O.K. fellow chippers! Frequently people post on here inquiring about which slot machine they should get, etc, etc. Well, I know slots far better than I know chips, and I'm drooling all over the place since I saw this baby on Ebay! It is the first time I've ever seen one for sale, and I've got to tell you, it's probably the most complicated mechanical gaming device ever conceived. If you like craps, it's a cinch you will go GA-GA over this thing!

Developed in the 1930's with an R&D budget of over $2,000,000, the Mills Dice wasn't a commercial success. Why? Well, for one; it freaked people out! Way before computers, people thought this machine was magic! Players couldn't understand how it knew what dice were rolled, and how it kept paying accurately - AMAZING! Also, it was a complicated machine for slot mechanics to learn (not impossible, just way different than what they were used to). Finally, it took a lot of the social aspects of the game out of the equation; calls, yelling, and ganging up against the house by a now-friendly group of stangers.

An estimated 500 machines were made, and it is believed that fewer than 200 survive; they are no-doubt the pearl in most slot/coin-op collections. Walnut and ash cabinetry set this machine apart, and hint at the kinds of classy joints it frequented... Although my new job is going well, my cash flow is not sufficient to allow me to seriously think I might snag it - so if you have $10 large that you want to invest in a sure thing; tomorrow morning somebody's gonna get lucky! I'd be absolutely thrilled if a fellow CHIPPER takes it home... DICE ARE OUT!
The following pics are from my most prized past issue of Loose Change, June 1981 (long-defunct slot collector mag):