By Ivo Dimitrov – Follow me on Linkedin
As the global gaming community descended on Barcelona for ICE 2026 (January 19–21 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via), I had the good fortune to kick off the week with a serene and deeply enriching experience. On the Sunday prior – January 18, conveniently before the hustle and bustle of the show itself, I took an off-the-beaten-path detour to Sabadell, just a short drive north of the city.
Thanks to a private invitation arranged through iGB Executive, I was granted rare access to the Museo Sanahuja – a private collection that is not generally open to the public. It was a profound honor and privilege to glimpse, touch, and even operate these historic machines, which represent such a foundational part of our industry’s history. The visit not only offered invaluable insights into the mechanical roots of gaming but also provided a relaxed setting for meaningful networking among a small group of invited professionals.
Upon arrival, I was warmly greeted by welcoming hosts from Grupo MGA, who guided us through the collection with evident pride and expertise. The Museo Sanahuja is the lifelong passion of Jaume Sanahuja Junyent, founder of Grupo MGA (established in 1976) and a pioneer who developed Spain’s first payout slot machine. While I didn’t have the opportunity to meet Señor Sanhuja personally on this visit, his vision permeates every corner of the museum. Over decades, he and his family have assembled one of Europe’s largest private collections of coin-operated entertainment machines – more than 700 pieces, all meticulously restored and fully operational.
The spacious facility is organized into four captivating sections: Jukeboxes, Pinballs, Slot Machines, and Arcades.
The Jukebox section immediately transports you to another era, with more than 75 on display. Iconic brands like Wurlitzer, Rock-Ola, Seeburg, and AMI range from early 20th-century models to postwar classics, their chrome, bubbles, and vibrant colors glowing under the lights. The hosts encouraged us to select records, and the rich sound of a vintage Wurlitzer playing a 45 RPM disc was a highlight – evoking the social role these machines once played in cafés and diners worldwide.
The Pinball area, boasting over 200 machines, traces the genre’s evolution from 1910s Bagatelle games to electromechanical icons of the 1960s–70s and later solid-state tables. Pulling the plunger on restored Gottlieb, Bally, and Williams classics delivered that unmistakable symphony of flippers, bells, and tilts – a tactile thrill that modern digital versions can only approximate.
The Slot Machines section honors the mechanical ingenuity at the heart of land-based casino gaming: early 1900s handcrafted models, saloon favorites, and quirky fortune-tellers that foreshadowed today’s sophisticated reels.
The impeccable preservation – every machine on display is playable, turning the museum into a living timeline.
Starting ICE week with this quiet reflection on our analog heritage was invaluable. Amid the show’s focus on Digital, AI, transformation and regulation, the museum reminded us of the joy, social connection, and innovation that have always driven gaming. The informal networking over shared appreciation of these artifacts sparked thoughtful discussions on how historical lessons inform today’s opportunities.
I returned to Fira Barcelona energized, with a deeper sense of our industry’s rich legacy. Private experiences like this, away from the exhibition floor, often provide the most lasting value.
(Images illustrative of the Museo Sanahuja and its collections, sourced from public domains.)
