5 Star
About This Machine
The 5 Star, manufactured by Universal Industries, Inc. of Chicago in May 1951, is a bingo machine - a distinctive branch of the coin-op family in which players try to light numbers on backglass bingo cards rather than simply score points. Universal was a short-lived subsidiary of United Manufacturing Co., making surviving examples of its games an interesting footnote in coin-op history.
Gameplay offers 5 balls for 5 cents. The player inserts one coin to play one card, and can insert up to five coins to play five bingo cards at once. Each of eleven numbered holes on the playfield delivers the ball to a lane under the playfield; scoring a lane lights its number on the playfield and on the backglass, and advances the ball count. Landing in the center star hole lights all the stars on the purchased backglass bingo cards. The playfield also features 12 gobble holes.
One of the most distinctive aspects of the 5 Star is that it has no outhole: the bottom saucer is a kick-out hole that keeps directing balls back into play until they fall into a hole. Housed in a console cabinet typical of bingo machines, the 5 Star (model number 541) is a snapshot of the early-1950s bingo craze. Little is known about its designer or artwork, leaving enthusiasts to appreciate its unusual gameplay mechanics.
Images (38)
Technical Details
- Model Number:
- 541
- Notable Features:
- 5 balls for 5 cents. Gobble holes (12), Kick-out hole (1). Player inserts one coin to play one card, and can insert up to five coins for five cards. Each of eleven numbered holes on the playfield delivers the ball to a lane under the playfield. Each lane when scored puts out its numbered light on the playfield, lights the same number on the backglass, and advances the ball count on the backglass. The center star hole lights all stars on the (purchased) backglass bingo cards. There is no outhole. The bottom saucer is a kick-out hole directing the balls back into play until they fall into a hole. Console cabinet.