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History of Slot Machines |
Ever since their appearance more than 100 years ago, the slot machines have successfully managed to entertain billions of people from all over the world. As time passed by, these became an iconic emblem for entertainment and iconic joy of gambling in traditional land-based casinos.
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The first slot machine was named the Liberty Bell (three-reel lever machine to pay out in coins) and it was constructed back in 1895 by a German immigrant Mr. Charles Fey.
This was basically a machine which mixed five symbols and three spinning reels into a one of a kind package. Initially the slot machine was placed in front of a saloon in San Francisco, but quickly it became one of the major attractions in town. It is a funny fact that the first versions of slot machines was named in causing amusement way like mentioned Liberty Bell, one-armed bandit, Operator Bell, and even “mechanical babysitters”. Amazing! On the left picture: The historic mechanical Liberty Bell slot lever machine that was invented in San Francisco, California. |
Americans found the great amusement in this mechanical "bells" so, we are not surprised that other slot machine manufacturers followed new trend. Mr. Herbert Mills from Chicago has copied Fey's machine in 1907, under the name of "Operator Bell". This copied machine has helped expand the popularity of the slot machines throughout the United States.
Slot machines conquer Las Vegas
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The turning point for gambling and slot machines came in 1931, when Nevada state have legalized gambling, as the only state in the United States, in that time.
Slot machines were installed in the famous Flamingo Hotel, in the 1940s. On the right picture: The view of Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1940s. It's amazing that we could say: "thank you" to the organised crime/mafia for promoting slots in that time. Flamingo Hotel hosted many slot machines and this place was the Las Vegas slot market precursor. |
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You should know that mentioned Flamingo Hotel was the first serious attempt to profit from gambling and gaming, in Las Vegas.
Flamingo Hotel was opened in December of 1946 and it was the first hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Investors and first owners of this gambling venue was Mr. Bugsy Siegel and Mr. Meyer Lansky, both prominent members of American mafia. They borrowed $6million to build this famous place. In that times, you could buy the 7-room apartment in New York for $7500,-.
Flamingo Hotel was opened in December of 1946 and it was the first hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Investors and first owners of this gambling venue was Mr. Bugsy Siegel and Mr. Meyer Lansky, both prominent members of American mafia. They borrowed $6million to build this famous place. In that times, you could buy the 7-room apartment in New York for $7500,-.
The evolution of slot machines
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Slot machines have evolved tremendously since the Liberty Bell, but they still remained mechanical based until the 1980s when the first slot machines with microchip technology were introduced. Initially players were quite skeptical in regard to them and many of these machines were called the “1 armed bandit”.
In the meantime, the first electro-mechanical slot machine was released in 1963 and was called Money Honey. Of course, this innovative lever gaming machines (as for 1960s) forced all old-fashioned mechanical slots out of the market.
In the 1970s, we saw another technological progress, as the random-number generator, video screen, and early versions of microchips was incorporated into to the slot machines. On the left picture: Classic simply IGT S+ three reels slot machine with double cherry bar, and one pay-line. Such basic slot machines have been in use in many casinos for years in the past, and have been accepting
quarter size tokens (0.984") and paid you with hopper.
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It was in 1986 when the technology allowed manufacturers to link slot machines in multiple sites, and this leads to the creation of the first progressive slot machine. The first progressive slot machine was named the Megabucks and was created by the IGT.
Around the same era slot machine creators introduced the video poker games which instantly became a hit due to the high amount of passion and love that people have for card games. If we are right, the first video slot machine was introduced in 1982, and the first video poker game was released in 1984. Both types of machines are played with passion by millions of Americans. This is also the same era in which slot machines with 3, 5, 7 and 9 reels were introduced to the casino gamer.
Slots online rocks!
Another new era in the evolution of slot machines comes in the late 1990s, when more and more casinos started expanding in the online world. That was a period in which the Internet was still in its early days, so only certain categories of online visitors had access to it. However, nowadays just about anyone can enjoy slot machine games from the comfort of their home or office.
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The slot machines you can find in online casinos nowadays are very realistic and, unlike their real life counterparts, they tend to innovate even more as they come with even better animations as well as a wide range of themes, which is definitely impressive.
On the left picture: Danish Tivoli Casino online version of jackpot slot game called Mega Fortune. This game comes with unique theme design. You can choose the bet level, the number of bet lines and the coin value. |
Moreover, today's online slots are highly interactive, some come with interesting bonuses and progressive jackpots. Others appeal to us by rich graphics, unique theme or amazing sound in the background, while we are playing.
The majority of online casino games are perfect for players that want to perform small wagering from the comfort of their home. The reputable online casinos offer fair chances, hundreds of different slot games to choose from, progressive play, immense jackpots and numerous other goodies. If you do not plan (or cannot) travel to Las Vegas or to other traditional land-based casino, then visiting an online casino is the next best thing to enjoy!
Where to play online slots?
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There are many online casinos and online gambling venues that attract slots enthusiasts.
We have done some home-work and could recommend some reputable and quality sites that offer a variety of excellent online slots, for novice and advance players. Please click the link below to visit our special page with some recommendations for you. |
Why classic slot machines are so popular!
Some classic IGT slot machines were very popular! Please watch this interesting video with story about old-fashioned gaming machine stars of American casinos!