Skill Roll

Skill Roll, manufactured by D. Gottlieb & Company in 1935, is an early payout machine from the pioneering days of the pinball industry. Unlike a standard free-play or replay game, Skill Roll was built as a payout machine, advertised with options including battery or AC-powered ('Electropak') operation, 2-ball or 5-ball play, and a ticket-dispensing model.

The gameplay features of Skill Roll are characterized by its straightforward yet challenging design, relying heavily on player skill as balls roll through bumpers and obstacles to accumulate points and trigger payouts. What makes Skill Roll notable is its combination of basic pinball fundamentals with the mechanical payout mechanism common to gambling-oriented machines of the 1930s.

As an early example of EM pinball design, Skill Roll's cabinet art and interior components are notable for their simplicity and functionality. Unfortunately, no detailed information about the machine's designer or artwork is available. Given its age, it's remarkable that any details about the game remain intact. For pinball enthusiasts, Skill Roll offers a glimpse into the industry's formative years and its close ties to coin-operated gambling devices.