Quoted from alexanr1:

I grew up playing one in my grandfathers gas station. Probably why I like them still today. Most store owners, like my grandfather, payed out winning credits, so it was a gambling machine for all intensive purposes in their day. The magic square games are the best. One cool design they had was a coin splitter. You could set it so that every 2,3,4, etc.. nickel would go to a different box. That box had a separate lock that only the machine owner could open.

I agree they are heavy, however, the come apart very easily since the playfield is very simple. The head is where all the mechanics are.

They are unbelievable mechanical works of art, in my opinion. It fascinates me how these things worked pre transistor.
I would agree they don’t go for much. I have seen a couple well restored that sell for around $1000. They are typically the magic square types, otherwise they go for about $250 if they fully work.

Quoted from CrazyLevi:

Were bingos available to play anywhere "for amusement", or were they used exclusively for gambling?
If they were for "amusement," was the bartender paying out free drinks or cash under the table / over the bar?

Quoted from alexanr1:

In Ohio they had the, “For amusement” sticker. Most were operated by some of the organized crime families in the areas, either from Akron or over by St. Clairsville / Wheeling and payouts were under the table.