A Brief Look at the History of Slot Machine Games and Its Modernization

Photo of author

(Newswire.net — April 16, 2020) — There are many online casino games that are both fun and challenging to play. One of those would be slot machines. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert in playing casino games, you can play slot machine games and easily have a great time.

When visiting a casino establishment for the first time, this is probably the first game that someone would play. It’s easy, direct, and doesn’t require tough skills. All you need to do is to take a seat and start playing. 

Thanks to the internet, you can now play slot machine games on American online casino sites or wherever you are in the world with your computer or mobile device. But have you ever wondered when the first slot machine was created and why was it created in the first place? Whether you’re a fan of this game or not, it’s always nice to take look at how something started.

Now, the very first-even mechanical slot machine was created by Charles Fey who was a mechanic, and the slot game was called the Liberty Bell. It was in San Francisco during the year 1895 when Liberty Bell was made available to his customers at the auto repair shop. 

The original Liberty Bell slot machine can still be seen and is displayed at the Liberty Belle Saloon and Restaurant in Reno, Nevada. This slot machine had three spinning reels. It carries the symbols of diamond, spade, heart, and the cracked Liberty Bell. Players win if they get a result of three Liberty Bells in a row. The biggest payoff they can get during that time was fifty cents or ten nickels.

There was a rise in the demand for the slot machine that Fey invented and eventually, another developer entered the market to sell his own take on what Fey created. It was Herbert Mills from Chicago who first manufactured slot machines.

It was Mills’ machines that carried the fruit symbols like cherries and watermelons. These eventually became a staple for classic slot machines. 

Eventually, playing slot machines was categorized under gambling and because of gambling laws, slot machines can no longer pay out cash prizes. Slot machines were then used to win gumballs and candies which are based on the symbols that you get.

When Mill was manufacturing slot machines, this was also when the BAR symbol was introduced. It was the logo of the Bell-Fruit gum company.

Mechanical slot machines eventually turned into electronic ones and both were widely seen in places like hotels, bars, restaurants, and casinos. Eventually, slot machines didn’t have levers to pull anymore but only buttons to press.

However, there are still some slot machines up until now that ha the classic lever to pull. It simply gives an additional style when playing a game of slots.

Fast-forward to the 1900s when the use of the internet became popular. It was in 1996 when the first online casino was created and it was also around this time when slot machines were finally digitalized. It didn’t take long for online slot machines to dominate the game selection at online casinos. In fact, it’s the most popular choice for many people out there until now.

Whether you’re a beginner or a frequent gambler, you’ll always have the time for slot machines. It doesn’t matter if you’re more of a poker or blackjack player. At some point, you’ll still find yourself enjoying a game of slots.

What’s great is that slot machine games nowadays come in different varieties. You don’t just sit there anymore, press a button, and keep on doing so until you win. There are now slot machines that are progressive and are connected to a storyline. These make slot machines more entertaining and interesting to some people.

Playing an online slot machine game is also proven to be a great way to win an incredible amount of money. In fact, many of the biggest casinos wins around the world came from online slot machines. One of the most popular online casino slot wins was from Jon Heywood, a British soldier who was just 26 when he won. Heywood won a total of 19 million US dollars with just a bet of 25 pence.

For now, progressive slots like Mega Moolah and Mega Fortune are the popular choice for many slot machine players as these are progressive slot machine games. This means that jackpot gets accumulated and can go over millions of dollars. Many of those big wins are possible because of these games.