Galaxy

Galaxy, a 1978 electro-mechanical bingo machine from Bally Manufacturing Corporation, is a distinctive example of Bally's long-running bingo game line. Designed by Don Hooker, it is notable in pinball history as the only 24-hole bingo machine Bally ever built, standing out from the company's more common 20-hole and other configurations. Its outer space theme gives the game a futuristic backglass presentation befitting its late-1970s release.

One of the most distinctive aspects of Galaxy is its use of 24 trap holes, feeding into a 24-number playing card displayed on the backglass. Players who purchased the optional features could press buttons at set points in the game (before the 4th ball, before the 5th ball, or after the 5th ball) to rearrange the numbers on that card, adding a strategic, card-based layer of play typical of Bally's bingo machines.

The design and artwork of Galaxy lean into its outer space theme with striking color and imagery evoking cosmic wonder, and Don Hooker's design work is evident in the game's electromechanical trap-hole and card mechanisms. Interestingly, the version pictured in Bally's manufacturer flyer has a wood playfield, while surviving examples of the game feature a plastic playfield. As one of Bally's more unusual bingo configurations, Galaxy continues to interest collectors of this specialized branch of pinball history.