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Slots are probably the most authentic casino games because you can’t play them anywhere other than at a registered casino venue. The biggest casinos offer thousands of slot machines, and they are the most popular game category on online sites.
Before becoming the high-tech gaming machines that we see today, there was a time when slots were just coin-operated devices with a manual spin handle. Most casino games like Blackjack and Poker date back hundreds of years but have stayed true to their origins with only a few variations. But the evolution of slots through the years has been one groundbreaking advancement after the other. With every milestone in technology, these games easily adapt to the trend. They are a perfect canvas for the software developer looking to create a masterpiece game.
The Invention Of The Slot Machine
As one of the best inventions in gambling history, it’s expected that there would be some debate about who takes credit for developing the original slot machine. What is certain is that the term slot machine was first heard of in the 19th century, but two accounts are widely recognized today.
The first is that the pioneer slot machine was the Liberty Bell invented by American car mechanic Charles Augustus Fey, sometime between 1887 and 1895. The second is the Poker machine developed in 1891 by New York-based company, Sittman and Pitt.
The Poker gaming machine was designed with five drums and 50 playing cards and could be found in many bars and saloons. Two cards were taken out of the deck – the ten of spades and the jack of hearts, and this would halve the odds of players getting a royal flush, thereby increasing the house edge. You would insert a nickel and pull the lever to play, and any lineup of poker hands wins. The machine had no mechanism to pay out directly, and prizes were non-monetary gifts like free drinks, cigarettes, or food. Players would head to the bar to get their rewards.
The Liberty Bell is the more common account of the machine’s invention, primarily because it featured reels in place of drums. The machine had 3 reels and used symbols instead of playing cards. The symbols were diamonds, hearts, spades, horseshoes, and a liberty bell. The Liberty Bell allowed automatic coin payouts, and the highest reward was awarded for landing 3 bell symbols on each reel. To play, players needed to pull a lever just as with the poker machine. This was the main similarity between both designs and was why slots were given the moniker “one-armed bandits.”
Charles Fey was the brains behind the Liberty Bell, and other manufacturers quickly copied its design. In no time, the machine soared in popularity, signaling the beginning of the slot machine boom.
The Ban On Slot Machines
In 1902, slot machines were officially banned in the majority of US state casinos for being gambling machines based on chance. Nonetheless, Liberty Bell continued production and distribution. As a way of working around the ban, Fey implemented a smart alternative to coin payouts. Instead of card symbols, he began using symbols of candy, chewing gum, and other sweets. For example, players who got three candy symbols on the reels would win an actual candy instead of money.
As more fruity flavored sweets were featured on the reels, the machines became known as “fruit machines.” The BAR symbol common on many classic slot machines is based on the logo of the Bell-Fruit Gum Company that manufactured some of the sweets given out as prizes. The first slot machine featuring the BAR symbol was the Operator Bell designed in 1907 by Chicago based enterprise, Herbert Mills.
The Evolution of Slots
Slot manufacturers did not slow down producing these machines through the early 1900s, and as supply increased, so did demand. The most notable leaps in the slot machine industry happened in the latter half of the century and would lead to the kind of slots we know and love today.
Electromechanical Slots Milestone
The early slot machines were mechanical, and you needed to pull the lever to start and stop the reels from spinning. This manual approach seemed to give players the impression that they could control where the reels stopped – a huge misconception. In 1964, a technological milestone was reached with the creation of the first electromechanical slot machine, Money Honey, released by Bally Manufacturing. The machine still had a lever which players pulled to start the game, but the reels spun on electricity. The Money honey offered an automatic payout of up to 500 coins, and as time went on, and electromechanical slots became the rave, the spin handle was removed from new machines.
Video Slots Milestone
Las Vegas was the founding city of the first video slot machines to grace the gambling industry. The first video slot marked the beginning of the future as physical reels were removed, and a video screen would display virtual spinning reels. In 1976, Vegas-based company, Fortune Coin, manufactured a video slot machine using a modified 19-inch Sony TV display screen. The Nevada State Gaming Commission approved the slot, and soon after, the reels went spinning at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel.
Second Screen Bonus Rounds Milestone
Video slots paved the way for the introduction of second screen games. These machines featured bonus rounds that, when triggered, open up a second screen different from the main game. At the end of the bonus rounds, the second screen closes, and the main game continues. The first video slot featuring a second screen was “Reel ‘Em” by WMS in 1996. The payouts from the bonus rounds were the largest, which further increased the popularity of video slots.
Land-based casino establishments were on the rise throughout the state during this time, and slots took up almost 70% of the gaming areas in both tribal and commercial casinos.
Online Slots Milestone
The internet and information technology boomed in the late 90s, and the gambling industry wasted no time going virtual. Online casinos were developed on computer software and introduced a new kind of gaming experience, characterized by improved convenience. Online sites offered only classic table and card games like Blackjack and Roulette at the start, but slots have never had a reputation for lagging behind the trend. It was the perfect opportunity for slots manufacturers to take the bold step into the virtual arena, and they did.
Slots were made to play on desktop devices and were identical to their land-based counterparts. Technology kept advancing and led to the discovery of more creative opportunities. Since online slots could be designed with relatively less capital than the physical machines, the number of game developers multiplied. More online slots were released, and they had extended reels, different layouts, new themes, and better game features. Thanks to these slots, the casino industry was able to shed its identity as an activity for only the older generation. The newest titles feature video game elements and tournament-style competitions that attract a lot of the younger generation, and the excitement peaks with the array of fantastic casino bonuses available for online slots.
Mobile Slots Milestone
After online slots came mobile slots with the slogan “gaming on the go.” Mobile slots were developed thanks to the new HTML5 technology that allows mobile compatibility. The latest mobile slots are designed with top-notch graphics, amazing animations, and lucrative payouts.
Since the inception of mobile gaming in the late 2000s, the percentage of online players has skyrocketed. While desktop slots were convenient, mobiles offer a different level of accessibility. Phones and tablets are extremely portable and can be used anywhere and anytime.
Mobile slots are now a criterion for joining an online casino, so it is a top priority for software developers. These games are also available as downloadable apps. Gamers can play their favorite mobile slots from a dedicated casino app or on the mobile casino website.
Jackpots – Then And Now!
From the 50 cent jackpot offered by Fey’s Liberty Bell to million-dollar progressive jackpots, slots have come a very long way. Microgaming’s Cash Splash was the first online release providing a moderately high jackpot amount. It has been succeeded by some millionaire-maker slots like Mega Moolah, still by Microgaming and NetEnt’s Mega Fortune. The record jackpot win is from Mega Moolah, which paid out €17,879,645 to a lucky player in October of 2015. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for jackpot slots to reward players in the millions.
Conclusion
It is difficult to pinpoint the exact number of slot games available today. There are over 2000 online slots, not including the land-based options, and new titles are released every month. Game developers number in the hundreds with notable names like Microgaming and NetEnt at the top of the pyramid. The former alone has designed over 500 slots over the past two and a half decades. This game category generates the bulk of casino revenue, and it is almost impossible to imagine a casino without slots. One thing hasn’t changed throughout history – whether you play with the Liberty Bell or the top online video slots, one-armed bandits guarantee a thrilling gaming experience unique to the spinning reels of a casino slot.
