Slot Machines: From Mechanical to Online
Slot machines, or as people call them, fruit machines, are a staple of casinos worldwide. They are often the first choice for beginners who want to try their luck without learning complex card games like poker. However, for the enthusiasts, the thrill is not in playing a single machine, but in exploring different ones and finding the best payouts. It is rare to see someone visit a casino and not spin the reels of a slot machine at least once.
All the best online casino deals feature slot machines as their main attraction. However, there is a huge difference between the old-fashioned “one-armed bandit” from the 19th century, and the modern online versions. So, we thought you need to learn more about the history and development of these popular gambling machines.
It all started in 1891
The first version of a slot machine goes back to 1891 by Sittman and Pitt, an American company based in Brooklyn. At that time, they called it a gambling machine and its features, though innovative for the time, were rather simple and did not give the prizes automatically. Since the basis of the design was poker, each of its 5 drums contained 10 playing cards and it required a coin to activate it. They mostly did not give cash prizes, as gambling was illegal in most States of the US. Instead they gave cigars, free drinks and other awards, according to the type of hand punters got from the machines. That’s why it became a presence in bars and taverns, and grew in popularity very fast.
The next stage was the one under the name “Liberty Bell”, patented in 1898 by Charles Fey in San Francisco, California. Considered the real ancestor of slot machines since it was not poker based. Instead, it used symbols like hearts, diamonds and horseshoes, as well as the Liberty Bell that gave it the name, and served as the highest paying symbol. It still kept the lateral lever, but the changes did not stop there. There were only five symbols, while three reels replaced the five drums. With those changes, the number of combinations decreased and it became possible for the machine to have the automatic payout mechanism.
After that, the designs changed according to the manufacturers and the theme they wanted. The classic icons of today, like fruits and other symbols, were introduced little by little. The common denominator in most of them, was the basic mechanism like the lever that gave it the name of “one-armed bandit”.
Nowadays
We already discussed how slot machines and poker have a long history of being connected. Therefore, it makes sense that the next evolution of the gambling machine would be a game based on poker but with electronic features instead of mechanical ones. This is video poker. It was introduced in the mid-70s and quickly became popular in casinos across Las Vegas and the world. It solved the main problem of the old machine: the inability to pay out the prizes automatically by letting a computer system inside the machine determine the value of a hand.
The video poker did not take off right away. This made the makers look for new ways to enhance it. One way was to use the electronic components to create new types of slots, that would have more varied designs and new and thrilling features. This opened a world of possibilities for many developments not only for slot machines but for the casino games in general. It laid the foundation for the online casinos several decades later.
A lifetime of spins
Video poker online is still very popular today, especially since it is playable on different devices such as computers, smartphones and tablets with an internet connection. The most popular casino game, however, are undoubtedly the online video slots. There are so many options, too many for a bettor to play them all in one lifetime. Besides the variety, one of the factors that make it attractive, is the wide range of betting limits, which actually go from 1 cent to hundreds or even thousands of dollars every spin.
To stand out from the competition, online slots providers are also constantly creating and adding new features and game-play elements. They also offer demo versions so that users can try out a slot for free, before deciding whether or not to play them. Because of this, you can be sure that, no matter what your preferences are, you have a very high chance of finding an online slot that matches your tastes.