If you closed your eyes, you would undoubtedly recognise the dinging and chirping of slot machines no matter which casino you were in around the world. In fact slot games have become such a staple that it’s almost unfathomable to imagine a casino without them- on or offline.
The name “slot machine” once encompassed every similar type of automatic vending machine- even those that distributed food, and it didn’t become synonymous with gambling until the 20th century.
The first ever slot game was actually inside a machine based on poker. Players were trying to get the best possible hand, and owners of the machines would typically remove a couple of cards to reduce the chance of the player winning and stack the odds in favour of the house.
The closest thing to the modern day slot machine is the Liberty Bell, which was created by Charles Fey in 1887. He solved the main problem with similar machines, and managed to make the Liberty Bell actually pay out then and there, with every winning combination. This was previously impossible and the establishment where the previous machines were located had always been responsible for rewarding winning patrons.
The Liberty Bell was so popular that Fey had trouble meeting the huge demand. He soon began renting his machines out to establishments on the condition that he could keep 50% of the profits- something that must have set him on his way to becoming a very wealthy man. Plenty of gambling manufacturers approached Fey and asked to buy the manufacturing and distribution rights but he refused all offers and instead collaborated with the Mills Novelty Company in 1907.
Together they created the Mills Liberty Bell, a variation of the original that was set in cast iron and had cast iron feet and toes. In 1910 the machine was improved and re-released as the Operator Bell, and was again incredibly popular with 30,000 ordered.
The main problem was the weight and expense when it came to producing these machines. By 1915, Mills knew they needed to do something about this, and decided to use a wooden cabinet design, making them far cheaper to produce and far easier to move. The machines were once again given a huge update in the 1930’s with colourful and attractive designs and themes with names which aimed to create feelings of prestige and power like Lion Head, War Eagle, Roman Head and Castle Front.
Today it would be unheard of to not see slot games in almost any casino around the world. And with the prevalence of online gaming continuing to grow, slot games are becoming even more fun and able to be played on both laptops and mobiles from your own couch or bed. The first online slot game was released in 1998, and now you can find a huge range of games available, especially on online casino Netbet. If you have some time to kill, jump online today and see just how much slot games have evolved.
