Story Archive

Only One a Year?

Maryland state Delegate Eric Luedtke picks a different outdated law every year to repeal. This year he’s seeking to legalize pinball. “It is illegal in Maryland to play pinball if you’re under 18,” Luedtke said. “And this bill repeals it because that’s ridiculous.” The law is an old one. “Back in the early 1900s when pinball machines were first becoming popular, they were considered gambling, and actually in some places, they were gambling,” Luedtke said. “You could go into a restaurant and you play the pinball machine, and the bartender would pay you money based on the number of free plays you racked up on a pinball machine.” But that no longer happens, and pinball bans started being repealed in the 1970s. The law is no longer enforced. “Nobody really said, oh, hey, you know you can’t have the kids play,” restaurant owner Geoff Danek said. “I would have thought that they were crazy.” The pinball machines in his restaurant, Holy Frijoles, draw people of all ages. Some are “like 4 and 5 and we have little step stools so they can get up and play.” (MS/WYPR Baltimore) ...In other news, at least one politician in the United States has demonstrated common sense.