Flasher (Race Horse)

The Flasher (Race Horse), manufactured by Mills Novelty Company starting in October 1937, is not a traditional pinball machine but a coin-operated amusement device that operates like a slot machine. It features a glass playfield with no moving parts; pulling a side handle lights up horse-head symbols behind the glass, and payouts are made according to an award schedule on the backglass into a spring-loaded cup beneath the machine.

This "Race Horse" model was designed as an alternative for locations where Mills' similar "Bell Fruit" model, released the same year, was not desired. At launch, it was priced at $149.50 for 5-cent play, $152.50 for 10-cent play, and $155.50 for 25-cent play, with an optional $7.50 Milco check device.

No information survives about the device's designer, but its horse-racing theme and slot-machine-style mechanics make it a distinctive piece of 1930s coin-op history, illustrating how manufacturers like Mills straddled the line between amusement and payout gaming during this era.