How to Play Pachislot in Japan: Beginner Guide

1. Before you enter

You must be 18 or older

People under 18 are not allowed to enter pachinko parlors as customers, even with a parent or guardian. Bring a passport, residence card, or other photo ID in case staff ask you to prove your age. Adults aged 18 or 19 may enter the parlor but may not enter smoking areas, because smoking areas are restricted to people aged 20 or older.

Bring cash and decide your limit first

Only Japanese yen banknotes can be used to buy medals or credits at the machine. Coins, credit cards, overseas debit cards, and phone payments cannot be used for this purchase. Accepted banknote denominations vary by parlor, so keeping current ¥1,000 banknotes is convenient.

Before playing, check the individual machine page for the estimated maximum amount needed to reach its ceiling from 0G. The estimate assumes that the machine is played according to its instructions and all push-order/navigation prompts without incurring a penalty. A machine without a ceiling has no guaranteed maximum amount before a hit.

Decide both a money limit and a leaving time before you sit down. Machine probabilities and past results do not guarantee a win. Use only money you can afford to lose, and do not increase your limit to recover a loss. See Responsible Play & Legal Information.

Prepare for noise and bright light

Pachinko parlors can be extremely loud and visually intense. Earplugs are useful, and some parlors provide or sell them. If flashing light, noise, smoke, or crowds make you feel unwell, stop playing and move to a quiet area.

2. Enter and choose a machine

There is normally no entrance fee or reception procedure. Walk through the entrance and look for signs such as スロット, SLOT, or パチスロ. Pachinko uses steel balls; pachislot uses physical medals or electronic credits. This guide is for pachislot.

Check the lending rate

Different floors or rows may use different rates, often described by the yen value or number of medals lent. A lower-rate section makes a fixed budget last longer and is easier for a first visit. Rates, fees, and exchange values vary, so read the signs for that exact row instead of assuming every machine in the building is the same.

Make sure the seat is available

An empty chair does not always mean an available machine. Do not sit down if you see a bag, drink, phone, cigarette pack, physical medals, an IC card in the reader, or a break/reserved card. A player may be using the restroom. If you are unsure, ask staff before touching anything.

Safe rule: choose a clean seat with no personal items, no remaining medals, no card, and no break indicator.

Choose a simple first machine

For the easiest first experience, choose an A-Type or bonus-focused machine, or open the relevant page in our Machine Guide before inserting money. AT machines can have more stages, navigation prompts, and machine-specific stopping rules. If the cabinet or page says Smart Pachislot or スマスロ, it uses electronic credits rather than loose medals.

3. Learn the controls before inserting money

The exact layout varies, but most pachislot stations have the following controls:

• Cash/card unit: the narrow unit beside the machine where you insert banknotes or an IC card.
• 貸出 (kashidashi / lend): adds a set amount of medals or credits from your cash balance.
• 返却 (henkyaku / return): returns the IC card. It does not always refund the remaining cash by itself.
• MAX BET: wagers the normal maximum, usually three medals or credits, for one game.
• Lever: starts the reels after the bet is accepted.
• Three stop buttons: stop the left, middle, and right reels.
• 計数 (keisū / count): on a personal counting system, transfers playable medals or credits to your card.
• 呼出 (yobidashi / call): calls a staff member. Use it when you are unsure or the machine/card does not respond.

The data display above the machine shows history and game counts; it is not the payment unit. Do not insert money or a card into an unfamiliar opening by force.

4. Buy medals or credits and play one game

For a conventional medal machine

1. Insert a supported yen banknote into the unit beside your seat.
2. Confirm that the displayed cash balance increased.
3. Press 貸出 once. Medals will be delivered to the tray or added to the station’s personal system.
4. Put medals into the machine if necessary, then press MAX BET.
5. Pull the lever.
6. If no stop-order navigation is displayed, press the left stop button first, then the middle and right stop buttons. If navigation is displayed, follow the indicated order.

For Smart Pachislot (スマスロ)

1. Insert cash into the adjacent unit and confirm the balance.
2. Press 貸出 to add electronic credits.
3. Press MAX BET and pull the lever. If no stop-order navigation is displayed, stop the left reel first, then the middle and right reels. If navigation is displayed, follow the indicated order.
4. There are no loose medals to collect. Your credits stay in the machine system until you count or transfer them back to the card.

Follow on-screen stop-order prompts

If no stop-order navigation is displayed, stop the left reel first, then the middle and right reels. If numbers or arrows indicate a stop order, follow that order instead, even when it starts with the middle or right reel. Navigation can appear during normal play on some machines, as well as during AT, a bonus, or another special state. Ignoring the prompt can reduce or forfeit part of the intended benefit on some machines. Check the machine page for the symbols to aim for and any machine-specific stopping instructions.

Effects that look dramatic are not always a win. Read the machine page for its normal game flow, CZ, bonus, and AT rules.

5. During play and when taking a break

• Keep your banknotes, phone, passport, and IC card under your control.
• Do not leave immediately after inserting money. First return the card and confirm what balance it holds.
• If the machine enters a bonus, AT, CZ, or a clearly continuing sequence, check the machine guide before deciding when to stop.
• Use the volume controls if available, but keep the level reasonable.
• If a medal jams, the card is trapped, or the machine shows an error, press 呼出. Do not hit, shake, open, or force the machine.

Leaving the seat temporarily

Parlors have their own break rules and time limits. Use the provided break card or ask staff before leaving. Do not reserve a machine for a long period with a small personal item. Take valuables with you, but leave the official break indication visible so another customer does not mistake the machine for vacant.

6. Finish, count, and settle

Finish the current spin and make sure all reels have stopped. If you are in a bonus or AT, you can ask staff for help or check the machine-specific quit-timing guidance before leaving; do not continue merely because you feel you must recover what you spent.

If the machine uses a personal counting system or Smart Pachislot

1. Press the station’s 計数, transfer, or settlement control as instructed on the unit.
2. Confirm that the medals/credits were recorded to the IC card.
3. Press 返却 and physically remove the card.

If you have physical medals in a tray or box

Press 呼出 and indicate that you are finished. Staff will tell you where or how the medals are counted. Depending on the parlor, you may receive a printed receipt or the result may be recorded on a card.

Refund unused cash

The IC card may contain two separate things: unused cash balance and counted medals/credits. Use the in-store 精算機 (seisanki / settlement machine) to refund any unused cash balance. Many cards and balances are valid only at that parlor and may be limited to the same day, so do this before leaving. If you cannot find the machine, show the card to staff and ask “Seisan wa doko desu ka?”

Most common first-time mistake: walking out with the IC card still in the reader or forgetting to refund its unused cash balance.

7. Exchange medals or credits for prizes

Before going to the prize counter, decide whether you want ordinary prizes or the standard prize exchange offered by that parlor.

1. Take the counting receipt or card to the in-store 景品カウンター (keihin counter / prize counter).
2. Choose ordinary prizes, or request the standard exchange offered by that parlor. Small leftover amounts may be provided as snacks or other goods.

Do not carry physical medals or pachinko balls out of the parlor, move them to another parlor, or try to exchange them privately. Japanese law prohibits a parlor from buying back prizes itself and prohibits allowing gaming balls or medals to be taken outside.

If you have no medals or credits left, there is no prize-counter step. Refund any unused cash on the card, take your belongings, and leave.

8. Manners and important rules

• Do not touch another player’s machine, medals, card, or belongings.
• Do not take an apparently abandoned card or medals. Call staff.
• Do not move medals or credits between people, machines, or different-rate sections unless staff explicitly confirm that the parlor permits it.
• Photography and video recording may be restricted at some parlors. If you take photos or video, make sure no other customers appear in them.
• Keep the machine volume at a reasonable level and avoid speaking loudly.
• Smoke only in a clearly designated smoking area. Most indoor areas are subject to smoke-free rules; never smoke at the machine unless the venue clearly permits it in a lawful designated area.
• Keep food and drinks within venue rules and away from controls and neighboring seats.
• Do not hit or modify the machine. Use the staff-call button for any error.
• Leave promptly at closing time and follow staff announcements even if the machine is in a special state.
• Do not play while intoxicated or distressed. Stop if you are losing track of time or money.

House rules differ. Signs and staff instructions at the venue take priority over general guidance on this page.

9. Useful Japanese phrases

• Sumimasen, hajimete desu. (すみません、初めてです。) — Excuse me, this is my first time.
• Kono dai wa aite imasu ka? (この台は空いていますか？) — Is this machine available?
• Kādo ga demasen. (カードが出ません。) — The card will not come out.
• Seisan wa doko desu ka? (精算はどこですか？) — Where can I refund the remaining balance?
• Keihin counter wa doko desu ka? (景品カウンターはどこですか？) — Where is the prize counter?

A translation app can help when speaking to staff. Before using its camera inside the parlor, check the venue’s photography rules and make sure no other customers appear in the image.

10. Exit checklist

• All reels are stopped and you have finished playing.
• Your medals/credits have been counted or exchanged.
• You removed the IC card from the reader.
• You refunded any unused cash balance at the settlement machine.
• You did not take physical medals or balls outside.
• You have your phone, wallet, passport, bag, coat, and any ordinary prizes.

No checkout is normally required. Once the checklist is complete, you can simply leave through the public exit.

Official references

• Act on Control and Improvement of Amusement Business (e-Gov Laws, Japanese) — age restrictions and rules concerning prizes and removal of balls/medals.
• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Passive Smoking Prevention — indoor smoking rules and age restrictions for smoking areas.

Last reviewed: September 4, 2026. Procedures and house rules vary by venue and may change.