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An apparatus that provided the means for two or more players to compete against each other (usually in a simulation of a popular sport) had much to commend itself in the early days of coin-operated machines. A fairly simple mechanism was required to dispense nothing tangible in exchange for money inserted. In effect, the players "hired" the machine which facilitated their dynamic interaction with each other and thereby supplied much of the entertainment value themselves. Most consisted of either a ball game or a race where the aim was to crank the handle faster than your opponent. In some games the coin was returned if the ball found its way to a winning target. Doughty and Barrett's The Racer of 1896 required both players to stake a penny on the game. By returning a coin to the winner, it added a wagering aspect, and this became a regular feature of many subsequent machines. There were two major downsides to these devices, from an operator's standpoint. Generally they required more floor space than the average slot machine with two or more players stationed around them, and, of course, they received no revenue from the lone patron. |
Two pennies to play. The player who knocks out his opponent keeps the returned coin. This is the oak case version, but like many of these pier-end pieces, it was also made in an iron cabinet to withstand the elements. Original Machine Company |
