Where did it all begin for our favourite casino game, the slot machine? Even without knowing the in-depth history of the slot machine, you probably have an idea of just how far the Slotzo game has come over the past couple of decades thanks to advancements in technology and the internet. Let’s take a brief look at the history of the slot machine to see how it has influenced the gambling and casino industry.
It all began back in 1891…
The first-ever slot machine was created by Sittman and Pitt in 1891 and it consisted of a machine with five drums and 50 playing cards and could be played in multiple bars by inserting a nickel. This machine was operated by lever and players would pull it to play and players would win the game by lining up poker hands on the reels. This mechanical machine couldn’t pay out winnings directly, so if you won you’d have to collect your winnings at the bar, and this could be anything from money to cigarette and free drinks!
The Liberty Bell and The Fruit Machine
Automatic payouts came later in 1887 with the invention of the famous Liberty Bell which was invented by Charles Augustus Fey. This machine was an improvement of the drum machine that was invented back in 1891 and replaced the drums with three reels instead and instead of playing cards, it was replaced with symbols: hearts, diamonds, spades, horseshoes and the liberty bell which was the highest value symbol. It was extremely popular and the rookie error by Charles Augustus Fey was that he didn’t patent the design of his machine, so it was replicated by many other slot machine manufacturers so he lost out on a goldmine!
The Operator Bell slot was developed in 1907 and so the era of the fruit machine erupted. These slot machines had fruit symbols and you might be surprised to know that the prizes were paid out in chewing gum and candy and these machine could be widely played in various entertainment venues as well as shops and salons.
From Mechanical to Electromechanical
For decades slot machines continued to be mechanical and operated by a level until 1964 when the Money Honey from Bally was invented which was the very first electromechanical slot machine. This was a huge breakthrough for the industry and the reels were electronically operated with automatic monetary payouts. As you can imagine, it was a welcomed invention and proved to be very popular and was the catalyst to the development of new electromechanical slot machines being manufactured.
Video Slots: The beginning of a new era for the slot machine
The very first video slot was created in 1976 by the Las Vegas-based company Fortune Coin and the rest is history! New technology and the internet gave way to the rise of online slots which boomed in the 1990s and 30 years later, video slots continue to deliver innovations that Charles Augustus Fey couldn’t have even imagined would be possible.