Trace of the Slot Machine Game

Slot machines, or one-armed bandits, are very simple and fun. It’s hard to walk past a row of slots without trying your luck by inserting a couple of coins. However, it’s difficult to find among gamblers those who know the history of slot machines, which is as interesting and exciting as the game itself. Slot machines are relatively young, having existed for about 120 years.

The First Slot Machines

The first slot machine was invented by Charles Fey in his workshop in 1887 in San Francisco and named Liberty Bell. The machine looked like modern slots but was a little smaller. It was a three-reel slot with 20 symbols, like stars, horseshoes, bells and the card suit pictures – clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades.

In 1907 Charles Fey partnered with Mills Novelty Company and introduced a new version – the Mills Liberty Bell. It had card symbols like Jack, Queen and King. In 1910 the company launched Operator Bell, whose characteristic features were fruit symbols and a gooseneck coin deposit system.

The first prototype of a five-reel slot machine was developed by Sittman and Pitt Company in 1891. The machine contained 50 playing card symbols and the winning was determined by poker combinations. Later the Jack of Hearts and the Ten of Spades cards were removed to increase the house odds. The payout was not cash but prizes offered by the establishment where the slot was played. It could be a drink or a packet of cigarettes.

Later Fortune of Slot Machines

In the 1930s Mills offered cabinets designed in different themes, like Lion Head, Roman Head, War Eagle and Castle Front. In 1946 Bugsy Siegel opened the Flamingo Casino in Las Vegas, where slot machines were introduced as a game option. At that time slot machines were seen as a game for women, played while men enjoyed their favorite games.

In the 1950s the electro-mechanical era started with massive slot machines like Big Bertha. It had 20 symbols on each reel and a payback percentage of 80%. In 1964 Money Honey appeared. Thanks to electricity, players could enjoy flashing lights and exciting sounds during play. In the 1970s high-denomination Dollar Slots were introduced and slots took a significant place on the casino floor.

Computerized Era of Slot Machines

The computerized era of slot machines began in the 1980s, when SIRCOMA introduced the first video poker slots. New slot machines allowed players to enjoy multi-line games, diagonal and vertical wins, bonuses and progressive jackpots.

Online Slot Machines

Online slots quickly gained the recognition of gamblers, as they offer a range of bonuses and privileges for players. Software providers of online casinos were quick to focus on demands of the gambling world and developed thousands of different slot games for more than 2000 online casinos.

Classic Slots Inspired by History

Discover some classic and themed slots reminiscent of early machines from providers like Wager Gaming Technology: