Playing Slots Online History Guide

The "slot machine" or "fruit machine" or "one-armed bandit" are the names of the gambling slot machines. The first term initially was used to designate every automatic vending machine, and it lasted till the 20-th century.

At first there existed a game with 5 steel drums, on which there were poker hands painted. And exactly it marked t5he slots game popularity.

Charles Fey

In 1895 the first mechanical slot machine was invented by Charles Fey, American car mechanic. It was called the Liberty Bell and had 3 spinning reels with four symbols painted on them:

  • The Diamonds
  • The Spades
  • The Hearts
  • The Liberty Bell.

The best result was the row of three Liberty Bell symbols. And it was paid the highest payoff. One of these machines one can find in the Liberty Belle Saloon and Restaurant.

Charles Fey's Inventions

  1. Draw Poker machine.
  2. Three Spinde machine
  3. Klondike machine.
  4. Trade check separator (helped to detect fake nickels).

Herbert Mills

old slot machine

The popularity of slots machines grows rapidly after the Fey's invention, but he refuses to sell his invention and can't satisfy the demands of the gamblers. So in 1907 Chicago manufacturer Herbert Mills starts the mass production of the knock-off of Fey's slot machines and calls them the Operator Bells. He placed the first fruit symbols in it:

  • The Lemons
  • The Plums
  • The Cherries.

First Slots Working Principle

Inside the slot machines there were installed 3 metal hoops - reels. There were 10 slot symbols painted on each of the reels. The player had to pull the lever to spin the reels. After the reel stopped there were three symbols visible. If there appeared a combination of the same 3 symbols, the player was paid the jackpot - the coins payoff was dispensed from the slot machine.

From the time of the invention of the first slot machine till nowadays, the slots game remains the most popular and favorite game among gamblers.

Top Online Casinos