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Mechanical to Electronic: The History of Slot Machines

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Online slots are one of the most popular types of games at online casinos. People love playing them for a host of reasons. For one, online slots are highly accessible. You just need a device and an internet connection, and you don’t have to implement complicated strategies to play them. Just choose a game, make your bet and hit a button to set the reels whirling.

Then there’s the variety. Online casinos offer a wide range of themed slots so you’ll find a game you enjoy.

But how did it all begin? How did slots evolve to the point they’ve reached now

The Origins of Slots

Today, it’s easy to power up a mobile device or computer and play slots online. However, it wasn’t always this straightforward.

The origins of slots date back to the late 19th century and are slightly unclear because more than one company was trying to create slot machines at the same time. A company called Sittman and Pitt had tried to develop a machine that produced random poker hands when players pulled a lever. However, the machine was too complex because the game used a full deck of cards and there was no way to automate payouts in line with the different hands possible in poker.

This was a starting point, and, throughout time, slots have evolved into the sensation they are today. Advances in technology have driven progress, as has consumer demand, which has indicated the types of slots that are popular and how consumers want companies to deliver them.

The First Ever Slot Machine

The credit for the first ever automated slot machine goes to a man named Charles Fey, who invented the Liberty Bell between 1887 and 1895. This machine featured five symbols and three reels and paid out automatically. Three Liberty Bell symbols awarded the highest payouts.

The machine was straightforward, innovative and set the standard for future slot machines. But Fey couldn’t have foreseen that one day, his game would trigger lots of electronic games based on his idea and played in a digital world. Nor could he have predicted players wouldn’t even need to leave the house to play them.

Online slots have changed slot gaming immensely since the invention of the Liberty Bell. Whereas the original slots only had three reels, many online slots have five. Unless they’re a classic slot, they also don’t feature diamonds, spades, hearts or other traditional symbols, but instead have different themes and symbols related to those themes. A music-themed slot might have guitars, drum kits and images from the band that inspired them, for instance.

Mr Fey could also not have envisaged that jackpots would change. Whereas, like the Liberty Bell, lots of slots pay out fixed amounts for certain combinations, many slots offer progressive jackpots. These jackpots increase every time a player places a stake in the game. They only reset when someone wins the jackpot; then it restarts and builds up again.

Evolving Through the Ages

Slots have a long, storied history. Here’s a brief timeline of the main milestones in their development following the Liberty Bell.

The Operator Bell (1902 to 1908)

The Operator Bell, invented by Herbert Mills, built upon Fey’s Liberty Bill and, to circumvent antigambling laws, dispensed sweets and other noncash prizes. It featured cherries, lemons and plums and other symbols synonymous with fruit machines.

The Money Honey (1964)

The Money Honey was the first fully electromechanical slot machine. Electricity powered the reels, and the machine relied on buttons for functionality.

The Fortune Coin (1976 to 1978)

‘The Fortune Coin’ was the world’s first ever video slot. The slot incorporated a modified Sony TV screen for its display and replaced physical reels with digital ones. The machine laid the foundations for modern video slots.

Mid-1990s Cash Splash, the first online slot

In the 1990s, Microgaming released what is considered the first online slot, ‘Cash Splash’ midway through the decade. The game paved the way for many more online slots and, to ensure games were fair, the use of random numbers generators (RNGs).

Reel ‘Em (1995)

‘Reel ‘Em’, developed by WMS Industries, introduced players to the first second-screen bonus round in online slots. After triggering a bonus round, players would enter a second screen and play a separate, interactive game.

Mobile slots (2005 to present day)

In 2005, the slots world welcomed “Pub Fruity,” one of the first mobile slots. Although the slot issued virtual prizes initially, advances in mobile technology made the game more accessible. Casinos began offering games playable on mobile devices and allowing players to play for real money.

Metagames (2010)

In 2010, developers introduced metagaming to online slots. Metagaming introduced extra layers of gameplay to slots, including challenges, rewards and unique features.

Online slots are highly innovative and slot gaming, in general, has evolved rapidly since its late 19th century origins. The inventors of early slots machines might well look at today’s industry with pride in the innovation their creations have sparked.



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