THE SILVERBALL CONTINUES TO ROLL ON

North America’s Best Pinball Players Compete To Crown the 2024 Champion

It has been a year of incredible growth and rising popularity for lovers of pinball machines. Thought to be on the edge of extinction a mere decade ago, today there are more companies manufacturing the games and more businesses offering customers a chance to try their hand at the wonders of the silverball than there ever has been.

It is a testament to the timeless appeal of pinball and the surge in competitive players who are stepping up in record numbers to showcase their flipper skills. More than 8500 tournaments and leagues were held during calendar year 2023 for those hoping to qualify for the North American Championship. Nearly 30,000 players competed for a coveted spot in what will be The International Flipper Pinball Association’s 9th Annual IFPA State Championship Series finale.

A staggering $990,000 in cash and prizes has already been awarded throughout calendar year 2023 but it is only to get to this next stage where the best of the best face off. On Saturday, January 20th, there will be just over 1,000 players representing 49 states and the District of Columbia ready to put their command of a 2 ¼ inch silver sphere on display. All will be battling for their share of a $200,000 prize pool.

This is the most prestigious event in North America for a landscape featuring over 110,000 ranked men, women, boys and girls who are showcasing their individual skills in more than 10,200 different events and leagues being staged annually. And these numbers keep increasing at a dramatic rate.

After a resounding success with last year’s inaugural competition, the IFPA will also be hosting the 2nd Annual IFPA Women’s State Championship Series finale with nearly 800 players representing 48 states and the District of Columbia. These will be scheduled for the following day, Sunday, January 21st, 2024.

In just seventeen years, the International Flipper Pinball Association has been able to provide support, guidance and a structure for so many of the organized leagues and tournaments thanks to the tireless efforts of over two dozen different IFPA country directors. The result has been more than $5.7 million in cash and prizes awarded globally during the past decade alone.

The International Flipper Pinball Association was created with the express purpose of encouraging, supporting and endorsing competitive pinball throughout the world. The organization provides oversight and assistance to not only establish pinball leagues, but also tournaments, and other promotional activities.

“It is remarkable to see what the IFPA has been able to achieve and the emergence of new locations globally which have opened their doors to pinball. The result is that more and more people are getting the opportunity to play the latest and greatest releases from a growing number of manufacturers. Through it all, pinball has managed to stay relevant as a major part of leisure time entertainment”, states Josh Sharpe, President of the IFPA.

The IFPA Diamond and Platinum sponsors include Stern Pinball, Chicago Gaming Company, Betson Enterprises, Raw Thrills, Zen Studios, Player One Amusement Group, Color DMD, Tilt Amusements, Little Shop of Games, CoinTaker, Operation Pinball, PinStadium, Captain’s Auction Warehouse, Scorbit, PinShades, Mezel Mods, Pinball Universe, AVS Home Arcade, Wizard’s World, Outlaw Pinball, Pinball Monk, Pinball Expo and the UK Open.

For more information regarding the IFPA or any of its participants, please contact International Flipper Pinball Association Vice President Zach Sharpe (ifpapinballPR@gmail.com) or check the organization website: www.ifpapinball.com.