FAQ
Answers to the questions we hear most from collectors.
Don’t see yours? Email us at info@modernpachinko.com.
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Need Help?
Have a question about a specific machine, shipping, or home setup? We’re happy to help.
Drop us an email and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can — or give us a call during business hours.
Getting Set Up
What do I need to play pachinko at home?
To play at home you’ll need:
- A properly rated transformer
- At least 500 pachinko balls — 1,000–1,500 is comfortable
- A Card Reader (CR) adapter — required for the shooter knob to work outside a pachinko parlor
- A stand to keep the machine upright if it isn’t going into a cabinet
- A bin behind the machine to catch non-winning balls
- A bin to catch your winnings
What do Modern Pachinko’s machines include?
Every pachinko machine purchase includes:
- Door key (and settings key where applicable)
- 10A power supply with locking safety connectors
- 500 pachinko balls
- Full-machine detailing — a $400 value*
- Printed technical specifications manual
- 40% off pachinko balls — one discount per machine purchased
*Not included with liquidation/close-out machines.
What are the dimensions of a pachinko machine?
Width and height are standardized so machines slide into parlor cabinets: 20.5 in wide × 32 in tall × roughly 14 in deep. Depth varies by model, and many newer machines have tall door-mounted components.
Machines & Condition
Are pachinko machines new?
Pachinko machines are required to go to parlors first, so there’s no true factory-new retail machine — but a machine can be purchased as early as its release day.
What condition are the machines in?
The longer a machine stays in a parlor, the more wear it picks up. We purchase most of our machines within 3–12 months of release to ensure they’re in collector condition. Machines in service 2–3 years usually show some signs of wear, like minor scratches and dings.
Before 2020, indoor smoking was allowed in parlors and coated machines in smoke and tar over time. Things have improved since, but smoke-free floors still aren’t universal.
Are pachinko machines loud?
A volume control used to be a must; today only a few models truly need one. For example:
- Sankyo machines at their lowest setting run a bit louder than we’d like (85–90 dB)
- Kyoraku/OK machines play loud startup music (about 100 dB) for 15 seconds when powered on — on some older models it was a blaring siren — after which the volume can be set to zero
If volume is a concern, ask us before you buy.