Big Richard

Big Richard, manufactured by the Exhibit Supply Company (ESCO) of Chicago in January 1936, is an electro-mechanical payout machine built around a craps and dice theme. Even its name is a piece of gambling slang: 'Big Richard' is a euphemism for 'Big Dick', the craps term for a pair of fives.

The machine's most interesting documented feature is its two coin chutes. One chute takes the coin that starts the game, while the second accepts up to 19 additional coins, letting the player raise their bets at any time before the game ends. This wagering flexibility gave the game a genuine casino flavor unusual among its contemporaries.

Little is recorded about the game's designer or artwork, but as a mid-1930s ESCO payout machine with a cheeky name and a built-in betting system, Big Richard is a colorful artifact from the era when pinball and gambling were deeply intertwined.