SHATTERING NEWS

Here at Pinball News headquarters we have links into all the major news agency wire feeds looking for pinball stories. But in truth, 99% of them are actually refer to earnings and mergers by Japanese pachinko manufacturers, which reporters love to mistakenly refer to as "pinball-like games".

However, when a headline such as "Peruvian authorities destroy 1,000 illegal
pinball machines" appears on the screen, our attention is most definitely captured.

As so it seems the National Tourist Board (DNT) in Peru have destroyed some one thousand illegal pinball machines geared towards use by young people. Peruvian police had previously worked with members of the country's tourist board to confiscate the illegal machines at the end of last year and have now decided what to do with their haul.

Before the screams of "Nooooooooooooo!" vibrate around the world, it's worth seeing exactly what these game were.

OK, so they're not exactly classic Williams, Bally or Gottliebs and seem to have more in common with a slot machine than a pinball one, but they do have glass over a playfield of some description with rebound posts and rubbers.

Whatever their relationship to the game we know and love, a thousand of these games went under the crusher on the 10th January 2007.

Mercedes Araoz, the Minister of Internal Commerce and Tourism said "What we are seeing here is the destruction of illegal pinball machines. Basically, they are machines that orientated toward and affect children - because these pinball machines and the like create unhealthy addictions among young people like addiction to gambling. Kids are affected by the prolonged use of these machines and they are found everywhere in Peru."

Araoz, who oversaw the destruction said she believes the machines are worth around $350,000 or an average of $350 each.

But these 1,000 games may just be the tip of the iceberg. Authorities say there are another 1,200 confiscated machines yet to be destroyed and the hunt is on to find even more in the poor suburbs of Lima like San Juan de Lurigancho and Santa Anita.

Members of the DNT are now working with Peruvian police to dig up more information on the locations of these illegal pinball machines.

Anyone wanting save these games had better get their trailer down to Peru sharpish as further crushings are expected any day now.


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© Pinball News 2007