Where it all began
The beginning
Pinball Union got its start in early 2018, when five pinball enthusiasts from Nekala decided to join forces and put all their machines under one roof. Space was found in the back room of one founding member's company, and the arcade gradually took shape as privately owned machines moved one by one from living rooms and garages into the shared clubhouse. It started out under the name Näsin Neulapallokerho. Word of the club spread around Tampere, and several more enthusiasts became interested in helping run the shared club and arcade. Things grew, and the club's membership doubled to ten members. In summer 2019, as the membership grew, the club also decided to change its name, and that's how Pinball Union began.
Membership and the hobby
The membership requirement and “joining fee” was to bring at least one machine to the shared arcade, and since many members, together or on their own, got excited about buying even more machines, by late 2019 it was clear the club was running out of wall space. At that point there were 28 machines in the space, with about ten more in storage and under repair. So Pinball Union actively looked for a new, bigger space, which turned up surprisingly close: more room was found right behind the wall – the premises expanded in September 2020, and at the same time operations moved under an official cooperative, Pinball Union Osk.
For us, playing pinball is a beloved hobby that, alongside (competitive) play, also means spreading the joy of pinball to everyone. Pinball Union played a big role when the European Pinball Championship 2018 was held at Pakkahuone in Tampere, with 300 players from around the world taking part. The Finnish Pinball Championship was held at Ideapark in autumn 2019, and Pinball Union was the main organizer of the tournament together with Suomen Flipperinpelaajat ry.
Nekala
Our Nekala years 2018–2024 were an absolutely amazing time. The hobby grew so big that we ran out of square meters many times over. And every Friday we've been surprised by how many of you wanted to come and share this hobby with us. Thank you for that!
Our last game day in Nekala was a super-long Good Friday, 29 Mar 2024. Meanwhile, we had already started renovating our new premises in Tammela, Tampere, where the new pinball and game arcade opened at the end of August.
Finding new players and returning ones matters to us, which is why…
…OUR ARCADE IS YOUR ARCADE TOO!
“I BOUGHT IT BECAUSE IT WAS SO CHEAP…”
Pinball Union's members are mostly real-life bargain hunters in the spirit of Sulo Vilén, so we're always interested in buying more machines for our collections. On the other hand, you can also get a machine from us for your living room, garage, company lobby or break room, an event or pretty much anywhere. Either by buying one, if something happens to be for sale, or by renting one for a weekend, a month or longer.
We also operate machines in public venues. If you have a business where you'd like to give your customers more to enjoy, get in touch. We'll deliver a machine to the corner of a bar, a barbershop waiting area or even the central plaza of a shopping mall. We bring the machine on site and keep it in good shape, and best of all, your business always gets a share of the earnings.
Machines for sale can be found in our Facebook posts, if there happen to be any. For rentals or operating, send a message to myynti(at)pinballunion.fi.
Nekala
2018 – 2024
Tammela
2024 – …
Our Union's slogan is ”Play Better”. The only way to get better at pinball is practice, so come to the arcade to practice and wear Play Better merch, available at the arcade.