The history of slots

Slot machine one of the most common, most popular and most recognizable items in any casino has been around for over 100 years.  The slot machine was originally created by the Pitt and Sittman Company in New York in 1891.  The first slot machine was a five drum variety that would display poker hands.  These early machines did not have any type of payback mechanism, so each location which used one needed to devise its own method of paying a winning player.  The most common prize being free drinks or food.

The inventory Charles Fey is credited with the development of what was to become the modern slot machine.  His first creation, the Liberty Bell machine, was built in his basement.  This machine weighed over 100 pounds and was constructed out of cast iron.  I used a star, horseshoe, and the suits from a deck of cards as the symbols on the drums and made pay-outs to winners of fifty cents.  This first machine still exists and can be seen at the Liberty Belle Saloon and Restaurant in Reno Nevada .  The Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas is credited as being the first casino to add slot machines to its gambling floor.

Charles Fey continued to work to improve his invention.  His next major step was with Operator Bell Slot Machine.  This machine introduced the world to the use of fruit as the matching symbols, the one change that would forever change the face of slot machines for all time.  As anti-slot machine sediments grew, Fey needed to be more and more creative with his designs.  He next worked to make his machines look more and more like vending machines of the time, which allowed them to be used even with the uproar against them.

The Bell Fruit Gum company is credited with adding the BAR symbol to the slot machine.  Utilizing Fey’s idea, they developed a machine which would dispense a stick of gum with every pull (in addition to any other winnings the player might get from the machine).  The bar symbol on the rollers were an effort to increase the popularity and the sale of Bell Fruit Gum.

The Flamingo Hilton in Las Vegas is credited with having the first dedicated rooms to slot machines.  The Flamingo, built by crime figure “Bugsy” Siegel, used the machines to fill empty floor space in the casino. The purpose of the machines was to keep the wives and girlfriends of the high rollers occupied while the men were involved in the other gambling activities.

In the early 60’s, Bally’s Casino introduced the first electronic slot machines.  These electronic slot machines were more secure and much harder for the players to cheat.  These new machine quickly became widespread through casinos and other places where slot machines could be found.  Electric bells and lights were also added as standard parts of the machine.

The seventies saw the addition of the microchip and other advancement to determine the outcome of the spin.  Pulling the arm of the machine became a novelty as this was not longer required to make the machines work.