Lady Luck (Model 317)

Lady Luck was a classic electro-mechanical pinball machine released by Bally Manufacturing Corporation during the golden age of EM pinball. The machine embodied the glamour and allure of Las Vegas-style gambling themes that were popular in pinball during the 1960s, featuring artwork and gameplay elements centered around fortune, chance, and casino imagery.

The machine's playfield layout was characteristic of the era, featuring the standard complement of pop bumpers, slingshots, and drop targets. What made Lady Luck distinctive was its scoring system that incorporated gambling-themed features, such as multipliers designed to look like slot machine results and special bonus sequences that mimicked betting payouts. The backglass artwork typically featured an attractive female character personifying luck, which was a common artistic motif in pinball designs of this period.

Lady Luck represented a significant entry in Bally's portfolio during a time when the company was cementing its reputation as one of the premier pinball manufacturers. The game's theme resonated particularly well with operators who placed machines in adult-oriented venues, though it maintained the family-friendly approach required for broader market appeal. While production numbers aren't definitively known, machines from this era typically saw production runs between 2,000 to 4,000 units.

The legacy of Lady Luck lives on as an example of how pinball manufacturers incorporated popular cultural themes into their games, particularly the fascination with luck and fortune that characterized much of American entertainment in the 1960s. The machine is now considered a collectible piece, particularly appreciated for its classic EM gameplay and period-specific artwork.