South Carolina minors can finally play pinball without breaking the law, following a piece of legislation signed by Governor Henry McMaster last month.
The law officially removes pinball from the state’s list of juvenile status offenses, ending a prohibition that dates back to 1959. For nearly seven decades, the arcade staple was legally lumped together with offenses like running away from home or using a fake ID.
The original ban stemmed from mid-century concerns over truancy and underground gambling, back when spectators frequently placed bets on game outcomes and business owners handed out prizes to winners. While no minor was ever actually charged under the statute, the law created persistent compliance headaches for business owners—particularly bar and arcade operators worried about jeopardizing their licenses.
Most states eliminated similar restrictions after a 1974 California Supreme Court ruling legally classified pinball as a game of skill rather than chance. That distinction came after manufacturers added flippers to the machines in the late 1940s, giving players direct control over the ball. Despite the long-standing legal threat, the game surged in popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s and is now fully legalized for players of all ages across the state.
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