Pinball was banned beginning in the early 1940s until 1976 in New York City. New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia was responsible for the ban, believing that it robbed school children of their hard earned nickels and dimes. La Guardia spearheaded major raids throughout the city, collecting thousands of machines.
Answer: Pinball used to be illegal. It’s hard to imagine but pinball was deemed illegal in 1942. Many people considered it a gateway pastime, a game of chance that appealed to children and would eventually tempt them into more serious forms of gambling.
First hand answer from someone that was actually alive during this time; my dear mother. She passed away last year at 103 years of life.
