A Brief History Of Slot Machines

By Margaret.

Slot machines have had the misfortune of being labelled as the simplest and most unprofitable casino game.

While playing slot machines for hours on end can really take a toll on brainpower, there is actually a very rich story behind the creation of the slot machine. Some people actually claim that it is one of the oldest casino games to be created.

Slot machines, affectionately named as fruit machines in Great Britain, started out as novelty games rather than serious gambling machines. The term ‘fruit machine’ is actually derived from the fruit symbols on a slot machine’s reels. Instead of monetary symbols like the dollar sign or gold, early slot machines had different fruit symbols on display. This was for the purpose of working around the anti-gambling laws of the time. From their first emergence in the year 1895, the mechanism behind the machine has grown in leaps and bounds.

Charles Fey is actually credited as the inventor of slot machine. The first record of slot machines was back in the year of 1887. It had three reels with five symbols displayed: diamonds, horseshoes, hearts, spades, and the Liberty Bell.

Numerous innovations followed the initial introduction of the slot machine to the public. While more symbols were eventually added and electronic machines replaced actual moving parts, the principle of function remained the same. Slot machine operation remains universal till today. Once bets are ready, a button or a lever is pushed or pulled. This causes the reels to spin, with each reel stopping at random times from the leftmost reel to the last reel on the right. The combination of symbols displayed would determine the size of the reward.

Despite its relatively primitive operation, slot machines remain incredibly popular in casinos today. Not surprising, since they make up the bulk of profit. Almost 70% of an average casino’s income stems from slot machine revenues.

The reason for the popularity can be mainly attributed to the original design of the slot machine. Even with some slot machines being operated mainly via button pushes, the lever-style slot machine design remains prevalent. The simplicity of playing the slot machine is tempting for many customers, and the act of pulling a lever and watching the wheel spin carries a hypnotizing air of nostalgic authenticity that is difficult to replace or replicate.

It is also this popularity that makes casinos create the largest house advantage in slot machines. Though the game requires no great though to play, winning is largely dependent on luck. Winning big is always an outlier. Some of the more shady casinos exploit this popularity. Players should be careful of machines programmed to never let players win more than a nominal amount. On the other side of the spectrum, slot machines suffer from the most fraud cases on a yearly basis. The dependence on electronic chips and the implementation of bill acceptors has cut down these occurrences substantially.

For those of you who prefer to stay at home and avoid the hassle of crowds, noises, and distractions, online slot games are well within your reach. Just click here for no deposit slots and play to your heart’s content!