Starting in 2007, the majority of Japanese pachinko machines started to include "" (小当たり, small jackpot) into their payout systems. "Koatari" is shorter than the normal jackpot and during payout mode the payout gate opens for a short time only, even if no balls go into it. The timing of the opening of the gates is unpredictable, effectively making it a jackpot where the player receives no payout. "Koatari" jackpots can result in a "kakuhen" as per normal operation, depending on the payout scheme of the machine in question. The main purpose of "koatari" is so that pachinko manufacturers can offer payout schemes that "appear" to be largely favorable to customers, without losing any long-term profit.