Service Games, Panama

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Service Games, Panama
Founded: 1953-09-10
Headquarters:
Apartado 133[1] Panama, Republic of Panama
1962-04-12[2]

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Service Games, Panama[3][4][5] was the third branch of Service Games to be opened. Opening in September 1953, it was jointly owned by the five men behind Service Games, Hawaii and Service Games, Japan; Irving Bromberg, Martin Bromley, Richard Stewart, Raymond Lemaire, and James Humpert.

Service Games, Panama was designed to be the centre of all Service Games operations moving forward. Changes in US gambling laws made business in Hawaii less viable for distributing slot machines, so the headquarters was moved to Panama as a means to streamline the operation. The idea was simple; Service Games, Japan would manufacture equipment, and Service Games, Panama would purchase it, distributing it to markets across the Pacific. It would also work with local distributors, effectively becoming a middle-man.

In 1960, Service Games, Panama became distributors for the islands of Taiwan and Okinawa (taking over from Barclay & Company)[6][7][8]. At this time it was distributing on behalf of Sega (Nihon Kikai Seizou), Rock-Ola, Bally and American Shuffleboard, among others[7][8].

April 12, 1962, Service Games, Panama became Club Specialty Overseas, Inc. (CSOI)[2]. CSOI was essentially the same company, but is thought to have changed its name to hide the "Service Games" brand, which had had several run-ins with law enforcement.

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