Stepper-Upper
About This Machine
Stepper-Upper is a rare 1938 electro-mechanical (EM) flipperless payout machine from J. H. Keeney and Company of Chicago, a one-ball game for a single player. It cost 5 cents to play, and featured a progressive-odds payout system: if a player lost, inserting a coin for a second game gave double odds, and losing that game and inserting a coin for a third gave triple odds.
Keeney advertised that Stepper-Upper was approved for use in territories that prohibited "multiple-play payout tables" -- suggesting the progressive-odds structure was specifically designed to work around such regulations rather than run afoul of them. As a flipperless payout machine, gameplay centered on aiming the shot itself (via a plunger and pins) rather than flipper-based ball control, consistent with pre-flipper-era pinball design of the late 1930s.
With little else documented about its production numbers or original design details, Stepper-Upper remains a notable artifact of the pre-flipper payout-machine era, illustrating how manufacturers structured odds and payout mechanics to navigate a patchwork of local gambling regulations.
Images (3)
Technical Details
- Notable Features:
- 1 ball for 5 cents. If the player "loses" a game, inserting a coin for a second game will give double odds for that game. If the player loses on the second game, inserting a coin for a third game will give triple odds for that game.