Big Time

Big Time, designed by Don Hooker and manufactured by Bally, is an electro-mechanical bingo machine. Rather than flippers, play revolves around shooting balls into a field of 25 trap holes (plus two rollover buttons) in the hope of lining up numbers on the card displayed in the backglass. The game offers one card, two Super Cards, and five Magic Lines.

A distinctive feature is the set of knobs on the lockdown bar: when the corresponding features are purchased through play, the player can turn the knobs before shooting the fourth or fifth ball to move lines on the backglass card, adding an element of strategy to the bingo format.

With its theme of dancing, music, nightlife, and pageantry, Big Time reflects the lively atmosphere Bally's bingo machines aimed to evoke. Relatively little else is documented about the game, and for enthusiasts of Bally's bingo line that air of mystery only adds to its appeal.