It is generally believed that the first truly modern pinball machine appeared in 1931. In 1931, American David Gottlieb introduced "Baffle Ball", the world's first mass-produced pinball machine with a coin-operated mechanism.

Before 1931, there were also some games similar to pinball machines. For example, the French game "Bagatelle" in the 18th century is considered an early prototype of the pinball machine. In 1871, the British Montague Redgrave improved the spring serving mechanism and applied for a patent in the United States. Some elements of his design became common features of later pinball machines. However, compared with the "Baffle Ball" that appeared in 1931, these early games had certain gaps in terms of the commercial operation mode and the influence on modern pinball machines. The appearance of "Baffle Ball" marked the beginning of the pinball machine as a commercial game and had great significance for the development of the pinball machine industry.