Regates
About This Machine
Regates, manufactured by Magister of Arras, France, is a Pure Mechanical (PM) payout machine with a boats/racing/sailing theme. While its exact production year is not confirmed, the art deco cabinet paint is reportedly typical of French games from the 1930s, placing it firmly in that decade rather than later.
Regates' gameplay centers on three snap traps and two sailboat-shaped ball diverters that pivot to alter the ball's path, though all routes ultimately lead to the outhole trough, adding a wry bit of futility to their design. When a ball lands in the winning hole (French: gagnant), the player pulls a knob on the cabinet's right side to release a token from the payout mechanism below. The compact table measures roughly 105 cm long, 50 cm wide, and 26–31 cm high (excluding legs), with instructions printed in French.
The machine's understated art deco styling and small footprint reflect the French payout-machine tradition of the era. Though details beyond its mechanical layout and payout system are limited, Regates offers an interesting example of 1930s French pinball-adjacent amusement design.
Images (3)
Technical Details
- Theme:
- Boats - Racing - Sailing
- Notable Features:
- Snap traps (3), Ball diverters (2). When a ball falls into the winning hole (French: gagnant), the player pulls the knob on the right side of the cabinet for a token to fall into the payout cup below it. The two metal ball diverters are shaped like sailboats and may pivot but their value at the very bottom of the playfield is questionable when all routes they create lead to the outhole trough. This pin table measures approximately 105 cm long, 50 cm wide, and from 26 to 31 cm high, not including legs. Instructions are written in French.