The evolution of slot machines

Over the years, slot machines have become increasingly popular, allowing players to enjoy hours of fun while having the opportunity to win cash prizes. From the historic ‘One-Armed Bandit’ to the video slots that occupy a large part of many online casinos today, these games have seen a surge in popularity around the world.

This article will discuss the history of these machines and their progression from land based gaming to internet gaming sensations.

When was the slot machine invented?

The first slot machine as we know it today dates back to around 1891. Known as ‘One-Armed Bandit’, this slot was invented in New York by Sittman and Pitt. With five reels acting as reels and a lever on the side to activate them, he had 50 card symbols to land on. As is the case with modern fruit slot machines, they were commonly used in bars across the country.

The first automatic slot

Not long after the invention of the ‘One-Armed Bandit’, a man named Charles Fey invented the first automatic slot machine in California, in 1895. With only three reels, this slot machine was considered to run on a much simpler mechanism and only had five royal symbols.

Called Liberty Bell, this early auto slot could be seen as an influence for some modern video slots that still use three reels and a minimal number of symbols.

royal symbols

Fruit symbols have long been associated with slots and this is perhaps due to 1907 and the invention of the slot machine by Herbert Mills. Called the Bell Operator, Herbert Mills created it to rival Charles Fey’s.

Even though the evolution of slot machines and actual symbols encompass almost anything, many video slots still choose to use classic fruit symbols. The likes of Double Bubble, one of the most popular video slots, builds on classic features and symbols while providing players with a modern spinning experience.

Slot machines as we know them

In 1963, Bally Manufacturing succeeded in producing a side-mount leverless slot. As the first electromechanical slot machine, it could award coins automatically without the help of an assistant. Called Money Honey, this slot machine paved the way for the electronic games of the future.

The introduction of video slots

Although Bally Manufacturing managed to bring electronic functionality to the slots scene some 13 years earlier, the first real video slots were invented in the mid-1970s in California. Fortune Coin Co developed video slot technology in 1976, mounting a display in a slot machine cabinet and obtaining approval from the Nevada State Gaming Commission.

video slots today

The video slots we know today and their place in gaming date back to the 1990s and the launch of the first online casinos. In 1994, the first online casino with a variety of video slots to play was launched.

There are currently hundreds of online casinos where you can play thousands of video slots. They are provided by various software providers and seem to cover all sorts of categories and genres.

The chances of winning huge sums of cash are ever present, even more so with the introduction of progressive slots. With these games, some are linked to larger networks, allowing prize pools to grow at a rapid rate and regularly reach the millions.