There is a very interesting article in the July (2006) issue of COCA.
It talks about the different machines which were designed to keep a person playing even if he was losing.
The machines discussed are the Mills Bonus (Horsehead & High Top), the Pace Kitty, and the Mills Futurity. The Mills Futurity is unique in that it actually changes the odds of what will come by adjusting the wheel stops as the user plays it. That is, the machine has a factory designed mechanism that cheats.
However, one machine that was not mentioned was the Horsehead Bonus which has a similiar factory designed cheating mechanism in it.
I had heard rumors of a Bonus with odds changing brakes (like the Futurity) but I had never seen one. Then a few years ago I was talking to another collector. It turns out he had one and the more he talked about it the more I wanted it. To make a long story short a price was agree upon and the machine is now in my collection.
When I got the machine I noticed a couple of interesting things about it. The machine is a 3/10 payout not a 3/5 like every other HH Bonus I have ever seen. Here is a picture of the award card (which is original).
Here is a photo of the stepper mechanism. This is the mechanism which raises & lowers the reel stops which changes the odds.
Here is a closeup photo of the reel stops. In it you can clearly see that it has the same style of stops that are in the Futurity.
Here are two photos of the mechanism. You can clearly see that it is a 10 stop mechanism. In one photo the stepper mechansim is allowing the B symbol to hit, in the other photo you can see the brakes are in a position where it is impossible for the B to hit. You can also see that it is a 10 stop mechanism.
One last thing of interest is the escalator. This thing has an escalator with a magnetic slug detector that I have never seen before. There is a magnet that is visible from the front and if a slug is used it will grab it and hold it. When I had the escalator apart it was obvious that was factory designed and not something made up in someones garage.
Here is a closeup of the escalator
I have only seen one other Bonus with the odds changing mechanism. That was on E-Bay a couple of years ago. Interestingly enough, it also had a 3/10 payout. I sent the owner an email but he never took the time to reply. Therefore, I did not take the time to bid on it.
Does anyone know what percentage of the Bonus machines have this feature? If you have a HH Bonus you might want to pull the mechanism and see if yours also has this cheating feature. Who knows you might have one and not even know it
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I would love to find some literature about this machine. If you have any please let me know.
Let me know if you found this article interesting and/or if you want more photos posted.
Dave
