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If you have a slot machine or you have bought one old used vintage slot machine and want to have some fixes to get it work then obviously you will think you need a machine technician. Many of you will even think of taking it to some repair station to get things done. But here in the guide you will find some of the repairs that you yourself can do with your slot machine and you need not need to join machine technical repair training school.

Like any other machines Slot machines too are a blend of electronic and mechanical components, that wear with age and require routine repairs. Before you begin to repair yourself do note that every slot machine that you have purchased whether old or new comes with installation and user guide manual. You need to read that many a times until you are familiar with each components and parts of the slot machine and understand thoroughly as how the slot machine works.

In your guide to repair slot machines you will find some common repairs that can be carried out by you, some videos to watch as well. If your slot machine has some complex issue then obviously you require a qualified technician.

Changing the Top Florescent Light

The top florescent light bulb is easily changed by following these simple procedures. The replacement bulb is an F15T8/CW 18″ 15 Watt bulb which is available at most hardware and department stores or may be purchased online at Ebay or Amazon or realslotmachinesforsale under the category ‘parts of slot machine’.

• Open the main slot machine door and ensure the door is fully open. Turn off the power to the slot machine. The power switch can be found with the main door open about midway down on the right side just inside the machine.
• If the machine is equipped with a top ticket printer, you must pull the bottom of the printer out far enough to see where the ticket paper is located, and note the area large enough to place a couple of your left fingers under.

• Remove the top metal trim strip which is a cover plate to the right of the ticket printer and/or is located along the bottom of the top glass. There are a couple of clips on the back of the metal trim strip that fit into notches on metal bracket which holds the top glass. The metal trim strip should be lifted upwards and outwards to remove.
• Once the metal trim strip is removed, the next step is to remove the top glass. Note that some top metal trim strips have a slot in the top that holds the top glass and they must be removed very carefully as to not damage or drop the top glass.

• You can now see the top glass is held in place by usually two or three clips that rise above the metal bracket behind the top metal trim strip. Now slowly lift up on the top glass from both bottom edges until the top glass until it is high enough to gently pull it forward and allowing it to slide down and away from the top track and clips holding it in place.
• Once the top glass has been removed, put it somewhere where it will not get knocked over or broken. You will see the florescent bulb in the middle of the top box area of the machine. Care should be taken removing the bulb as it may be very hot. Remove the old bulb by twisting the florescent tube about a quarter to half turn allowing the two prongs on the bulb to slide out of the fixture on both sides of the bulb.

• Remove and discard the old bulb. To install the new bulb, align the two prongs on each side of the florescent tube with the slits on each fixture in the top box of the slot machine. Twist the bulb into place normally using about a quarter to half of a turn. If the bulb is not secure or aligned, repeat the procedure.
• If your slot machine is an IGT S Plus machine, it is equipped with a florescent bulb starter. Then you can replace the starter when replacing the florescent light bulb. The starter is an FS-U Universal Starter. They are available at most hardware and department stores or may be ordered online too. The starter for the top florescent bulb on an IGT S Plus machine is located directly behind the florescent bulb fixture on the left side of the slot machine in the top box area.
• It is replaced by twisting about a quarter to half a turn as it is held in place with a bayonet type mount. Remove the old starter and discard. Replace with a new FS-U Universal Starter by aligning the two pins on the bottom of the starter with the notches in the starter receptacle, pushing it up into the starter socket, and then twisting it a quarter to half a turn into place.
• Prior to re-installing the top glass, turn the power switch on the right inside of the machine on to verify the bulb works properly. If it does not, turn the power off and check that the bulb is properly installed and secure. If replacing a starter, check that it is also properly installed and secure.
• After verifying the bulb is working, it is now time to replace the top glass. If your slot machine has a top ticket printer, ensure the ticket printer is still pulled out so you can place your fingers in the opening while replacing the top glass.
• Carefully and slowly lift up the top glass placing each hand under the bottom of the top glass. Slide it into the upper edge track on the top box of the slot machine carefully lifting it so it slides into the tracks while being able to push the top glass back far enough to clear the two or three raised clips on the metal bracket where the top glass holding track is located.
• Gently and slowly lower the top glass behind the clips so as to allow them to hold the glass in place. If properly secured, the top glass will not be able to slide down or out of its position. Keep a secure hold on the top glass until you are certain it is secured in the proper position.
• Replace the top metal trim strip by aligning the two or three hooks the back through the metal bracket that supports and holds the top glass. Once the hooks on the back are in place, gently push the top metal trim strip down and it should snap into place. If you have a slot machine with a top ticket printer, close it tight into position. Close the main slot machine door and you are ready to play.

Changing the Belly Glass Florescent Light

The belly glass florescent light bulb is easily changed by following these simple procedures. The replacement bulb is an F15T8/CW 18″ 15 Watt bulb which is available at most hardware and department stores or may be bought online as spare parts of slot machine.

• Open the main slot machine door. Turn off the power to the slot machine. The power switch can be found with the main door open about midway down on the right side just inside the machine.
• Facing the slot machine door, look on the right side of the door just around from bill acceptor area. You will see a knob sticking out that is approximately the size of the end of a regular pencil. This knob when pulled out releases the slot machine belly glass assembly (belly door) to fold down so the bulb can be accessed.

• There are a couple of very important thing to remember prior to pulling this knob to release the belly door. First try pulling gently on the knob. If it does not allow you to pull out and you have a lock installed directly above it, the lock must unlocked in order to allow the release knob to pull out. When pulling out the release knob, be ready for the belly door to fold down.
• Most of the time you must lightly pull on both sides of the belly door to get it to fold down, however always place your hand under it so it does not fall down too quickly causing the belly glass to break or crack.
• Once the belly door is in the down position, you will see the access to the florescent bulb bracket that is held in place by a small Phillips screw. Remove the screw and place it the coin tray so it will be handy when you need it after replacing the bulb.

• The long metal bracket that holds the florescent bulb must be slid slightly right or left so as to be able to lift it out of the belly door. Gently lift the metal bracket with florescent bulb out of the assembly far to be able to turn it over to replace the bulb. Be cautious as the bulb could still be hot!
• Grasp the metal bracket holding the florescent bulb and remove the old bulb by twisting the florescent tube about a quarter to half turn allowing the two prongs on the bulb to slide out of the fixture on both sides of the bulb.

• Remove and discard the old bulb.To install the new bulb, align the two prongs on each side of the florescent tube with the slits on each fixture that is on each side of the new bulb. Twist the bulb into place normally using about a quarter to half of a turn. If the bulb is not secure or aligned, repeat the procedure.
• Now turn the metal bracket that holds the newly installed bulb over and back into position in the belly glass assembly. Slid the bracket slightly right or left into position and replace the small screw which holds the metal bracket in place.
• If your slot machine is an IGT S Plus machine, it is equipped with a florescent bulb starter. So you need to replace the starter a well when replacing the florescent light bulb. The starter is an FS-U Universal Starter. They are available online and you can purchase one.
• The starter for the belly glass florescent bulb is located on the back of the main slot machine door on the lower right hand corner as you face the back of the door.

• It is replaced by twisting about a quarter to half a turn as it is held in place with a bayonet type mount. Remove the old starter and discard. Replace with a new FS-U Universal Starter by aligned the two notches on the bottom of the starter, pushing it into the starter socket, and then twisting it a quarter to half a turn into place.
• Prior to closing the belly glass door, turn the power switch on the right inside of the machine on to verify the bulb works properly. If it does not, turn the power off and check that the bulb is properly installed and secure. Also check to ensure the starter is properly installed and secured.
• Lift the belly glass assembly up and push it into place in the slot machine door. Ensure the belly glass door snaps into place and the knob on the side of the door is in its normal position. It is spring loaded so as to not allow the belly glass assembly to open unless it pulled. If the belly door appears to be in place, pull on both sides of the belly door to make sure it is locked and secure.
• If you unlocked the lock above the knob, re-lock it. Close the main slot machine door and you are ready to use your slot machine.

Changing the Push Button Bulbs

All of the slot machine’s push button lights such Play Max Credits, Spin Reels, Bet One Credit, etc. are easily replaced by following this simple procedure. The replacement bulbs are #161 on IGT S2000 machines and #555 on IGT S+ machines and may be purchased from online stores.

• Fully open the slot machine door. Look on the backside of the door. Each push button will extend down from the shelf on the door and will have a small wire bundle going to it. Identify which push button bulb needs to be replaced.
• Carefully pull down on the bottom of the push button area that is normally white and is where you will see wiring connected. Using your thumb and two fingers, pull straight down and the bottom portion of the push button should snap out.

• You will now be able to see the bulb in the top area of the lower push button assembly. Use caution as the bulb may be very hot. Pull the wedge bulb out and discard it. Notice the slot in which the bulb located.
• Place a new bulb in the slot noting the direction of slot ensuring the new wedge bulb is inserted so as to line up in the slot. Push the new bulb into place.

• Replace the bottom of the push button assembly by inserting it into the top portion of the push button assembly. The bottom portion will snap into position. Ensure that none of the wire connections have been accidentally knocked loose on the bottom of the push button. Note the push button light will not illuminate until the slot machine door is closed. Close the main slot machine door and you are ready to play.

Changing the Small Panel Lights

The small panel lights that illuminate the denomination amount and other areas behind the glass are easily changed. For denomination amount lights on the IGT S2000, a #73 bulb is needed and a #86 bulb is needed on the IGT S+ slot machines. They may be bought online from slot machine selling sites.

Here it is described as how to change the lights behind denomination amounts such as .25 Cents. Other small panel light bulbs are changed in the same manner.

• Fully open the slot machine door. Look on the backside of the door. Note the location where the denomination amount would be located near the center just below the slot machine’s center glass. The area will appear to be flat with a small bulb holder projecting out that is slightly larger in diameter than a regular pencil and is flat on two or four sides.

• This bulb holder is removed by simply twisting it a quarter to half a turn and then gently pulling it out of its socket. It is held in place by somewhat of a bayonet type mount.
• Once the bulb holder is removed, pull the wedge bulb out of the socket and discard the old bulb. Caution should be taken as the old bulb may be very hot. Replace the bulb by firmly inserting a new bulb into the socket of the bulb holder being careful to align the wedge bulb correctly into the slot.
• Take the bulb holder and look for two notches on each side of the opening where the bulb holder is inserted. Note there are two notches on the bulb holder. Align the notches inserting the bulb holder into the panel.
• Gently twist the bulb holder about a quarter to half a turn to lock it into place. Verify the bulb is illuminating, and if not repeat the procedure using a different new bulb. Now close the main slot machine door and ready to use.

Cleaning Your Slot Machine

This is common thing and all you need is usually nothing more than a damp cloth to clean the exterior cabinet of your slot machine. Never use any abrasive or ammonia based cleaners on the cabinet of the machine.

The slot machine top, center and belly glasses may all be cleaned on the outside by using a window cleaner. However if you own a slot machine with a frosted exterior glass or one that has any exterior decorated markings such as stars, a window cleaner should not be used as the cleaner may damage the exterior images. Care should be taken cleaning interior glass as a cleaner and cloth may damage labels or markings.

The inside of the slot machine should not require cleaning other than occasionally removing dust. This can normally be done with a damp clean cloth, however ensure the power switch has been turned off prior to cleaning.

When wiping dust inside your machine, be careful not to loosen any wires or connections. Do not use a damp cloth on the face of your reel strips as the playing symbols on the reel strips could come off or become torn. Also be very careful not to touch the back side of your reel strips with a damp cloth especially if the back sides of the reel strips are black. This can cause damage to this type reel strip.

When your Slot Machine Doesn’t Power On

When you get a slot machine and wish to locate or set up at your place, determine the household 120V AC outlet you are planning to use has power. Keep in mind some outlets are controlled on and off by a wall switch.

• With the slot machine unplugged from the outlet and surge protector, open the slot machine main door. Remove the coin tray by lifting up and pulling out the tray. Simply pull it out and down to remove the tray.

• The hopper is on the bottom floor of the machine and slides out on two base rails along two metal guides. Slide the hopper out slowly by grasping the handle with your left hand and supporting the hopper with your right hand. Do not use the black hopper bowl to pull the hopper out of the slot machine.
• On the lower right corner of the slot machine you should see the black power cord coming into the machine. The power cord plugs into the Power Distribution Unit which is located on the back wall of the slot machine.
• Verify the power cord is firmly plugged into place into the right side of the Power Distribution Unit.

• Place the hopper back into the slot machine making sure it slides in easily and completely with the base rails on hopper guides on the bottom of the machine. The hopper plugs into a receptacle toward the back of the machine. It is designed to fit in easily without using excessive force.
• The coin tray can be easily put back into place by ensuring the alignment pins on the coin tray match up to the top alignment holes on the bottom side of the machine. The tray should be pushed down into place. Make sure the tray is even when pushed into place. If the coin tray is not aligned and even, remove the coin tray, and repeat the procedure.
• Verify the power cord is firmly plugged into a good surge protector. Plug the end of surge protector into the outlet you have verified is good, and make sure the on/off switch on the surge protector is turned on.
• Now turn the power switch on the inside right of the slot machine to the on position and verify the slot machine is powered on by lights illuminating.

Jackpot Payout Reset

When your slot machine just hit a 25,000 credit Jackpot it now needs to be reset to continue playing. Depending on the model slot machine you have and the amount of the payout will determine the best course of action.

If you have an IGT S+ Slot Machine and your win is under the maximum payout amount specified on the center glass of the machine, the hopper may run out of coins or tokens. This is normally displayed by Error Code 3300. In this case it usually a simple matter of taking the coins or tokens that have been paid out and putting them back in the hopper allowing it to fully pay out. However, if you won a large jackpot that is “hand pay out”, then follow the steps below.

• First open the main slot machine door. Locate the Jackpot Key which is normally kept inside the slot machine in a plastic envelope on the side of the cash box. If you do not find it inside the machine, often times the Jackpot Key will be strapped with the main slot machine door key. It is a small key as pictured below.
• Take the key in hand and locate the jackpot reset which is a keyhole located on the right side of the slot machine. It is normally about two-thirds up from the bottom of the machine.

• Insert the Jackpot Reset Key into the keyhole. Turn the key only one quarter turn to the right. This will reset the machine, and once you close the main slot machine door, you will be ready to resume play.
• Note that if you turn the Jackpot reset key multiple times you may place your slot machine into a test mode and will thus delay your ability to continue playing.

Some of the Error Codes you get on Slot Machine

Error Code 3300 (IGT S+ Machines)

Simply put Error Code 3300 is normally telling you your hopper is low on or completely out of coins or tokens.

Open the main slot machine door. Look into the hopper. If it is empty or has just a few coins or tokens, place about 500 coins or tokens back into the hopper. Close the main slot machine door. In a few moments you should hear the sound of the hopper’s motor turning and soon the remaining coin payout will begin.

Error Code 3100 (IGT S+ Machines)

Error Code 3100 (Extra Coin Out Tilt) normally signifies either a jammed/stuck coin or token in the coin-out chute on the hopper, or the hopper coin-out sensor has detected the hopper may have paid out an extra coin.

• Open the main slot machine door. Remove the coin tray by lifting up and pulling out the tray. Simply pull it out and down to remove the tray.
• The hopper is on the bottom floor of the machine and slides out on two base rails along two metal guides. Slide the hopper out slowly by grasping the handle with your left hand and supporting the hopper with your right hand. Do not use the black hopper bowl to pull the hopper out of the slot machine.
• Inspect the hopper to determine if any coins/tokens appear to stuck or jammed in the hopper knife or the hopper coin-out channel.
• If a coin appears to be stuck or jammed, empty the hopper of coins/tokens for easier access to clearing the jammed coin/token.
• Once the stuck or jammed coin has been removed, place the hopper back into the slot machine making sure it slides in easily and completely with the base rails on hopper guides on the bottom of the machine. The hopper plugs into a receptacle toward the back of the machine. It is designed to fit in easily without using excessive force
• Refill the hopper with the proper size coins or tokens. The coin tray can be easily put back into place by ensuring the alignment pins on the coin tray match up to the top alignment holes on the bottom side of the machine. The tray should be pushed down into place. Make sure the tray is even when pushed into place. If the coin tray is not aligned and even, remove the coin tray, and repeat the procedure.
• Close the main slot machine door. The error code should be gone and the machine is ready to play.

Error Code 12 (IGT S+ Machines)

The 3.6 volt battery on the slot machine CPU Board normally lasts for years. However when an Error Code 12 is displayed, this is an indication the battery voltage has dropped below 2.9 volts and is now a low battery.

It is recommended to replace the battery as soon as possible. They can be purchased online from ebay, amazon or realslotmachinesforsale. When ordering a replacement battery, they will provide you with detailed instructions on how to change this battery which is located on the slot machine’s CPU Board.

In order to reset Error Code 12 temporarily, simply open and close the main slot machine door. It is important not to wait for a long time to replace the battery as data stored on the RAM may be lost. Replace the battery Asap.

Following are some of the other error codes that might interest you to solve your problem in repairing the slot machine

Hopper is Full and Coins Go Down a Chute to Bottom of Machine

Slot machines that accept coins were designed this way because when used constantly on the casino floor, hoppers could quickly fill. There is a coin level probe on side of the hopper that looks like a brass screw sticking inward toward the hopper bowl. This probe detects when coins/tokens are at a selected level, and will cause the subsequent coins/tokens played to go down a chute to the bottom of the slot machine.

Provided your slot machine sets on a regular casino slot machine stand with holes in the top and the holes are aligned with the slot machine, those coins which bypassed the hopper will go down the chute, through the hole in the bottom of the machine, through the hole in the top of the stand, and into the open area in the stand cabinet. As casinos have done for years, place a small plastic tub in the slot machine stand cabinet to collect these excess coins.

Retrieving Currency from the Cash Box

Though not all slot machines are equipped to accept currency in order to comply with certain laws but if your slot machine is equipped with a bill acceptor, bill transport and cash box, the bills in the cash box can easily be retrieved.

• Open the slot machine main door. The cash box door is located just under the yellow chute for the bill acceptor. Ensure the cash box door is fully open.
• On the right side of the cash box toward the top is a release level. Push release lever down and pull the cash box straight out toward you. If the cash box seems difficult or impossible to pull out, make sure you have pushed the release lever down.

• Hold the cash box in both hands and turn it upside down. Notice on the bottom of the cash box is a door which has two small finger sized holes on one side. Normally the door is held closed by a small piece of electrical tape so the bottom cash box door doesn’t come open while removing it from the cash box chassis of the slot machine.
• While holding the cash box with the bottom door up toward you, open the door and you will see where the bills are stored. The large spring expands as more and more bills are added to the cash box. Remove the bills by pulling them straight out.
• Close the bottom door of the cash box and re-secure the door using the same small piece of electrical tape. Turn the cash box around to the original position when you removed it from the slot machine.
• Align the flat top of the cash box with the flat surface at the top of the cash box chassis from which you removed it. Slide it firmly into place. Now close the cash box door and the main slot machine door and you are ready to use it for gaming.

All the content, graphics and videos in this post have been gathered by research for you from various online sources and hope this helps you as a guide to repair your slot machines. Note that many guide books and manuals too are there for you to buy from online stores which are handy to know as how to repair your slot machines. Just stay tuned at realslotmachinesforsale and know many more interesting information about slot machines.

Introduction.
First I would like to state that in regards to 1990s Williams slot machines, no one seems to be archiving any informationon these (Williams is not doing this for example). Hence this web page. Even though most pinball people hate Williams slotmachines (because pinball financed slot machine development during the early 1990s,and Wms gaming eventually overtook and closed the pinball division in 1999),I find the Wms spinning reel dotmation slot machines to be the best of this era.(Note WMS Gaming became a publically traded company in 1998.)These are all pre-TITO machines (TITO is 'ticket in, ticket out'). Meaning they take quarters and paper money, and have a hopper to payout quarters. Most new slotsafter 2001 are TITO and don't handle money, only tickets. To me a TITO machinesis not a slot machine, it's a money sucking credit cardish eating device, and is nothing I would want in my home gameroom.

Brief History.
In early 1995 Williams introduced their first spinning reel slot machine of the 1990swith 'Reel Em In' (aka Fishtales slot). This was a very successful game,using great sound and programming to cast (re-spin) the reels with fishingreel sounds for bonus effects. (If a lure symbol lands on the pay line,the reel studders and 'casts' the lure out, hitting the water with soundeffects. Then the reel spins backwards slowly like someone is reeling the lure back.Usually a 'fish' grabs the lure, and the reel shakes and spins like theplayer has caught a big fighting fish).Reel Em In was extremely successful for a first effort, and was well receivedat trade shows and casinos.This was followed up by some other great spinning reel slots like High Speed (themedafter the Williams pinball game, complete with the reels re-spinning like tires burning rubber,and cop chasing sirens), and Top Cat, amoung others.

Towards the end of 1995, Al Thomas of Williams came up with the idea ofadding a 192x64 dot matrix displayto their spinning reel slot machines. These Wms model 40x slot machinesare known as 'dotmation' slots because of the dot matrix display.Though I'm not exactly sure which was the first dotmation slot by Williams,it was probably X-factor or Piggy Banking.Note model 400 and model 401 and model 405 or 40s are Williams reel slots with or without Dotmation, model 250 are Williams sit-down reel slots, model 550are their video slot machines, model 360 are slant top sit-down video slot machinesversion of the 550, and Williams Bluebird is their newest Linix based video slot machine.

If you have a Williams slot machine (dotmation, reel only, or video slot) for sale pleaselet me know. Broken or working is fine (I can fix them). Please email me atcfh@provide.net

ROMs Needed.
Also if you have any ROMs or ROM files for the following Wms Dotmation games,I would really appreciate hearing from you: Batter Up dotmation,Monopoly Advance to Boardwalk dotmation, and Monopoly Roll and Win dotmation.

What's the 'Best' Game?
I get asked a lot, 'I want a Williams slot machine, but which is the best onefor my home?' That's a hard question to answer, as it's like asking, 'which flavorof ice cream do you like the best?' But I will say this, I like the slots that havesome sort of interactive bonus round. All the Williams slot machines have bonusor dotmation animations that make them much nicer than a 'standard' spinning reel slot.(In my opinion, all other spinning reel slots like IGT are awful in comparison to Wms.) Justsome models get the player involved more than others.

Free 3 Reel Slot Machines

For example, all these games have some sort ofplayer interactive bonus round: Jackpot Party (including Beach and Country), Perfect Match(very similar bonus round to JP Party), Stroke of Luck, Money to Burn, Jackpot Limbo,Mermaid's Gold, and Mermaids Treasure. I would consider all these games to be amoung 'the best'of the dotmation games as the bonus games are interactive (involving player sections and choices).

Next are the spinning reel slots that have non-interactive bonus rounds, hence 'sit and watch' entertainment (these too are incredibly popular and fun). This includesReel Em In, High Speed, Top Cat, Jackpot Stampede (those four are non-dotmation), Winning Streak, Piggy Bankin, Big Bang Piggy Bankin, Mega Multiplier, Palace of Riches, Riverbelle 21, Jackpot Stampede Deluxe, Safe Cracker, and Shopping Spree. And last there are those that don't have a bonus round, but just have lots (often hundreds) of cute dotmation animations that play between spins: Magic Lamp, Pharaoh's Fortune and X-Factor.Note *none* of these Williams spinning reel slots are 'bad'; they are all good. It's just what you like. And again *any* Williams dotmation is better than any IGT model from the 1990s.

Cabinet Styles.
The 400/401/405 upright models came in three cabinet formats: 9' top glass, 16' top glass, and 'round top'(just like IGT). All models were available with or without card-reader strips belowthe top glass (casinos use these to track players). The round top cabinets are considered the fanciest, but personallyI like the 16' square tops the best from a cosmetic point of view. Williams made thedotmation slot machines as late as 2001. (Late models were mostly made forthe Canadian market, as the Canadians put in big ordersfor Dotmation slots around 1999.) Williams also made sit-down versions called the 550 series.These are big things, and generally just too big for the home arcade. (But interestingly the Monopoly series only came in 550 sit-down format.)

Bonus Rounds.
On the dotmation slot machines, if the patron is a 'winner', most games go to a bonus mode whichplays on the dot matrix display (DMD). This was the first useof a bonus game in slot machines with a DMD, and its development is largely due to Williams' involvement in pinball. The creative talent of the pinball programmersand designers really shows through on these dotmation slot machines.Unlike 'regular' slot machines that just have three spinning reels, the bonus games provide a chance to increase the payout, and made the games more interactive and fun. In addition to giving players the chance to win more, these games are more engaging than traditional slot machines, incorporating funny audio and video features on the dot matrix display.

Games that don't have a bonus round instead have random award multiplier (2x to 15x), againincorporated through the DMD. Lots of great animations on the display keeps theplayers more engaged and dropping more quarters to see, 'what it will do next.'The earlier dotmation games generally don't have bonus games. The first dotmations, based on the Williams-assigned game number, are Piggy Bankin, X-Factor, Magic Lamp, Phoroahs Fortune, and have limited bonus features. Later gameslike Winning Streak, Big Bang Piggy Bankin, Jackpot Party, Jackpot Stampede Dlx, Jackpot Limbo, Mermaid's Gold, Shopping Spree, Perfect Match, Money to Burn, Stroke of Luck,Monopoly, etc, have some sort of interesting bonus game.

Even many of the non-dotmation mechanical reels have bonus rounds. For example Jackpot Stampede,High Speed and Short Circuit do 're-spins' when the bonus round is hit. These are incorporatedinto the game's theme very well. Like on High Speed the reels do a 'burn out' like cartires when the bonus round is started, and continues as the cop chases the getaway car. This is all done very well with great sound and speech, and is much more exciting thanany IGT S+ or Bally slot of the same era.

Sound.
The Williams slot machines also have much better sound than their IGT counterparts, withgood music and even speech. The sound is miles ahead of other slot machines ofthe 1990s (most other slots have monotone synth sounds, which is pretty lame compared to Williams slot machines). The familiar Williams pinball 'bong'is used as a Dotmation slot machine is turned on. The sound is so good on Williamsslot machines that it rivals the sound on games made 10+ years later. Even IGT's S2000series and Bally 6000 series can't compete with 1990s Wms slots regarding sound and speech (well unlessyou pay extra and have an additional sound board and software installed,and even then it's debatable if they are better).

Backlit Reels.
Another great feature of Williams slot machines are back lit reels.If a winner is spun, the reels back light showing the winning symbolcombination. Even IGT didn't have this feature until 10 years lateron their S2000 series (and as an upgrade option, not as a stock item).On the Williams slot machines there are 6 lamps behind each reel strip, so even a 5-linegame can show winning combinations. Williams used a lamp matrix much liketheir pinball machines, for a total of 64 CPU controlled lamps (an 8x8 row/column matrix). This is done using TIP102 and TIP107 transistors on theSlot I/O board (same technology used on WPC pinball games).

Dollar Bill Protocol.
Another thing Wms did was to use the JCM dollar bill protocol. This is the methodwhere the dollar bill acceptor 'talks' to the slot machine. Dollar bill acceptorsbecause a big feature of 1990s slot machines, so this is an important item to have working on these 1990s and later slot machines. IGT used their own dollar bill acceptorprotocol, and frankly it stinks! That's why it's so hard to get the dollar billvalidator to work on an IGT S+ machine (I do more repairs related to dollar bill acceptorson IGT machines than any other problem). Compared this to Williams where there israrely a dollar bill validator issue, because Wms used JCM's (the dbv145 and dbv200bill validator manufacturer) protocol.

Reliability.
Every brand of slot machine has its Achillies Heal. For example, in the case of IGT,their dollar bill acceptor never seems to work consistently. And the array of bizzarenumeric error codes and weird procedures to fix them is frustrating. With Williams none of these things are issues (they use english commands on the frontLEDs to display problems), and the dollar bill protocol is far better. Overall IGTslots are not good for a 'home' user, as working on them requires experence and a good understanding of their weird error codes and procedures to fix them. Alsounique set and clear chips are often needed (which are not readily available).In this regard Williams slot machines are far easier to work on.

But Wms slot's can have power supply issues. On dotmation games there are two switching power supplies - one in the top box forthe DMD display, and a lower switcher for the rest of the game. These can both beproblematic. But they are also easily changed out to a single inexpensive ATX computerpower supply (for both upper and lower power), making Williams slot machines pretty bullet-proof.Once this is done, a Wms slot is less problematic than an IGT or Bally slot. And if apower supply problem does happen, 30 seconds later you're up and running with a newinexpensive power supply installed.

Popularity.
Of the Williams dotmations slot machines, certain titles seem to have been made ingreater numbers. For example, Winning Streak, Piggy Bankin, Big Bang Piggy Bankin, and Magic Lampseem to be the easiest to find, and are very popular. Some are pretty rare like Mermaid's Treasure, Shopping Spree, Perfect Match, Palace of Riches, Money to Burn, Riverbelle21, and the two Monopoly games.Williams only had a 1 or 2 percent market share in the 1990s (compared to IGT who basically had 80+% of the slot machine market).So none of the Wms slot machine titles were made in great numbers.

Also some Williams slot machines were made as 'lease only'. This includes thetwo Monopoly dotmation slots. Because they were never sold to the casinos,when the games were 'finished' (when their profit per square foot no longermet casino expectations), the games were returned to Williams. At that pointWilliams would crush the games. Hence very few survived. Some titles were availableas both lease and sale (Jackpot Limbo for example), so they are also 'rare'.

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Telneas Patent.
At the time (mid-1990s), Wms was being sued by IGT overpay table calculations (the Telneas patent). This really kept Wms from cranking out machines, as they were tied up in court. The arguement was that a spinningreel could be divided into 72 virtual stops (instead of just 22 'real' stops), andodds were calculated on these 72 virtual stops.

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The Telneas patent was originally developed by Telneas of Bally during the early 1980s.The patent was granted to Bally, but gaming commisions would not allow its usage.Because of this, the patent was sold to Universal in the late 1980s and then to IGT in the early 1990s.Somehow IGT was able to convince the Nevada gaming commision that the Telneas patent was Ok,and IGT cashed in on this. Other state gaming commisions followed after Nevada declaredTelneas as legal.

Gaming commisions try to protect the player. For example if a gaming devices usescards or dice, it must react and play like a deck of cards or dice. That is, odds are1 in 52 for any card, and 1 in 6 for any dice position. Slot machines were like thistoo prior to the Telneas patent. There were 11 symbols per reel, so the chances of hitting any symbol was 1 in 22. The Telneas patent made any symbol (or any blank area)have multiple position, which was not obvious to a player, increasing the odds to say 1 in 72 (or even higher). So seeing a 10,000 coin jackpot on a game with 11 symbols was in many respects very deceiving - instead of each reel having the obvious 1 in 22 odds, the odds were really much longer. Because of this the Telneas patent was illegal formany years. It is speculated that IGT bribed or paid-off the Neveda gaming commision to get theTelneas patent approved. This gave IGT the upper hand in slot machines in the 1990s,and this is why IGT had 80% of the slot machine market during this period.

Most games have 11 symbols on eachreel strip. This means there are 22 'stops' on each reel (11 symbols and 11 spacesbetween the symbols). So the chances of hitting any position are 1 in 22. What theTelneas Patent does is to 'divide the pie' into say 72 pieces instead of just 22(even though there are really only 22 visible 'stops' on a reel). This allows for'long odds', where the slot can payout much bigger jackpots. Yes the odds of hittingare reduced, but notice no one plays the lottery when it's at $1 million (but everyoneplays when it's at $50 million!) That's why IGT slots were so popular during the 1990s,since players had the possibility of hitting huge jackpots.

The idea of having many more reel stops than reel symbols was not missed by Williams either.When Wms starting making spinning reel slots in 1995, they also used the Telneas idea.IGT obviously didn't want Wms to enter the slot machine market, so they sued Wms overthe Telneas patent. Manufacturing of Williams games that used the Telneas virtualstop calculations were haulted, and Wms had to go to calculations based on 22 'real' stops.This makes paying out larger numbers of coins more difficult and less lucrative for thecasino, since the potential for big coin payouts is what attracts many slot players. Wms lostthe Telneas lawsuit, which forced them into the video slot machine market (where the Telneaspatent did not apply.) And the Wms spinning reel slot division now did all calculationsbased on 22 'real' stops.

What Williams did to work around the Telneas patent was to increase the number ofsymbols on a reel strip. Instead of 11 symbols, they went to 12 symbols (Jackpot Stampede),and then 18 symbols (Money to Burn, Jackpot Party). This gave Williams36 stops instead of 22 (without violating the Telneas patent), which allowed for longer odds and bigger payouts (though not as long oddsas 72 stops). The reel strips were more cramped, but this compromise helped keepWms in the game and popular amoung players. The Telneas patent also pushed Williams intovideo slots, where the Telneas patent did not apply. This inadvertently made Wms theleader in video slots, where they still are today. So though IGT won the battle of theTelneas patent, they really lost the war of slot machines (since video slots are far morepopular today at casinos than spinning reel slots). Little did IGT know that protectingtheir Telneas patent on spinning reel slots would be the equivalent of shooting themselvesin the foot in the long run.

TITO Video Slots.
Though all the rage at casinos, I personally hate 'ticket in, ticket out' video slots. They just seemso 'unreal' compared to a mechanical spinning reel slot. Casinos love them - less moving partsand less people needed to fill hoppers with coins.Also they can change a game quickly as all that needs to be done is to swap the softwarein the case of a video slot machine.The number of reels and the reel strips obviously change instantly with a software changeon a video slot. But for my basement, only spinning reel slots with hoppers will do.

Williams Slot Machines and Kits for Sale.
Occassionally I have a Williams slot machine or two for sale or some game kits(a 'kit' is the top glass, belly glass, reel strips, and EPROM software so any model 40x canbe converted to another game). Please see thefor sale web pagefor more details.

Titles and Pictures of Williams Slot Machines.
Below is a list of all the Williams Dotmation model 400/401/405 reel slot machines by Williams,and some of the popular non-dotmation slot machines.

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