What started as an inventive hobby by a German mechanic in San Francisco, resulted in the most popular gambling game in casinos today. Charles Fey is credited with creating the very first slot machine he called the Liberty Bell. Along with liberty bell graphics, the 3 reels were pictured with familiar playing card symbols like hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades, and kings, queens, and jacks. Pull the arm, watch the reels spin, match three symbols, and you’ve just hit the jackpot!
The Liberty Bell slot machine quickly became famous and various bell-themed machines began appearing everywhere, from cigar stores and saloons, to barber shops and brothels. Nostalgic glimpses of the very first Liberty Bell slot machine take place in Reno, Nevada at the Liberty Bell Saloon and Restaurant. Gambling prohibition soon came along to ruin the fun of the slots, but proprietors prevented the slot machine ban by replacing the well-known gambling symbols with fruits and gums. You may recall that the common symbol on slots today (BAR) was once the logo of the Bell-Fruit Gum Company and some regions referred to them as fruit machines. These revised machines were allowed to continue to be played since they dispensed candy instead of money.
Cash prizes were reintroduced to slot machines and Bally developed the first electronic machines in the 1960s. Since they took up more room than gaming tables and boasted a high payout percentage, casino owners were reluctant to accept them. Drastic changes in the 1970s, such as more reels, more symbols, and larger bets, encouraged players to gamble more but also jackpot less. This made casino owners happy and they started filling up their game rooms with slot machines.
The slot machine endured its biggest transformation in the 1980s with the invention of random number generators. Since casino owners could set payout percentages to every machine, they controlled the amount of money they made. This change also made the iconic arm of the machines obsolete and the SPIN button was more commonly used. However, some slots still sport the arm as a way to remind players of the traditional style.
Nearly three quarters of a casino’s floor space is covered with slot machines. They are also the most profitable for casino owners. From toy replicas to the real deal in Nevada airports, slot machines are everywhere. So simple, yet so much fun, slot machines will continue to be an addicting, popular pastime for years to come!
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