Bally's Stables

The 1937 Bally pinball machine (Model 178, released September 1937) is an electro-mechanical (EM), one-ball payout machine with a horse-racing theme, produced by Bally Manufacturing Corporation during the company's early years. It reflects the transitional era when pinball manufacturers were moving from purely mechanical designs to electro-mechanical scoring and payout systems.

This horse-racing-themed EM pinball boasts 36 trap holes -- arranged in four sets of nine, an unusual layout compared to the four sets of seven found on most horse-race games of the era -- adding an extra layer of challenge for players. The game's design also features a distinctive 30-inch backboard. Interestingly, IPDB records show Bally documented this game twice, once as Model 178 and once as Model 194, both referred to in period advertising as "Bally's Stables," though the backglass itself displays no game name beyond the word "SELECTION."

Not much else is known about the machine's designer or specific gameplay features, but as an early payout machine from Bally's formative years, it remains a piece of interest for pinball historians studying the company's early horse-racing line.