Gamblers engage in different games to win and walk away with a money bag, and slot machines are one of the major games in the gambling world. But when did slot machines become popular among gamblers? Was this always the case, or did things change at some point? Keep reading to find out.
The Gambling Industry
The gambling industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and is one of the top ten industries in most countries. When you think of gambling in the US and the West, you think of slot machines that give players the chance to win thousands and millions of cash. But slot machines didn’t make gambling popular as gambling is as old as man.
So when did they become popular?
Slot machines became popular on the Las Vegas Strip towards the end of the 20th century. Las Vegas had become a cultural melting pot for casinos and general entertainment, and slot machines were introduced to the scenes.
The first slot machines were quite basic, but as time passed, developers modified them and introduced modern features that made them more efficient to deploy them on a grander scale. Today they have been introduced to digital platforms for slot online gamers too.
Slot Games
Avid gamblers who visit casinos are used to slot games as they are ubiquitous in such places wherever you look. The games are often the flashiest of gaming selections offered by gamers and often attract billions or stakes per annum compared to any other gaming category. But the essential component of modern slot games is slot machines; the first ever slot machine was developed and released by Sittman and Pitt in 1891.
Sittman & Pitt
Sittman and Pitt was a New York company that created traditional slot machines similar to modernized poker machines. The first slots had five drums fitted with up to fifty cards. However, the machines lacked the usual tens of spades and jack of hearts common in poker games. The main purpose of omitting both cards was simple; to give the gambling house the advantage over gamblers.
Sittman and Pitt’s machines gave gamblers the win whenever their poker hand landed on five drums. Furthermore, their machines accepted pennies inserted into the side. On the other side was a lever the gambler had to pull to spin the drums and reveal the random hands. In those days, lucky winners did not receive cash but were rewarded with cigars, food, drinks, and other tokens.
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell was next in line after Sittman and Pitt slot machines. No one can say for sure when this machine was invented, but it came into the scene at a time when Sittman and Pitt’s machines were already popular. All historians can point to is that the Liberty Bell became popular between 1887 and 1895. The brain behind the Bell was Charles Fey, still widely regarded as the Father of pokies. He changed the game, but it had a close semblance with the Sittman and Pitt slots. Some of the modifications included three reels instead of five drums for the symbols and five poker face cards in place of the usual five characters. Also, winners could get their winnings in cash directly from the machine rather than indirectly from the house.
Unfortunately, he didn’t patent the design, which led many companies to develop poker machines using his designs. The Liberty Bell became popular in gambling houses across the US.
Real Money Ban
In 1902, slot producers encountered a major problem after the Federal government banned the use of real money in slot machines in the US. This move barred gambling houses from offering real cash to winners, almost spelling the end of slot gaming. To bypass the law, gaming companies introduced fruit machines to replace the icons on the Liberty Bell.
Fruits like lemons, oranges, grapes, cherries, plums, and watermelons were used. Players still need real money to play but get their winnings in candy. Some gaming houses offered candy bars in flavors similar to the fruits the player won.
The fruit machine era was dominated by Herbert Mills, which was common in gaming shops, alleys, and salons. A few years later, in 1908, the ban on using real money was lifted, but fruit machines remained popular.
The electromagnetic era came and went, and 1976 was a big year for video slots with the release of the first-ever Fortune Coin. The Last Vegas company created an exclusive pokie only found in the Hilton hotel on a 19-inch Television. Video slots became popular after the Nevada Gaming Commission approved them for mass production. Today, the online slot has taken over as gaming has gone fully digital.
