42nd and Broadway

42nd and Broadway is an electro-mechanical (EM) bingo machine with a music and show-business theme. Its backglass carries no manufacturer markings, but it is known to be a conversion of Bally's 1951 'Spot-Lite,' repurposed under a new name and artwork.

Like other bingo machines of its type, 42nd and Broadway offers 5 balls for 10 cents on a single-coin play, with players aiming for any of 25 trap holes on a single scoring card to build their score. As a conversion rather than an original design, it reused Spot-Lite's underlying mechanics while presenting new backglass artwork and a show-business theme to give the cabinet fresh appeal.

Little is documented about who performed the conversion or when, which adds to the mystery surrounding this piece. Still, as an example of how operators and distributors repurposed existing bingo machines with new themes to extend their working life, 42nd and Broadway offers an interesting glimpse into the secondary market for these games.