Token - Sacoa Family Entertainment Center

The history of SACOA begins in 1969, in the basement of the iconic building of the Sociedad Anónima de Construcción y Obras Afines, located right in the heart of downtown Mar del Plata, in the middle of the San Martín pedestrian street.

That year, Mauricio Mochkovsky founded Sacoa Bowling, which would later become the most emblematic electronic game center in the city. It quickly became a favorite meeting spot among young people and a classic place for getting together—or even skipping school with friends.

The venue featured some of the first pinball machines imported from New York, along with bowling alleys. This first location showcased innovative arcade games brought from abroad, all operated with metal tokens. The original Sacoa location remains in the same place to this day, and the sign at its entrance on San Martín still reads “Sacoa Bowling.”

The origin of the name comes from the initials of the construction company that owned the downtown building where Sacoa Bowling opened its first location. SACOA stands for “Sociedad Anónima de Construcción de Obras y Afines.”

The novelty that Sacoa represented in the 1970s was followed by two decades of growth and expansion throughout the country. Over the years, Sacoa came to operate more than 70 locations across Argentina. By the 1990s, the company had successfully expanded into shopping centers and large entertainment complexes.

Publicidad de Sacoa:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVFK3lqXt7Y

The Tokens

Access to each game was done through metal tokens issued by SACOA.

During this boom, internal groups of employees organized to steal tokens from the machines at night and resell them during the day.

Years later, the Sacoa Card would be introduced, definitively putting an end to the use of metal tokens.

Currently, two variants are known: RWM on one side and no RWM at all:

Variant 1:

Variant 2:

Sacoa Magnetic Card and the End of Tokens

The introduction of the card changed everything. In 1993, the Sacoa magnetic card, or Sacoa Card, was introduced — an innovation created by the Mochkovsky family (who still run the company to this day). This marked the farewell to the traditional metal “tokens.”

A new era began: players now accessed each game by swiping the magnetic card through the reader located on the front of the machine.

The magnetic card opened new opportunities for the industry in the midst of the global coronavirus crisis. In particular, the cashless system, which allows transactions to be carried out without the need for physical money.

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At the beginning of the 2000s, the number of venues started to decline.
The type of customer who used to fill Sacoa arcades began to change.
Between the boom of television and the rise in crime, people chose to stay at home.

Many agree in defining Sacoa as “the closest thing to a casino, but for kids.”
The music, the colors, and the joyful atmosphere typical of the games that have entertained Argentine families for decades are never missing from its venues. The thrill of playing, the excitement of winning, the satisfaction of collecting tickets to exchange for a bigger prize — that’s Sacoa’s value proposition. Years go by, yet it continues to captivate both children and adults alike.