A Brief History of Slot Machine

The humble slot machine entered our lives in the late 19th century.

01:54 21 June 2023

The humble slot machine entered our lives in the late 19th century. These fascinating games have since undergone an incredible transformation from their humble beginning as bulky, single-pay line mechanical machines to the digital, multifaceted slots they are now. Join us as we journey through time and uncover the evolution of slot machines.

In The Beginning

The first slot machines can be traced to 1891 when a New York-based company, Sittman and Pitt, created the first slot machine. This early version was a far cry from the popular slots you can find at online casinos such as Vulkan Vegas and comprised 50 playing cards and five drums and cost just a nickel to play. It was a simple game where players pulled a lever, and to win a prize of drinks or cigars, they had to land poker hands.

The Bells of Slot History

Charles Augustus Fey is often credited as the inventor of the first slot machine called the Liberty Bell in the 19th century. This chunky steel slot machine was developed between 1887 and 1895 and replaced playing cards with symbols and allowed for automatic payouts. These symbols were hearts, spades, diamonds, horseshoes and the Liberty Bell.

The next significant bell in slot machine history is the Operator Bell, a slot developed by Herbert Mills in 1907. The Operator Bell slot got around the slot machine ban imposed in 1902 by offering gum and sweets as a payout instead of cash prizes, and they also featured the fruit and BAR symbols we still see today in classic fruit-themed slots.

Introducing Electromechanical and Video Slots

The Money Honey slot machine was developed by Bally in 1964. It was the first electromechanical slot machine which paved the way for slots. Gone were manual reels, but the pull lever was kept. Money Honey also offered automatic payouts and numerous paylines. 

Twelve years later, in 1974, video slots developed by Fortune Coin made an appearance. These games featured a modified 19-inch Sony TV as a display, and while it took some time and faced a lot of scepticism, it was finally approved by the Nevada State Gaming Commission. Video slots were seen as the future, and in 1978, Fortune Coin was bought by International Gaming Technology(IGT) which is still around today.

The Internet and Online Slots

The 1990s ushed in a new era of gambling, namely online casinos, with slots being the most popular games to play. At the start of this era, online casinos offered similar games to brick-and-mortar casinos. However, this soon changed as technology evolved and developers created new games with imaginative themes, various configurations, bonus features and rounds.

Far From The End

From the first slot machine sitting in the corner of a bar that offered but a few pennies, a drink or a cigar as a prize to the incredible slots of today that provide features like Megaways systems, levelled gameplay and massive jackpots, slots have certainly come a long way. And, thanks to ever-evolving technology, their evolution is far from complete. Soon we will enjoy these in VR or AR spaces, and from there, who knows?