Slot Machine: A History
If one would trace the early beginnings of the modern day slot machine one would be amazed at how far the development of slot machines had become. From early crude iron casings to modern day virtual slot machines, it is simply astonishing to go back in time and trace the slot machine's originsOur favorite slot machine was invented in the late 1800s by Charles Fey at the basement of his own house. It is said that only when the slot machine was placed in the Flamingo Hilton hotel of Bugsy Siegel in Nevada did the slot machine gain some popularity.
The early Fey version of the slot machine isn't much different from the modern day slot machine versions. It was said that the slot machine had symbols of stars, bells, horseshoes, spades, hearts and diamonds. It was only the later versions that included the infamous fruit symbols.
To further the development of the slot machine, Charles Fey decided to work with the Mills Novelty Company and together they produced the Liberty Bell slot machine. The Liberty Bell slot machine had three reels with only 20 symbols, quite a long shot from the modern day five reeled, 100 symbols slot machine of today. The early slot machine was made from iron cast with a bell on top that rang once a jackpot is hit.
The Operator Bell was produced by the Mills Novelty Company in 1910. It is slightly different from the early Liberty Bell because it showcased a gooseneck shaped coin feeding system. It was also made from iron casing and it weighed nearly 100 pounds.
In 1915, the same company introduced and modified the older versions of the slot machine. They changed the iron casing and replaced it with cheaper and lighter wooden cabinets.
1930 marked the introduction of the silent bell where the slot machine was made to be quieter than the older versions. From then on, many more modifications have been made on our favorite casino game. This included the introduction of the Random Number Generators that ensured the randomness of the symbols in the slot machine. This is embedded in the microprocessor now presently found in modern day slot machines.
In 1994, the industry of online slot machines boomed with the onset of online casinos and online gambling. This has truly revolutionized the way slot machines are played.
Slot machines have undergone quite a development, but despite of this, it managed to hold on and ride the waves of change.