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If you've been to Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world, you're probably familiar with the tradition of locals placing one or more slot machines in their homes. Would you like to have a slot machine in your home? These vintage games of chance are worth a lot of money today.
From one-armed bandits to modern video slots, today online casinos offer a wide variety of RNG-based options for every taste. So, you don't need to plan your trip to Las Vegas or search for the nearest land-based casino to have an unforgettable gambling experience. Nevertheless, it's interesting to learn the history of the retro fruit machines and coin slot machine games that used to be set up in bars, snack bars and B&M casino gaming halls. The game of chance became popular due to its simple rules so that everyone could play without having any special skills. So, let's find out what were the first slot machines and how they have evolved over the years.
The First Slot Machine and What Was It?
Although modern gambling was firmly established in Las Vegas, the first penny arcade machine was created in San Francisco by local inventor Gustave Schulze. His Horseshoes machine displayed horseshoes, jokers and some other symbols and made payouts for simple combinations. For a combination of jokers, players got free drinks, while a combination of horseshoes paid with two nickel coins. So, that's why the old slot machines are also called nickel slots.
However, it was Charles Fey, a friend of Gustav's, who launched the slot machine era. The first one-armed bandit capable of making payouts automatically was introduced to the world in 1898. Originally called the Card Bell, it was renamed the Liberty Bell a year later with a batch of 100+ units produced. Remarkably, it was the presence of a lever - which resembles an arm - to start spinning the reels that caused these machines to be called 'one-armed bandits'.
Interesting Facts About Old Slot Machines
Curiously, slot machines almost immediately fell under legal regulation, so that they could not make cash payouts. In addition, old fruit machines were too noisy, but this only attracted the attention of gambling enthusiasts. So, let's take a look at some interesting historical facts about slot machines:
- The Liberty Bell made a maximum payout of 50 cents for a combination of three bell symbols.
- The original Liberty Belle slot is still in a salon-restaurant in Reno, Nevada.
- Charles Fey is also the creator of the first poker machine and a device capable of detecting counterfeit money placed into the slot.
- Charles provided his old amusement arcade machines to saloons on a rental basis, receiving 50% of the proceeds.
Since the Liberty Bell was in great demand, Charles did not have time to produce slot machines in sufficient quantity. Although some companies tried to acquire the rights to produce and distribute Charles Fey's 'one-armed bandits', the inventor refused. Herbert Mills, a Chicago entrepreneur, began producing Liberty Bell knockoffs under the "Operator Bell" name, adding fruity icons to the symbol set (old fruit machines).
Transition from Mechanics to Electronics
So, despite the fact that slot machines were officially banned in 1902, the history of one-armed bandit slot machine did not end there. For several decades, Mills' fruit machines that rewarded lucky players with chewing gum and candy were coin great demand. With their lever that triggered the spinning of the reels, slots continued to be mechanical for a long time.
Released in 1964 by Bally, Money Honey is the first slot machine to use an electric drive mechanism. However, the reels were still powered by the same lever, as gamers was accustomed to this control. With a maximum payout of 500 coins, Money Honey became a real hit.
Although the old slot machines worked quite well, they required some improvements. Thus, the Las Vegas-based company Fortune Coin introduced the first prototype of video slot in 1976. Notably, it was Sony's TV that was used to display the playing field. Acquired the rights to the invention of Fortune Coin, IGT finalized the video slot. As a result, video slots have become very popular at many Las Vegas casinos.
The Era of Online Slots
During the Internet technology boom of the mid-1990s, gambling websites emerged. Although roulette and blackjack were the first games to receive an online format, they were soon joined by slots. Initially, players had access to programmed versions of penny arcade machines and one-armed bandits. However, computer programming has removed any restrictions, allowing the studios to create a bright slot machines featuring different themes, excellent graphics, animation and a wide variety of in-game bonuses.
A little later, slots became compatible with mobile devices. In addition, many companies are actively working to promote new technologies such as VR. Overall, thanks to simple gameplay, promising features and high winning potential, slot machines remain one of the most played games at land-based and online casinos alike.
You can learn more interesting facts about the history of slot machines by watching this video:
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