Big Stars Turn Pachinko Shows into Major Events!

On October 18, the special program “Pachinko & Pachislot Lovers Assemble! Pachitalk TV” aired on BS Yoshimoto, becoming a hot topic due to its star-studded cast.

“The MC was Shintaro Moriyama (38) from ‘Mitorizu,’ with appearances from Hiroshi Yamazoe (39) of ‘Aisei Start’ and Mari Yaguchi (41). They were a lineup that could easily be seen on terrestrial TV,” said an advertising industry insider.

Despite being on BS, the program featured a luxurious cast because it was a special program created to promote the National Pachinko & Pachislot Fans Day (held in November), sponsored by the nationwide pachinko hall organization, Zennichi Yuren.

“Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, the pachinko and pachislot industry had refrained from flashy advertising due to power shortages. However, the self-restraint led to a serious loss of customers, and in April 2021, after 10 years, pachinko commercials were allowed again. Events promoting celebrity appearances, which had been banned in certain areas due to concerns about promoting gambling, were also resumed, increasing the demand for celebrity endorsements in the pachinko industry,” the insider explained.

It was also surprising to see actress Kou Shibasaki (43) cast in the “KIBUN PACHI-PACHI Committee” commercial created by the Japan Amusement Machine Industry Association, which consists of 39 pachinko manufacturers.

“They are working on both regaining lost fans and improving their image. On internet TV, ABEMA has ‘Parlour Kachi-mori ABEMA Shop,’ hosted by ‘Saraba Seishun no Hikari,’ and ‘Chance no Jikan’ regularly airs pachinko segments.

Additionally, pachinko halls are putting effort into program production, which they release on YouTube. One popular example is ‘Kuzu Pachi,’ a pachinko and pachislot program by Yoichi Okano (43) and ‘Kuuki Kaidan’s’ Mogura Suzuki (37), which has numerous videos with over a million views. ‘EXIT’ also has a pachinko program, but since they lack knowledge, their viewership hasn’t grown as much. Still, they are contributing to attracting new fans,” said a tabloid journalist.

 

Fame alone is not enough to win.

Former SKE48 member and former center Yuna Obata (22) has been active as a pachislot performer since last year. According to this reporter, “Under the name ‘Yupperi,’ she has been in high demand for store events.”

“Expressions like ‘high-setting machines available’ are no longer allowed, so the mere presence of celebrities at events has become a ‘sign’ that high-setting machines are in place. A ‘store visit event bubble’ is happening.”

There was a report about Noriko Sakai (53) earning 3 million yen for visiting three stores, but the industry isn’t as financially comfortable as it once was. A pachinko magazine editor stated, “The current trend is for beautiful pachislot writers and gambling-loving comedians to draw crowds at reasonable fees.”

“For writers, the cost per appearance, including practice fees, is about 100,000 to 150,000 yen. Popular comedians like Tsubaki Oninu (52) might get around 400,000 to 500,000 yen. However, with so many pachinko halls across the country, the strength of pachinko operations is that they can do many events at a lower cost. Talents like Yutaka Yamamoto (36) and Junno Taguchi (39) are also showcasing their love for pachinko and starting their own event appearances.”

The gambling industry in the Reiwa era has become a fiercely competitive field where fame alone is not enough to succeed.

From the December 27, 2024 issue of “FRIDAY”.