History of Slot Machines
| Updated: The Emergence of Slots in the World of Gambling
Everyone can agree that slots are the most sought-after type of game in both online and land-based casinos, luring countless players with the promise of quick and easy profits. In fact, it is practically unheard of for a gambling maven to visit a modern casino and find no slot games to enjoy.
There is an astonishing diversity in terms of themes and betting limits, so there is a little something to suit each slot fan’s preferences and bankroll size. What further contributes to slots’ popularity is that no particular set of skills is required, as everything is based on luck. This practically means anyone can spin the reels. But how, when, and where did the first slot machine come into existence? Moreover, how did slots become the casino staples they are today? Our article offers answers to these questions and more, so feel free to read on to find out.
The Liberty Bell of Charles Fey
You might be surprised to learn that slot machines date back to the end of the 19th century, but they have greatly evolved over the years. San Francisco mechanic Charles Fey is considered the creator of the prototype for the first slot machine, which appeared as early as 1895. He called it the Liberty Bell.
Needless to say, the number of paylines on the Liberty Bell was restricted to one. The highest payout was awarded to a player who succeeded in lining up three bell symbols across the middle of the reels. Fey’s creation consisted of three reels and utilised symbols such as card suits – diamonds, spades, and hearts – along with horseshoes and bells.
The Liberty Bell became an overnight success, largely because it was the first gambling device of its kind to offer automatic payouts. Soon after, slot machines were outlawed in the state of California, which prevented Fey from obtaining a patent, but demand for his creation did not cease. Quite the contrary – various copycats attempted to reproduce the Liberty Bell, though with less success.
The Liberty Bell Gets an Upgrade
In 1907, Fey teamed up with Chicago manufacturer Herbert Mills to give his Liberty Bell an upgrade. The result was what they called the Operator Bell, which worked on the same principle but featured new reel symbols. Instead of Fey’s card suits, the reels displayed the now-classic fruit symbols, including lemons, cherries, and plums. Slot machines gained even more popularity, which led to the introduction of the Silent Bell in the 1930s.
Slot Machines Take Off
As the popularity of slot machines grew even further, more improvements were made in the decades following the introduction of the Silent Bell. The “21” slot machine became the first all-electronic gambling device in history. This was followed by the Money Honey machine, introduced to the public by developer Bally Technologies.
These slot machines incorporated both mechanical and electrical components, greatly improving gameplay and enabling players to make multi-coin bets. This, in turn, resulted in even higher payouts for winners. As electro-mechanical slots gradually replaced their purely mechanical predecessors, the lever players once pulled to set the reels in motion disappeared altogether.
Over time, additional “cosmetic” improvements were made, resulting in slot machines attracting even more players. For instance, many slots featured flashing lights and exciting sounds whenever the reels spun or a payout was awarded.
The Introduction of Microchips
Further advancements came in the 1970s after microchip technology exploded onto the market. This breakthrough soon led to the emergence of the first video slot. It was then that Walt Fraley introduced the Fortune Coin slot machine, which was truly ahead of its time and unlike anything slot fans had ever seen. It was one of the first video slots to utilize a Random Number Generator, ensuring that the outcome of each spin was completely random and fair.
There was, however, one issue with video slots like the Fortune Coin. Players had grown accustomed to watching physical reels spin on mechanical or electro-mechanical machines, so it was difficult for them to understand how the virtual display on video slots actually worked. As a result, many preferred the less advanced electro-mechanical slots over the more visually appealing yet complex video versions. Nevertheless, it was definitely worth investing the necessary time and money to resolve this issue.
IGT Introduces the First Multi-Payline Video Slots
The company that produced the Fortune Coin video slot was bought by William Redd in 1978. Redd, who at the time owned and managed International Gaming Technology (now better known simply as IGT), recognized the enormous potential video slots carried and was determined to fix the issues players faced.
Further refinements followed, with IGT introducing machines that featured multiple paylines in the 1980s. Yet multiple paylines were not the only upgrade. The way players paid for a spin also changed, as inserting coins gradually gave way to the so-called “ticket-in, ticket-out” technology. And guess what? Slot fans again have IGT to thank for this huge improvement.
Ticket-in, ticket-out machines print a small slip of paper containing a unique barcode. The ticket can be exchanged for cash at the casino’s cashier or inserted into a video slot machine for further play. Once the player finishes on that machine, they receive a ticket-out, which again contains a barcode showing the amount won.
This allowed for greater flexibility, as slot fans were no longer required to carry coins each time they took a break, grabbed lunch, or visited the restroom. Casino personnel also benefited from the new technology because they no longer needed to handle such large volumes of cash manually.
Slots Go Online
The first online casinos emerged in the late 1990s. Needless to say, some of the earliest games to appear in online casino catalogues were slots, which is understandable considering their long-standing popularity among gambling enthusiasts. There is something to fit every player’s needs, preferences, and bankroll, as the diversity of themes, betting limits, and features is truly mind-boggling.
Speaking of features, state-of-the-art slots developed by leading software suppliers such as NetEnt, Microgaming, IGT, Playtech, and BetSoft carry tremendous winning potential. Lucrative special features include wild and scatter symbols, bonus-spin rounds, and mini games that further boost players’ chances of collecting huge payouts. As far as paylines are concerned, some online slots allow players to bet on more than one hundred lines.
Some online slot titles also provide players with “243 Ways to Win” on a single spin, while others offer as many as 1,024 ways. Then again, there are the “million makers”, like Mega Moolah, offering slot fans the opportunity to land seven-figure progressive jackpots without leaving home.
The quality of the animations, graphics, and sounds is superb, to say the least, and the interfaces of online slots are exceptionally user-friendly, making them suitable for both new and experienced players. In addition, fans can spin the reels on the go, as most online casinos are either mobile-responsive or offer downloadable applications for smartphones and tablets. Gone are the days when slot fans’ pockets clinked with coins – payments to and from online casinos are processed safely, conveniently, and, above all, quickly.
And to think this is only the beginning, as surely further improvements and more cutting-edge innovations await slot fans in the years to come.
Major Developments in Slot Technology
Slots are easily the single most technology-dependent gambling game on the casino floor and, as such, have undergone multiple developments over the years. They have evolved to such an extent that players from earlier days would hardly recognize them now. Here is a brief list of some of the most important technological developments slot fans have witnessed over the years.
- Introduced by Bally in 1963, coin hoppers replaced coin tubes and completely revolutionized the way slot machines operated. They first appeared in the Money Honey machine, allowing coins to circulate from larger payout pools. This technology paved the way for bigger and more frequent payouts.
- Virtual reels were the brainchild of Inge Telnaes, who patented his invention in May 1984. The Norwegian mathematician mapped symbols and empty stops from traditional reels onto virtual ones. Telnaes’ invention enabled slot-machine manufacturers to design games with higher variance, larger jackpots, and more frequent payouts. IGT was the first gambling company to take advantage of the invention. Virtual reels were such a game-changer that they enabled US slot machines to surpass table games in terms of revenue in the mid-1980s.
- Always the innovator, IGT introduced the first wide-area progressive slot machine, Megabucks, in 1986. The Megabucks jackpot network linked multiple machines in casinos across Nevada, allowing for the accumulation of mind-blowing prizes. In 2003, the Megabucks slot produced a $39-million jackpot, a record amount at the time.
- Progressive multi-level jackpots became reality in the late 1990s and first appeared in the Cash Express game designed by Aristocrat Technologies. Major manufacturers like Bally Technologies, Williams Gaming, and IGT followed suit soon after. Four-level jackpots became the standard, although games can offer anywhere between two and ten tiers.
- Bill validators enabled players to insert banknotes rather than dropping coin after coin on every pull of the lever. Modern bill validators can read bills of different currencies as well as scan the barcodes on payout tickets.
- Slot machines that offer multiple games are another game-changing invention from Bally Gaming. The company designed the first machine of this type in 1994. The Game Maker enabled players to select one of several available games via an on-screen button and featured a slot game, blackjack, and video poker.