Date: 18th July 2024

Australian pinball manufacturer, Haggis Pinball, has ceased trading and appointed liquidators as the business failed to secure financing to continue its operations.

The Melbourne-based company was run and entirely owned by Damian Hartin and began in 2018 with a game originally called Ghosts

Damian Hartin from Haggis Pinball
Damian Hartin from Haggis Pinball

That name was changed to Wraith and the design was developed alongside a second title called CeltsCelts went on to be the company’s first commercial release but, despite positive reviews, only sold in modest numbers.

The Celts game from Haggis Pinball
The Celts game from Haggis Pinball

The company moved away from original designs for their second title which was a remake of the classic Bally game, FathomFathom Revisited was launched in April 2021 with two versions offered, a Classic Edition and a Mermaid Limited Edition.  Deposits were required initially, with the balance to paid closer to the time of manufacture.

The flier for Haggis Pinball's Fathom Revisited
The flier for Haggis Pinball’s Fathom Revisited

Concerns began to be raised as production numbers and delivery dates were repeatedly missed with little communication about what was happening. 

When the company started, Damian was very active on social media, producing video updates on their development of Celts on a near daily basis.  Gradually, the gaps between the updates turned from days to weeks, and then to months.

The launch of the company’s third title, a remake of the Bally Centaur game, took place mid-way through production of Fathom Revisited

The front of the Oblivion Edition flyer
The front of the Oblivion Edition flyer

Production of the Fathom remake appeared to have slowed amid rumours of parts availability issues and lack of funding.  Many cautioned that the Centaur Revisited pre-order funds might be needed to finance ongoing Fathom Revisited production, a suggestion which appeared to gain traction as full payment requests were sent out with no indication the buyers’ games were about to be built.

Monetary concerns increased in February this year when, after a prolonged silence, Damian contacted buyers of Fathom Revisited and Centaur Revisited games to advise them that the company needed to refinance and reorganise their processes.  He warned that machine production, which had already slowed to a trickle, would need to be reduced further as the company restructured and ditched their just-in-time parts delivery method which was no longer fit for purpose.

Since then, no further communication has been received from Damian or Haggis Pinball.

Today the company closed their social media presences on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and removed their website on WordPress. Their X account is still active at the time of writing, although it hasn’t been updated since January 2022. 

At a general meeting today, the company’s only shareholder – Damian, who owns all 5,000 of the AU$1 shares issued – voted in favour of a special resolution to wind up the business’s operations as insolvent, and appoint a liquidator.

The resolution to wind up Haggis Pinball's operations
The resolution to wind up Haggis Pinball’s operations

The appointment of Cathro & Partners as liquidators spells the end of Haggis Pinball, as any remaining assets are sold in an attempt to raise money for creditors of the company.

The regulatory notice announcing the appointment of liquidators
The regulatory notice announcing the appointment of liquidators

Those creditors are likely to include the tax authority and banks who will be deemed secured creditors and receive preference when allocating any monies recovered.  Buyers of the company’s pinball machines who purchased directly with Haggis are classed as unsecured creditors and are amongst the last to be paid back.  In effect this means they will be very unlikely to receive any of their payments back.

Buyers who paid either a deposit or the full purchase price through one of Haggis’s distributors (Flip N Out Pinball, Nitro Pinball, RS-Pinball, Pinball Heaven) should have some level of protection as their contract is with the distributor and not Haggis. It will then be up to the distributor to offer refunds.

The landlord of Haggis Pinball’s factory also confirmed operations there have ceased and that the premises will shortly be available to rent.

The failure of Haggis Pinball demonstrates the difficulties building pinballs machines at scale, especially in a country where the cost and reliable supply of the necessary parts can be problematic. It should serve as a salutary lesson about the dangers of pre-paying, either in part or in whole, for a machine from a new manufacturer.

At the time of writing there had been no statement from the company about the reasons for the failure of the business, the fate of any completed but as-yet unshipped machines, or the prosects of a refund in part or in full of pre-order payments.

If that changes, we’ll bring you the details right here at Pinball News.

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7 Comments

  1. Brock Woodleigh

    19th July, 2024 at 12:52am

    Entirely owned by Damian, not majority owned.

    Reply

  2. Ron

    20th July, 2024 at 5:34pm

    If you paid for your deposit with an American Express card you can file a claim for “non receipt of goods or services” and get your money back. Just be sure to provide a copy of their delay notice email sent out in February as well as a copy of the dissolution & liquidation filing as posted in this news post.

    Reply

  3. dave

    22nd July, 2024 at 4:59pm

    Failure is just one example of how not to do something. After Heighway Pinball I had hoped the down side to the hobby was over. Perhaps it is true Pinball cannot be successful outside of the States as even JJP moved to Illinois. There has to be a better approach than shipping heavy parts around the world

    Reply

  4. Jon Huston

    5th August, 2024 at 12:29am

    According to their bankruptcy report the debts are $2.9 million and assets at best around $140 K (in Aus $). So at 2% to the good, not even the Australian government is getting much. The attorney firm handling the bankruptcy is getting half of the assets.

    Reply

  5. Ron Hozack

    5th August, 2024 at 12:50am

    I ordered a Celts at pinfest 3 years ago paid a deposit and waited waited waited sent a message asking for an update and was told “Celts is no longer in production and I forfeited my deposit” weeks later in an online discussion I mentioned the possibility of me taking legal action the following morning I was called and offered a full refund of my deposit. I feel lucky now

    Reply

  6. Rod

    8th August, 2024 at 5:25am

    My question is where did the money go.
    The revenue from selling all the mermaid editions, centaur deposits, season passes etc would have been in the millions.
    To finish up with $2.75M+ in debt and 140K in assets after 3 years is crazy.
    I think pinball is a viable business for someone in manufacturing, its a high dollar end product.
    Manufacturing is far easier now compared to when classic machines were designed and built.
    The fact that someone like Damien, a guy with zero manufacturing experience, produced well finished machines (albeit not without flaws) and got as far as he did should speak to that.

    Reply

    • supernashwan

      14th September, 2024 at 3:26pm

      Revenue doesn’t mean profit. I’d say a lot of those machines weren’t making enough profit margin to cover all costs. The problem when you try and scale is that you need to continue to expand your volume when your expenses are so high. Trust me, his expenses were high!

      Reply

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