The History

How did it all start with slots

Slot machines were invented over a century ago. Back then the technology was nothing compared to what us gamblers are used to playing today. The man who started it all was an American by the name of Charles Fey. Fey invented the Liberty Bell machine in 1898, and pioneered many gaming devices, all from his basement.

The Liberty Bell is the grandfather of all slot machines, and paved the way for the games you see in land based casinos, and online casinos today. The design of the first slot machine was beyond basic as you could imagine, but as years passed and technology became available, the slot games advanced.

The design of the Liberty Bell was a simple one pay line three reel slot machine. Despite popular belief, the first symbols to be used in the slot design weren’t the fruit symbols many imagine them being. Stars, and horseshoes that made up the winning symbols, and the machine itself weighed over 100lbs; made out of cast iron.

Around the 30’s the slot machine became popular in the United States. In the 40’s the famous mobster, Bugsy Siegel, added slots to his Flamingo Hilton hotel on the Las Vegas strip. These machines were originally used as entertainment for the wives and girlfriends of the men at the hotel but soon the slots were bringing in just as much money as the table games were. In the 1980’s the popularity of slot games spiked and became just as exciting to gamblers as table games. In the 90’s slot machines took over and became the single most popular casino game and today accounts for more than 2/3 of the total USA casino revenue.

Slot machines got so much attention because unlike the other casino games, a slot game can be played at a players pace and requires little skill. The games are enjoyable more so because of the ease of game play, so players can just sit back and watch the reels spin as the machine does most of the thinking for them. That doesn’t mean they are boring by any means. Today, the bonus features in video slot games provide interaction with the player, making the game much more engaging.

The concept of a slot machine is to get as many of the same symbols as possible on the provided pay lines. If the player does this, they are paid out according to the pay table, usually on the front of the classic slot machines. Online, and in newer machines the payouts are displayed on a separate screen which the player can access with a click of a button.

Technology has become so advanced that reels that used to hold 20 symbols can now hold hundreds. Three reels is no longer the staple in a slot machine as it is now five and sometimes more with video slots. The payouts do not end on the reels anymore. There are bonus features, free games, and many more ways to win while playing this casino classic in any brick and mortar, or online casino.

Paper money has taken the place of coins too. In the old days, players used to drop their coin into the machine, and the winnings would be paid by coins spitting out from the bottom of the machine. Not today. Today the machines take bills, and very rarely would you come across one that still accepts coin play. There are a few casinos out there that have these, but not as common as they used to be.

Payouts are now made by paper and you can take the ticket to an ATM like machine that will give you your cash, occasionally machines will require a hand pay by an attendant, but that is usually for big wins. Coin denominations have changed as well. High Rollers that can afford to play the high stakes can play high denomination machines, while low rollers can still enjoy their penny slots; so there is really a slot machine for every type of player out there.

Video Poker is a fast paced game of poker played in a slot machine setting. The idea from this game came from the slot machines ease of play. Without a dealer time between hands is significantly less. This means the player can win more in a shorter time frame essentially.

In closing, slots aren’t what they used to be; they’re better. Slot machines can offer high payouts, hours of entertainment and more. One thing remained the same throughout these years, the gambler. Slot lovers everywhere all play to win, and love to play online slots. There will be further advances in the future, and I am sure all slot players are eager to see what comes next.