diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/shootout.cpp b/src/mame/drivers/shootout.cpp
index 5a40b4de8a5..a012485d690 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/shootout.cpp
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/shootout.cpp
@@ -264,7 +264,6 @@ GFXDECODE_END
 
 void shootout_state::machine_reset ()
 {
-	m_bFlicker     = 0;
 	m_ccnt_old_val = 0x40;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mame/includes/shootout.h b/src/mame/includes/shootout.h
index c05aeddff24..4a0965797eb 100644
--- a/src/mame/includes/shootout.h
+++ b/src/mame/includes/shootout.h
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ public:
 	tilemap_t *m_background;
 	tilemap_t *m_foreground;
 
-	int m_bFlicker;
 	int m_ccnt_old_val;
 
 	DECLARE_WRITE8_MEMBER(bankswitch_w);
diff --git a/src/mame/video/shootout.cpp b/src/mame/video/shootout.cpp
index 784221acbe4..a8eaf925ff7 100644
--- a/src/mame/video/shootout.cpp
+++ b/src/mame/video/shootout.cpp
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ void shootout_state::video_start()
 	m_foreground = &machine().tilemap().create(*m_gfxdecode, tilemap_get_info_delegate(FUNC(shootout_state::get_fg_tile_info),this), TILEMAP_SCAN_ROWS, 8, 8, 32, 32);
 	m_foreground->set_transparent_pen(0 );
 
-	save_item(NAME(m_bFlicker));
 	save_item(NAME(m_ccnt_old_val));
 }
 
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ void shootout_state::draw_sprites(screen_device &screen, bitmap_ind16 &bitmap, c
 	const uint8_t *source = m_spriteram+127*4;
 	int count;
 
-	m_bFlicker = !m_bFlicker;
+	bool m_bFlicker = (screen.frame_number () & 1) != 0;
 
 	for( count=0; count<128; count++ )
 	{