Evolution of slot machine games
It’s no more news that slots are the most popular of all casino games. Whether you play slots online or in a brick-and-mortar casino, there are tons of available games to choose from to suit your needs especially the new online slots at Netbet.
A good number of people have taken to playing slots online or in land-based casinos because of the entertainment the game provides. However, the question is this; Have you ever given a thought to how slot machines came into existence?
Regardless of whether you’re interested in this question or not, the truth is that slot machines have a very rich heritage, with the first slot to come into existence dating back over a hundred years.
As the years progressed, recent advancements in technology led to the evolution of different slot games. This article will throw some light on the history of slot machines.
SITTMAN AND PITT
In 1891, a New York-based company known as Sittman and Pitt developed a card machine, and this is considered as the precursor of the first true slot machine. The machine was based on poker and used 50 card faces.
It was designed such that the 10 of spades and the jack of hearts were removed from the deck, thus decreasing the chances of a royal flush and increasing the house edge.
The machine consisted of 5 drums and a spin cost a nickel.
Players were required to pull a lever while the drums and wins were awarded after a lineup of various poker hands. The game subsequently attained popularity and was available in many bars located in the city.
LIBERTY BELL
This slot machine which is widely regarded as the first true slot machine was created by Charles Fey, a car mechanic from San Francisco in 1895. He added simplicity to the layout of the machine by reducing it to just 3 drums.
He got a breakthrough with his design as it made automatic payouts to be possible for winning symbol combinations.
He adjusted the former system by replacing it with just 5 symbols which were diamonds, spades, horseshoes, hearts, and a liberty bell. This system made the identification of wins easier whilst promoting automatic payouts.
MONEY HONEY
Slot machines maintained their popularity over the years as many manufacturers were coming up with machines that could be found in bars and casinos. However, the next major development in the evolution of the slot machine came up in 1963.
This was when the first fully electromechanical slot machine was released by gaming machine manufacturer Bally.
This machine came with an innovative feature that was identified as a bottomless hopper. The slot also facilitated the payment of up to 500 coins. It required no lever for it to be played as the familiar levers were replaced with buttons.
THE FORTUNE COIN VIDEO SLOT
This was the first video slot and it was released in 1976. It was created by a manufacturer named Fortune Coin Co which was based in California.
It was a very distinct modification to the previous slot games as it came with a 19-inch Sony television screen which initiated the display while the logic boards were used for all the slot machine functions.
The Fortune Coin was mounted in a full side slot machine cabinet and received its first trial at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel.
This is the history of slot machines. They were followed by the creation of online and mobile gaming slots.