History of slots

Widely known as the ‘one-armed bandit’ or ‘fruit machine’, slot machines have been around for longer than you might think. The term ‘one-armed bandit’ was apt; as a one-time player might find himself divest of all of his pocket change, the machine proved perfect for entertaining the solitary drinker who might fancy chancing his luck.

The original slot machines were based on Poker and were invented in New York in the late 1800s. The player would insert a coin, pull the lever and hope that a royal flush would appear on the five mechanical reels, if it did, he might win a beer or a pack of cigarettes.

The only thing the design lacked was simplicity. It assumed the player knew about poker, and hence it usually only drew in regular gamblers.

Unfortunately, the machine was incapable of an automatic payout. Technology at the time was limited and to design one was impossible, due to the amount of combinations with which you might win.

These were early days for slot machine.

The game as we know it now, with the iconic three spinning reels was invented in 1887. The cards were replaced by symbols; three of the legendary Liberty Bells would produce the jackpot.

This was a machine capable of an automatic payout, usually ten nickels for the lucky winner. This was the tipping point, you might say, for the slot machine and at this time it became hugely popular and was commonplace in most bars and casinos from then on in.

This design remained standard up until 1910, when the card symbols were replaced with fruit. It was easier to understand for those not au fait with card games and the term ‘fruit machine’ was born.

Slot machines have dominated the single-player gambling market ever since. In the 40s, after the end of prohibition in the US, they really started to make big profits for bar patrons and casino owners. So much so, that famed gangster Bugsy Siegel set one up in the Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada and the rest is history.

Of course, there have been revolutions in design and aesthetics, including the introduction of the electromechanical slot machine in the 1960s, and recently of course, the video slot machine.

The standard three line reel, three matching singles or jackpot machine, still however, remains essentially the same.

Nevertheless, many one-time only players find themselves revisiting the slot machines again and again. There isn’t much like the rush you feel when the reels are spinning.

Today’s slot machines are high-tech networked computers which share the same traditional layout and feel that the mechanical originals of the 70s had. With the age of progressive jackpots, slot machines have now changed forever.

Casual players enjoy the fact that you get a quick thrill out of this famous game of luck without having to learn lots of complex rules. Knowing the rules does help, but many people have and continue to win jackpots for one reason only – they were lucky.