Pinball was a popular form of entertainment in the 1970s through the early 1990s. During this time period, there were five different companies producing 100,000 machines per year. Since then, video games have replaced pinball as a popular pastime. Many businesses such as arcades and bars, where pinball machines were commonplace, saw reduced revenue and decided to get rid of the machines and replace them with video games.

In 2011, Stern Pinball, based in Chicago, Illinois, was the only remaining pinball manufacturer in the world. From 1999 to 2009, the number of pinball machines in commercial locations dropped from 360,000 to 79,000. Data show pinball industry revenues in 1999 and 2009.

Geographic reference: United States
Year: 1999 and 2009
Market Size: $1.1 billion and $275 million respectively
Source: Olivia Oran, “Pinball Fights to Survive in an ‘Angry Birds’ World,” The Street, September 19, 2011, available online here.
Original source: Vending Times
Posted on September 23, 2011