Over the years, slot machines have become increasingly popular, allowing players to enjoy hours of fun while having the opportunity to win cash prizes at the same time. From the historic ‘One Arm Bandit’ to the video slots that occupy a large section of many online casinos today, these games have witnessed an increase in popularity around the world.
This article will discuss the history of these machines and their progression from land games to internet gaming sensations.
When was the slot machine invented?
The first slot machine as we know it today dates back to around 1891. Known as the ‘One Arm Bandit’, this slot was invented in New York by Sittman and Pitt. With five reels acting as reels and a lever on the side to make them rattle, he had 50 card symbols to land on. As is the case with modern fruit slot machines, they were commonly used in bars across the country.
The first automatic slot
Not long after the invention of the ‘One Arm Bandit’, the first automatic slot machine was invented by a man named Charles Fey in California, in 1895. With only three reels, this slot machine was widely regarded as working with a very much mechanism. simpler and only had five reel symbols.
Called Liberty Bell, this first automatic slot could be seen as an influencer for some modern video slots that still use three reels and a minimal number of symbols.
Reel symbols
Fruit symbols have long been associated with slots and this may be due to 1907 and the invention of the slot machine by Herbert Mills. Called Operator Bell, Herbert Mills created it to rival that of Charles Fey.
Despite the evolution of slot machines and reel symbols that are made up of just about anything, many video slots still choose to use classic fruit symbols. The likes of Double Bubble, one of the most popular video slots, is based on classic features and symbols while giving players a modern spin experience.
Slot machines as we know them
In 1963, Bally Manufacturing succeeded in producing a slot without a side-mount lever. As the first electromechanical slot machine, it could automatically reward coins without an assistant helping it. Called Money Honey, this slot machine paved the way for the electronic games of the future.
The introduction of video slots
Although Bally Manufacturing managed to bring electronic functionality to the slot scene around 13 years earlier, the first real video slots were invented in the mid-1970s in California. Fortune Coin Co developed video slot technology in 1976, mounting a screen in the cabinet of a slot machine and gaining approval from the Nevada State Gaming Commission.
Video slots today
The video slots we know today and their place in gaming dates back to the 1990s and the launch of the first online casinos. In 1994, the first online casino with a variety of video slots to play was launched.
There are currently hundreds of online casinos where thousands of video slots can be played. They are provided by various software vendors and seem to cover all kinds of categories and genres.
The possibilities of winning large sums of money are always present, even more so with the introduction of progressive slots. With these games, some are tied to wider networks, allowing prize pools to grow at a rapid rate and reach millions on a regular basis.