Anime pachinko licensing guide: how anime IP reaches pachinko halls
Pachinko is a major secondary-use category for hit anime, but the deals happen behind closed doors. Public sources show the rights path, not the price tags.
Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.
Short answer: Anime pachinko and pachislot licensing works like other merchandise licensing: the anime's rights holder, usually the production committee or IP owner, grants a machine manufacturer or distributor the right to use characters, footage, music, and trademarks on a gambling-adjacent machine. Tsuburaya Fields Holdings defines the upstream party as the 'licenser' that owns copyrights and/or merchandising rights. Verified examples include Bisty's long-running Evangelion pachinko and pachislot line, which uses footage and characters under copyright held by khara, and SEGA SAMMY's pachinko/pachislot business that develops machines around group and third-party anime IP.
Who holds the rights for anime pachinko
The starting point is the anime's rights holder. In most Japanese productions that is the production committee, a project-specific group of investors that owns the copyright and merchandising rights. Tsuburaya Fields Holdings' glossary explicitly defines a 'licenser' as 'those who own copyrights and/or merchandising rights,' with 'publisher' used as the same meaning. That upstream entity is the only party that can legally authorize character art, animated footage, music, voices, and branding on a pachinko or pachislot machine.
For older properties the licensor can be the original manga publisher, the animation studio, or a dedicated rights-management company. Because these contracts are private, public sources rarely identify which committee member negotiated a given pachinko license or what share of royalties each member receives.
How anime pachinko licensing is structured
The deal typically flows from rights holder to machine manufacturer, and from manufacturer to distributor or pachinko hall. The manufacturer needs approvals for visual assets, sound, and sometimes voice recordings. The distributor needs the right to sell or lease the finished machine. In practice, a single group may handle several steps: SEGA SAMMY's Pachislot and Pachinko Machines Business covers development through sales, while Tsuburaya Fields Holdings both plans machines and distributes them through its PS Field segment.
The contract almost always specifies a territory, which is normally Japan because pachinko and pachislot are regulated under Japanese amusement-business law. It also specifies a rights window tied to the machine model's commercial life, not an open-ended license. The exact royalty rate, minimum guarantee, and term are not disclosed in public filings.
What public sources do not reveal: Japanese IR disclosures confirm that anime pachinko deals exist, but they do not publish per-title license fees, royalty percentages, recoupment terms, or contract length. Any article that quotes those numbers without citing a primary source is speculating.
Verified case study: Evangelion and Bisty
The best-documented anime pachinko franchise is Neon Genesis Evangelion. Tsuburaya Fields Holdings' company history states that it began selling pachinko and pachislot machines in the Evangelion series in December 2004. A September 2023 press release announced 'Pachinko EVANGELION:3.0+1.0,' which uses footage from the 2021 film 'EVANGELION:3.0+1.0' and lists the sales brand as Bisty and the copyright as khara.
Bisty is described in Tsuburaya Fields' glossary as a subsidiary of SANKYO and a manufacturer of pachinko/pachislot machines with many hit products including the CR Neon Genesis Evangelion series. The relationship shows how a long-term master license can spawn multiple machine generations over two decades, each tied to a specific Evangelion film or property update.
Rights flow for the Evangelion pachinko and pachislot franchise based on verified company disclosures.| Party | Role in Evangelion pachinko | Source |
|---|
| khara | Copyright holder for Evangelion | Tsuburaya Fields press release 2023 |
| Bisty | Machine manufacturer and sales brand | Tsuburaya Fields glossary |
| Tsuburaya Fields Holdings | Distribution and planning | Company history |
| Pachinko halls | Operate machines for players | Industry structure |
Verified case study: SEGA SAMMY and anime IP
SEGA SAMMY Holdings operates a dedicated Pachislot and Pachinko Machines Business with Sammy Corporation at its core. Its business areas page states that the segment handles everything from development to sales of pachinko and pachislot machines. The page also lists footer credits for anime-based properties, including 'Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress' and 'Fist of the North Star,' indicating that the group licenses third-party anime IP for its machines.
SEGA SAMMY's broader corporate materials emphasize transmedia IP strategy, moving game IP into animation and licensing. For pachinko specifically, the group uses both owned IP and licensed anime to create machine lineups. The structure is similar to Tsuburaya Fields: a vertically integrated pachinko business that licenses anime characters and footage from upstream rights holders.
What to expect in an anime pachinko license
A typical license grants the right to use characters, animation clips, music, voice tracks, and logos on a specific pachinko or pachislot model. The licensor retains approval over how the IP is presented, especially when the property has a family audience or a brand image to protect. The manufacturer handles hardware certification, compliance with industry self-regulation, and distribution to pachinko halls.
Because pachinko is regulated as an amusement business in Japan, the license territory is almost always domestic. Manufacturers do not generally export pachinko machines under the same anime license. For an anime rights holder, the main commercial question is whether the pachinko audience overlaps with the core fan base and whether the license fee justifies any brand risk.
Frequently asked questions
Who grants anime pachinko licenses?
The anime's rights holder, usually the production committee or the IP owner, grants the license. Tsuburaya Fields Holdings defines this party as the 'licenser' that owns copyrights and/or merchandising rights.
Which companies make anime pachinko machines?
Major manufacturers include Bisty, a SANKYO subsidiary known for Evangelion machines, and SEGA SAMMY's Pachislot and Pachinko Machines Business. Tsuburaya Fields Holdings also plans and distributes pachinko/pachislot machines through its PS Field segment.
Are anime pachinko license fees public?
No. Public filings confirm that licenses exist, but per-title fees, royalty rates, and contract terms are private. Articles that quote specific numbers without a primary source are not reliable.
Can anime pachinko machines be released outside Japan?
Generally no. Pachinko and pachislot are regulated under Japanese amusement-business law, and the licenses are usually limited to the domestic market.
Sources and methodology
- Glossary, Tsuburaya Fields Holdings. Defines 'licenser' as the owner of copyrights and/or merchandising rights, and identifies Bisty as a SANKYO subsidiary with the Evangelion series.
- History, Tsuburaya Fields Holdings. Company history noting that Fields began selling Evangelion pachinko/pachislot machines in December 2004.
- Launch of New Pachinko Machine Pachinko EVANGELION:3.0+1.0, Tsuburaya Fields Holdings. Press release dated 28 September 2023 announcing an Evangelion pachinko machine using 2021 film footage, sales brand Bisty, and copyright khara.
- Business Areas, SEGA SAMMY Holdings. Overview of the Pachislot and Pachinko Machines Business and listed anime IP used in machines.