Amusement arcade#Penny arcade

The term Penny Arcade designated public playhouses in the United States with slot machines that could be played for little money from anyone. First game houses of this kind already emerged in the late 19th century, but continued its popularity only in the 1930s during the period of depression a.

The name is explained by the low prices for the games (Penny) and the fact that the shops were usually built in the arcade- style shopping malls. In the early days of the penny arcade were still equipped with simple mechanical or electromechanical slot machines. In the 1970s, they released add the computer games, which today is called therefore as arcade games.

Especially popular penny arcades were at first mainly in New York and New Jersey. With the advent of computer games, the center 's popularity was particularly in California.

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