History of Slots – The Origins of Online Casino Slots

The origins of online casino slots, the first slot machines, the early years of slot machines and the move from land slots to online slots.

The first slot machines

It all started in 1891, when Pitt and Sittman from New York designed a type of slot machine with 5 drums that displayed poker hands.  These machines were slightly different in that it did not have a payback mechanism; so the owners of the New York established that bought them made up their own prizes, usually in the form of free drinks.
        
After that, Charles Fey designed the 1st real slot machine in his very own basement, and called it the Liberty Bell. The machines didn't get popular until a couple of years later when they were introduced to the famous Las Vegas strip Flamingo Hilton hotel.  Fey's 1st slot machine was still very different from the machines we know today. It consisted of hundred pounds of cast iron, and did not have the familiar fruit symbols we have come to associate with slot machines. Instead it had shapes like horseshoes, stars, and playing card suits, like hearts and diamonds. The Liberty Bell paid out 50 cents to winners, which was a large sum in its day. You can still view the very first Fey-designed Liberty Bell in the Liberty Belle Saloon and Restaurant, situated in Reno.

The early development

A few years later, Fey designed the Operator Bell Slot machine. This slot was the first to feature the popular fruit design, and soon set the standard for all future slot machine aesthetics.  History was made.  In addition, as soon as slot machines became popular, anti-slot machine sentiments began to also rise.  Fey had to use clever tricks to avert attention, and he made sure that many of his machines looked and worked like vending machines.

It is believed by some that the Bell-Fruit Gum Company stole a slot machine from Charles Fey, and copied the design.  They were the first company to mass-produce slot machines.  These machines cleverly masked their slot machine nature by dispensing gum for every pull in.

Electric slot machines and online slots

Bally introduced the first console slot in 1941, the Bally Club Bell Console was a three-coin multiplier.  In 1963 Bally made its first casino slot and ensured that Las Vegas, and its slot machines, went electric in the early 60s. Electronic slot machines made it more difficult to cheat, and therefore proved to be less of a security risk than the old mechanical versions. They spread out on casino floors, and were no longer thought of as novelties. This was of course years before online slots saw the light.

The 70s saw the birth of random number generators and computer chips to help figure out the spin of the reels. It was no longer necessary to pull the arm but some people still preferred it, as they believed this is the way that slot machines should operate.   By the eighties, all the casinos wanted microchip-powered machines, and therefore experienced bigger profits, as the slots were less expensive.  Slot machines and online slot machines have advanced alongside the microchip revolution, and have been evolving ever since. Online casinos are definitely the way forward for