HOW TO PLAY SLOT MACHINE?

 

The Short History of Slot Machines

The Early Inventions

Modern slot machine games trace back to large and idiosyncratic machines manufactured by an avid mechanic (and tinkerer) of the late 19th century, Charles Fey. The machine that Fey created was simple but complex in concept, and this machine was called the Liberty Bell.

They were featuring three spinning reels operated by a handle and a single slot to place a coin into. This machine had just one pay line, with each reel featuring five symbols – some you would recognize today – spades, hearts, diamonds, a horseshoe, and a bell.

This machine aimed to line up each of the three reels with the liberty bell symbol; doing so would pay a jackpot of 10 coins, so at a single coin (5c) per spin, you would have the chance of winning back ten times your bet (50c jackpot).

This simple game design is the foundation for many of the archetypal slots that are played throughout casinos online and on the gaming floor.

Early Video Poker Machines

Taking a step back in time and crossing over to New York in 1891, a machine was first created with a similar foundation to Charles Fey’s later Liberty Bell design. We now know that this machine was an early adoption of a slot machine and poker crossover.

Similar to what would become the Liberty Bell, this machine had five spinning drums, each with ten cards on each drum. The concept here was that every spin of the drums would provide the player with a five-card poker hand.

This machine was quickly followed up by another version that featured colors that players would be which color would land on the single pay line. However, both of these machines phased out once Charles Fey developed the Liberty Bell.

Slot Vending Machines

Interestingly, early slot machines were not always confined to gambling games. Many of these first models were adapted as a ‘vending machine’ like device that store keeps would use at their counter to allow customers to purchase quick items like gum, candy, licorice, and golf balls – simply insert the right coin and pull the lever for the item.

Herbert Mills Operator Bell

The next consequential development in the early days of slot machine games came from a Chicago man by the name of Herbert Mills in 1907. This machine was an updated version of the three-reel slot called the Operator Bell.

This machine was the first record of fruit machines, which are simply slots that featured fruits instead of other symbols.

It is worth noting that Mills went on to be very successful, becoming a leader in the development of vending machines with his coin-operated machines serving ice cream and Coca-Cola in bottles (as well as in cups!)that

Where Slots Took Off – Bally Manufacturing

Also coming from Chicago, but much later in 1932 was the beginning of full-scale manufacture of slot machine games by the group Lion Manufacturing – who changed their name to Bally Manufacturing (and later Bally Technologies) following the success of their game BallyHoo.

Initially, the group was designing pinball machines; however, once gambling became legal in the state of Nevada, they branched out to create smaller models where awards could be earned by collecting a number of cards dispensed by the machine.

Introducing Multi-Denomination Slot Machines

Bally was famous for the introduction of the first multi-denomination slot machines – which used nickels and quarters. They launched the first major up-right slot machine in the 1940s, and the business grew so much that by 1960 Bally was responsible for over 80% of the slot machines that were manufactured.

Another important invention from Bally was the multi-machine coin hopper to allow for payouts of much larger winnings without the need for gaming attendants to cease play while making payouts to the lucky players.

When we look back at these early slot machines, they are barely recognizable as the foundation for video slots that we have today—obviously a result of the many modifications and technological innovations.

Now, while it is harder to think of these original slot machines as being the “forefathers” of the modern game – it is exciting to see that for the modern iteration of slots, the only limits are the minds of software developers themselves!

How the Slots Became a Worldwide Sensation

There is no arguing the fact that slot machines are a worldwide sensation. Having made their way across the world, from the United States through Europe and into Asia and throughout the Pacific.

Today, these games are (and have been) manufactured throughout the world too. Some of the big-name manufacturers over the years have been:

• Aristocrat Tech with five-reel machines, video slots, and multi-pay line games of the 90s
• WMS Gaming with multi-pay line video slot bonuses in the late 90s
• Novomatic, Konami, and Aruze all manufacturing in Japan, Australia, South Africa, and Macau

With all the success and popularity, there is one thing that has always been a given for slot machines. In essence, they have been income generators for casinos for many years despite featuring large and relatively frequent payouts.

Astonishingly, even though there are still well over a million slots in the heavily legislated American gambling market today, there are more slot machines per person in Australia – Aussies love their slots (or pokies as they call them).

When we talk about the game of slots becoming a leading gambling pastime, it has to be said that the development of the internet went hand in hand with the growth. Coinciding with a boom in the number of casinos being opened and the prominence that online casinos were having, slots were available in more locations around cities and accessible to everyone at home, work, or on the go with online casinos.

Of course, the exponential growth of mobile devices and mobile gaming has resulted in a significant boost in the revenue for these online casinos.

Video Slots Technology

Nowadays, known as a philanthropist, William Redd (also known as Si) was one of the Bally group’s engineers in the 1970s. However, during that period, he was also known as the guy who proposed the use of video in slot machines (in the 70s) but was knocked back by the bosses at Bally.

Believing in the product, Si requested permission to run with the idea in a personal capacity and was given the all clearance to go ahead. A decision that would come back to haunt Bally.

Si went on to start a company known as A-1 Supply in 1975 before changing its name to Sarcompoker in 1978. The company that Si started was developing what we know as video poker machines and slots. With the company seeing success, Si rebranded as International Game Technology (IGT) in 1981 and then took the company public, at which point they began to reel in Bally’s lead in the slot machines market.