Pachinko machines in Japan may be helping prevent dementia

Pachinko machines occupy the legal gray area between gambling and entertainment. A tenuous relationship exists between the two, but despite this, Japan, a country that historically endorses gambling but is loath to legalize it in the same way Western countries do, has a prolific pachinko game machine scene.

Pachinko machines may be staving senior brains against dementia

Now, new evidence has come to light that these vertical pinball machines, as they are known to Western audiences, could be contributing to preserving mental health in seniors. According to an article published by the Japan Times, pachinko machines might have a role to play in shielding septuagenarians from degenerative brain diseases such as dementia.

Although the industry itself has been in a steady decline, and this could seem like an adept move by pachinko game machines lobbyists to revitalize the sector, Suwa Tokyo University of Science Professor Kikunori Shinohara says that the evidence bears out when it comes to pachinko machines and mental health.

"I’m getting old myself but doing activities I like that have benefits are much better than doing tedious therapy," Pressor Shinohara told The Japan Times. In general, pachinko players in their 70s are said to have higher rates of cognition when compared to their non-pinball-playing peers.

Professor Shinohara believes that these games have a direct impact on strengthening cerebrum activity, and keeping old brains engaged and thriving, flexing like a muscle.

While Japan has been paying closer attention to gambling of late, including approving a first-of-its-kind casino resort, one of three to come, the pachinko machine sector seems to be shielded from adverse regulatory moves.

What is a Pachinko game machine?

The games themselves do resemble a form of gambling nevertheless, although the model is more akin to sweepstakes than commercial betting. For one, you buy the currency used in pachinko machines is bought with real money.

The rewards you get at a pachinko game parlor can then be exchanged outside the venue for cash prizes.

It’s a model that does look like gambling, but Professor Shinohara believes has a positive impact on senior brains, with the majority of players motivated more so by the games themselves rather than the temptation of exchanging their sweepstakes for real money prizes later on.

In the meantime, the pachinko model has been adopted in popular online casino games. Earlier this year, a lucky player scooped up a $400,000 jackpot from Crazy Time, triggering the game's pachinko bonus game.

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