History of the Slots

It is generally believed that the phrase slot machines was first used to refer to gambling devices and all automatic machines. Based on many sources about the history of the slots, it was only in the Twentieth century when the term slot machine was exclusively used for gambling devices. Slot machines are also popularly referred to as the one-armed bandit.

Based on the history of slots, the first gambling machine was invented by a company in Brooklyn, New York called Sittman and Pitt in 1891. This slot machine used symbols from card faces. The prizes back then were not cash. Instead goods from the bar were used as prizes. The prize depends on poker hands. The first mechanized slot machine was invented by a car mechanic from San Francisco named Charles Fey in 1895. Fey’s slot machine was called the Liberty Bell. This slot machine used 3 spinning reels and the heart, spade and diamond symbols were all displayed around each reel plus a depiction of a Liberty Bell which is cracked.

The biggest jackpot back then amounts to fifty cents which can be won by hitting three sequential Liberty Bells. The first Liberty Bell slot machine is now displayed in a restaurant in Reno, Nevada called the Liberty Belle Saloon & Restaurant. Based on the history of the slots, the popularity of slot machines was instantaneous among gamblers and many manufacturers of gambling supplies tried to persuade Mr. Fey to sell the distribution and manufacturing rights to them but he refused. In 1907, a Chicago arcade machine manufacturer named Herbert Mills invented his version of the slot machine. The machine was named the Operator Bell and it was the earliest slot machine to use fruit symbols.

In 1934, the 1st popular electric gaming machine was invented. It was called PACES RACES. The Bally Manufacturing company later developed the first electro-mechanical slot machine which was called Money Honey. In the mid 1970’s the same company invented the Dollar Slot Machine which was used by bigger casinos for bigger prize money. As a result, other electronic machines for gambling were soon invented and other versions of the slot machine were also developed by other manufacturers. The 1st electronic slot machine had been built by the Fortune Coin Company.

In the 1990’s slot machines did not just accept coins but bills also so that players do not need to exchange their bills for coins. In the late 1990’s, a slot machine which allows players a chance to win aside from the spinning reels was invented. The machine also has a bonus feature which made the game more interesting.

Modern slot machines are much more complicated with different variations. Some of the popular slot machine manufacturers include WMS Gaming, Atronic, Bally Gaming, Aristocrat, IGT and Shuffle Master. These days, many modern slot machines are using tickets and cards instead of coins. Some slot machines even have use touch screen technology.

The advent of the internet and online games also led to the development and popularity of online slot machine games. Many online casinos and software developers are inventing online slot machine games almost weekly due to the popularity of the game. Aside from the development of the machine itself, the prize money & the jackpot also reached new heights. These days the jackpot can go as high as one million or more.