The Unstable Income Of A Pachinko Player

A pachinko player is someone who is hired by an individual or an organization and follows their instructions to play pachinko. This is the story of a man who made a living doing just that.

My name is Tomoki Harada, I'm 42 years old, and I make a living as a pachinko player.

Today, I was looking for job openings for pachinko players on social media.

"Oh, I found one! Great! I'll contact them. This means I'll have an income tomorrow too!"

The daily wage for a pachinko player is usually around 10,000 JPY, and the job is easy since it only involves playing pachinko.

I've been making a living just from this job for about five years now.

Then, I received a job request via message, and I went to the designated pachinko parlor to play...

"Wow! Today's parlor has a high expected value, so I'm getting quite a lot of balls~ I think I'll get praised for this! Hahaha!"

My current earnings are around 300,000 JPY per month, which amounts to an annual income of 3,600,000 JPY.

I don't get bonuses or social insurance...

When I think about it, it seems like it would be better to get a regular job, but I don't plan to do that for now.

Besides, the company I used to work for was black-company with low salaries...

Pachinko parlors are comfortable because they have heating and air conditioning. I'm truly grateful for this job!

I can also use my phone as much as I want while working, so it's very convenient!

But sometimes, things like this happen...

"What? My daily wage is 8,000 JPY?"

"Sorry, I don't have enough cash on me right now..."

"Oh... but I guess it can't be helped."

Just like that, even though I was told that the daily wage would be 10,000 JPY when I applied, I sometimes end up only receiving 8,000 JPY at the end of the day.

But even so, I get paid to play pachinko, so I don't plan on quitting anytime soon.

That's how I feel, and I'm satisfied with my current situation.

But you might wonder why pachinko players get paid just for playing pachinko.

Here's how it works.

"Play this machine today."

"Understood!"

Pachinko players are hired by pachinko professionals, and they play the machines they are told to. The pachinko pros hire multiple players and have them play on specific machines.

The more players the pachinko pros hire, the more profitable it becomes for them. The players, in turn, get a share of the profits.

Why did I become a pachinko player?

I became a pachinko player because I loved playing pachinko.

After quitting my job, I would play pachinko every day, and a man named Yutaka, whom I got to know at the pachinko parlor, approached me and asked me to become a pachinko player.

He was a pachinko pro, and at first, he asked me as a favor to even out the number of players. But after that, he started requesting my help quite often.

I still owe Yutaka a lot.

Honestly, you might think that the parlor wouldn't just let this slide.

I also thought that being a pachinko player was illegal, but apparently, it's not.

As long as you just play and provide the data, it's not illegal. I was really surprised when I heard that. Well, but in my case, as long as I get paid, that's all I care about...

Anyway, the parlor prohibits pachinko players, but it's not illegal.

However, recently, more and more parlors have been banning players if they are found out, so you have to be careful.

And then, one night...

"What? The daily wage is 12,000 JPY?! I have to apply for this!"

I found a job opening for pachinko players offering a high daily wage, so I immediately applied.

And luckily, the employer contacted me.

The next day, at 8 a.m., I gathered with the other hired players at the designated location, but there was a long line at the parlor, probably due to an event. We had to draw lots to decide the order of entry...

"What number did you get?"

"Number 3."

"I got number 20."

"I'm number 31."

"Okay, only number 3 will work today. The rest of you can go home because I don't think you'll get a good machine. I'll pay you a minimum guarantee of 7,000 JPY."

"Understood."

Just like that, if we can't get a good machine, we are sometimes sent home, but most employers guarantee a minimum amount, so we still get paid.

I was number 3, so I was able to start working.

"Oh? Is that Shige-san?"

"Yeah, today I happened to have a day off from my part-time job..."

You might think that pachinko players are mostly young people, but that's not always the case. There are even players in their 60s.

Shige-san, by the way, is one of those players in his 60s.

There are older people who do pachinko player jobs in between their part-time jobs.

That's why the age range is quite wide, from 20s to 60s.

Shige-san returned to his machine, and I continued my work in a businesslike manner.

The job is simple: play the designated machine, record data every time a fixed amount is inserted, and send it by email.

Here's how it works.

The leader of the pachinko players uses the players to gather data, calculate the expected value, find machines that will be profitable, and then have the players play those machines.

For example, if a machine has an expected value of 20,000 JPY, and a player is paid 10,000 JPY to play it...

The leader makes a profit of 10,000 JPY.

When working as a pachinko player, you can take breaks, of course. But those breaks are limited to about 30 minutes.

This is because if the breaks are too long, the playing time decreases, and the expected profit can't be achieved. That's why experienced players who can play quickly are more advantageous.

And today, I was incredibly lucky.

"Whoa, I'm getting a ton of jackpots! It's not stopping!"

Incredibly, I got more balls than the leader had anticipated, and I ended up winning more than 100,000 JPY.

And at the end of the day, in addition to my daily wage, I was given a special bonus.

"Thanks for today! Here's a bonus."

"Thank you very much!"

The special bonus was 30,000 JPY, so my total earnings for the day amounted to 42,000 JPY.

However, not every day goes this well. Being a pachinko player means having an unstable income.

"Sorry, this parlor banned pachinko players, so we have to cancel today..."

"Huh...?"

Just like that, the jobs we planned sometimes suddenly disappear...

Also, no matter how much I like pachinko, sitting for long hours can be tiring, and there are times when I feel unwell...

(Only a pachinko addict could keep playing like this...)

And of course, there are days when nothing goes right...

"What the heck! This machine isn't paying out at all?!"

When days like this continue...

"I'm sorry, but the machine you're in charge of isn't making any money. Can you play with your own money for a bit? I don't have any cash on me right now..."

"What? No way..."

Sometimes, I'm asked to do this, and I have to spend my own money...

Furthermore, if the machine I played ends up in the negative, I might not even get paid...

There is no formal employment relationship between the leader and the players, so there's not much we can do about it.

As this kept happening, I started to worry about my future.

(My earnings are bad this month. I usually make around 300,000 JPY, but I've barely made 200,000 JPY... I wonder if next month will be better...)

Not having a stable income is really stressful.

Because the income of a pachinko player is unstable, I stopped spending money as much as I used to. When I don't have a balance in my account, I constantly feel anxious.

But even if I think about changing jobs, most companies only offer a base salary of 200,000 JPY...

I want to make at least 300,000 JPY per month, but is it even possible to change jobs at my age?

Recently, more and more parlors have been banning players, so I think it's about time I quit.

I like playing pachinko, but there's no guarantee that I can make a living from it until I retire...

Starting the job hunt

Due to my anxiety about the future, I decided to start looking for a new job.

However, it wasn't easy for me, a 42-year-old, to find a stable job...

(Sigh... Another rejection. This is the tenth company that has turned me down...)

All I received were rejection notices, even in this era of labor shortage.

Maybe at this age, I need to have some kind of qualification to get a job...

Even so, I didn't give up and continued to go to interviews...

And then, after about three months...

Finally, I received a job offer from one company.

"Yes! I got a job offer!"

Fortunately, my previous work experience was considered, and I found a company that would hire me.

The income would be less than what I made as a pachinko player, but when I think about my future, I can't afford to be picky.

Of course, once I got the job, I worked hard.

I took on as much work as I could and tried to finish it quickly.

The salary was a fixed 180,000 JPY per month, so I was also freed from the anxiety of unstable income.

And then, on my first payday.

I went to a steakhouse for the first time in a long time and ate my fill with a 300-gram steak.

"Delicious! Steaks are the best!"

It's really nice not to worry about money!

After that, I continued to work hard.

"Huh? It's already past 7 p.m... I should head home soon... But maybe I'll play a little more before I go..."

Thanks to my experience as a pachinko player, I could concentrate on my work for long hours. As a result, I didn't mind working overtime, and I could finish my tasks quickly.

Six months later

Six months after joining the company...

My performance at work was recognized, and my base salary was increased by 10,000 JPY.

"Great! My take-home pay increased a little!"

Now, I'm genuinely enjoying my work, and next year, I plan to acquire a qualification that will be useful for my job by taking advantage of the company's system.

I didn't realize it at my previous company, but skill enhancement is actually quite enjoyable.

I didn't have the confidence to be a pachinko player for my entire life, but because of that experience, I'm doing well at this company.

That's a good thing, right?