A look at some ticket vending mechanisms.

The mechanisms that vend your prize tickets from games in family entertainment centres are fairly simple, and yet complex too. The ones shown here are quite old, but still capable of dealing with things like ticket positioning, feedback of tickets paid out (as pulses) and locking mechanisms to ensure that tickets can't be dragged out, and instead break off at the perforations.
The Coin-Controls one is the most complicated with an actual locking mechanism that physically locks the output drive rollers when the tickets are pulled. The Deltronic unit relies on heavy gearing to prevent the output rollers from being forced round as the tickets are pulled.
Both units mark the tickets with tire-tracks to show they have been vended, which is also a byproduct of the tightly gripping feed mechanism.
Both have simple logic based control boards with various timing and detecting functions that control the ticket vending, feedback to the game itself and detection that the tickets have run out.

[@DaveInBridport]

I service 1960s bus ticket machines, in particular, Setrights. Still learning but I'm amazed no one has done a strip down of one on line. Amazing pieces of engineering!

[@Kaeri2071]

Made in Elk Grove Village, IL. That's a couple miles from my house! :P

[@mikecowen6507]

+bigclivedotcom The more modern variant for locations not using some form of "stored value cards" (either written to a mag stripe, or saved to a networked server under your card ID) is a ticket printer. The device accumulates the number of "tickets" won, and when you cash out, it prints a single small receipt with the total value, timestamp, location, logo, promotional specials, bonuses, etc on thermal paper. It's a lot more economical for the location to buy rolls of thermal receipt paper, nor does the customer need a pillowcase full of tickets to redeem for their trinkets, plus it's virtually unhackable for the average person. I had a hand in developing the first one almost 20 years ago.

[@Roy_Tellason]

This sounds a lot like what the slot machines at the last casino I was at used. No shower of coins when you hit the jeckpot, just a slip of paper. :-( If you did win, or just wanted to cash out, you'd take that bit of paper to another machine where your winnings were dispensed.

[@KevinMcMillan]

I love this sort of thing, I could explore / play with devices like this for hrs if not days lol I do have a question though, how big would a reel or box? of tickets be as these machines I would guess spit out 1000s daily? Thanks, Kevin

[@bigclivedotcom]

I think they come in blocks of 2000. They usually have a polythene strap or string around them so that you can put them into the holder and then cut the binding to unleash the tickets. If you buy enough you can get them custom printed with your arcades logo, but I think you'd need to buy a lot to make that worthwhile.

[@CPD-KD6-3.7]

Clive, I know this is an old video, but do you know how ticket counters work? My intuition tells me that it is some sort of beam-break sensor. Thanks!

[@bigclivedotcom]

It's usually two beams so it can make sure that the tickets are going inwards and not being pulled back.

[@carloschin]

Hi recently bought a ticket dispenser but don't understand the INPUT and OUTPUT signals because i want to adapt it to another machine I'm working on, I want to know if you can help me, PLZ :(

[@bigclivedotcom]

+Carlos Chin There are various units with different control systems. You'd need to find a data sheet or trace the circuitry to work out which pins are inputs and outputs, then experiment.

[@danielhorne6042]

couldnt find any on ebay lol dam i wanted one

[@bigclivedotcom]

Try the spares suppliers for gaming equipment. eu.suzohapp.com/en/products/redemption