, due to the coronavirus pandemic, more and more pachinko parlours have been closing down, and it appears that the number has now dwindled to just under 6,000. P-world, which publishes information on pachinko parlors across the country, had an article dated September 24th titled “As of the end of August, the number of pachinko halls was 6,082, with a decrease of 7,200 pachinko machines but an increase of 6,400 pachislot machines / Survey of All Japan Amusement Machine Operators’ Association member stores.” As stated in the headline, the total number of stores affiliated with the All Japan Amusement Machine Operators’ Union nationwide is currently 6,082. This is a decrease of 390 stores compared to the same month last year, indicating that there are even fewer halls than in 2023. 6,000 stores means that in the 21 years that I’ve been frequenting pachinko parlors, 10,000 parlors have closed during that time, which really makes you feel the passage of time. That’s true. It’s not uncommon now for the store I used to go to to be turned into a parking lot or a wholesale supermarket. One cannot help but feel the changing times. ■Will the number of union member stores reach 5,000 next year? If this is the case, we are curious as to how many halls will remain at the end of August next year. It’s probably been about 10 years since I started writing columns for Career Connection, and in that time the economy has steadily worsened. The number of halls will probably decrease again, so I have a feeling that we will finally be at the 5,000-store level. I hear that pachislots are more popular than pachinko these days, but in the end, non-major players are struggling so much that even stores that have been in business for a long time are going out of business. And unless you’re a major company, it’s rare to be able to purchase so many expensive gaming machines from the manufacturer. The number of users is decreasing as they get older, and the remaining heavy users are fleeing to larger halls in the hopes of “winning even a little.” I occasionally take a look at the remaining medium-sized hall-sized stores, but they do seem to be having a hard time. It seems like a difficult situation, and there are no customers except in the low-rent corner, so the staff look bored. That must be tough even while at work. It doesn’t seem like there’s anything to do. Manufacturers are desperate to retain heavy users, so they are only reviving machines based on licenses that have been successful in the past. Perhaps because the game mechanics were developed with heavy users in mind, there are no detailed explanations. As we have pointed out many times here, the gaming machines these days are all machines that even a beginner playing will not understand how they work and will just end up losing their money. This won’t attract new users. A few years ago, some manufacturers released machines with Chinese and Korean subtitles, hoping to attract inbound tourists… (omitted, please see source for more) 2024 October 12, 6:00am Career Connection News Image.
>>12 The Anti-Organized Crime Act thoroughly drove the Yakuza out of the pachinko industry, and when the Yakuza were gone, the police became the protectors of the pachinko industry instead, right?
When I was playing the original Eva, I used to look at the old people and think, “You guys don’t know the works, so don’t play them,” but now I play anime and manga that have been made into pachinko machines, even though I don’t know them myself.
>>19 This is it. 009 was fun back then. I liked the unique system of the stock machine where when you entered acceleration mode, the ceiling would get lower and lower, like 128, 96, 72…, and you would win one after another.
When I was a student, I tried pachinko for the first time, but I lost 5,000 yen in no time and swore to myself that I would never do it again. What’s so fun about that kind of thing?
The crowded places are full, so if they cut down the number of stores a bit more it would be just right. Things have been abnormal up until now. Even the non-major rip-off stores were full.
Even though pachinko has declined, gamblers are turning to other things. Public gambling that can be done on smartphones is growing, and internet casinos are also on the rise. There are a lot of young people applying for robbery and illegal part-time jobs, but even young people can get into a lot of debt when it comes to things that allow them to vote on their smartphones. Many people use things like Pay to pay later, or make lump-sum payments for phone calls, and since everything is done on their smartphones, they easily get into debt. There used to be a way to stay away from gambling venues, but since it can be done on the smartphone you always have with you, the quality is poor. Apparently you can prevent people from installing apps, but it’s pointless unless the person wants to stop.
The only stores that went out of business were the ones that were just rip-offs to scam old people. They were just weeded out. The good stores usually have 2000 people chosen by lottery or 1000 people waiting in line.
I thought the pachinko parlor in my neighborhood had started to be demolished, but it turned out to be a newly built and newly opened one. It felt so stupid to have to queue every morning.
In terms of ball-out speed alone, today’s pachinko machines are comparable to those from their heyday. Slot machines have also gotten a lot better, but it’s a pain when the winning streak ends.
It’s been three years since my favorite store closed. I was surprised when it closed because I used to go there all the time. Well, it was pretty empty in its later years so it’s only natural, but I never imagined this store would disappear. I haven’t played pachinko in three years, but I wouldn’t be bothered if it wasn’t there.
>>57 I understand I want to play a pinball machine that can continue on its own As for the slots, if the current smart slots are okay, I’d like them to overlook the stock of the 4th generation machines.
The speed at which SmaSlot sucks money in is on par with the explosive 4th generation lol. Pachinko machines don’t spin like crazy these days, so it’s basically hellish fun.
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