Big Casino

Big Casino, designed by Wayne Neyens with artwork by Roy Parker, was released by Gottlieb in July 1961 in a confirmed production run of 1,600 units. A classic single-player electromechanical game in Gottlieb's wedge head style, it carries a playing cards theme through and through.

Gameplay on Big Casino is straightforward yet engaging. The machine features two flippers, four pop bumpers, and two passive bumpers - and, unusually, no slingshots - with an end-of-ball bonus of 5 points. Hitting a rollover lights the corresponding card on the backglass, and lighting all the cards advances an arrow on the backglass to the next letter in the game's name. Advancing the arrow to the last letter awards up to three replays (operator adjustable), and this progress carries over from game to game. Lighting all three 1-2-3 rollovers awards a second match number at the end of the game - a feature shared with Gottlieb's 1961 'Show Boat'.

The backglass artwork evokes classic playing cards and includes a 'Score To Beat' window, allowing operators to place a card behind the glass showing a suggested high score visible to the player. The maximum displayed score is 1,999 points. While limited information is available about the game's development, its inventive carry-over scoring features make it an intriguing find among enthusiasts.