The history of slot machines: from mechanical giants to online software

Shashakjain

There are hundreds of online clubs on the world wide web, where popular slots for every taste are presented. For example, at the https://www.casinonic.com/en-NZ/games/slots, everyone can play for real money and for free in any gambling game including slots. However, a few decades ago, gambling enthusiasts had to make an effort to find a place where they could play on “one-armed bandits”.

Classic slot machines in casino Casinonic

Brief History of Slots: Technologies of the Past and Present

The first slot machine in history was created at the end of the 19th century by Charles Fey, a mechanic from San Francisco who was fond of developing new machines and who created the first slot machine in his workshop – a machine with three reels, on the lines of which were placed five different symbols. This mechanical giant was named Liberty Bell after one of the symbols. As it is not surprising at first glance, Charles Fey was not a gambler and he was not interested in gambling at all, so he considered his invention only as a new word in mechanical technology. The Liberty Bell was not meant to be gambled, and the people who played it could only win food or drinks since Liberty Bell was placed in bars and pubs.

The next stage in the history of “one-armed bandits” was the invention of electromechanical gaming machines in the 30s of the twentieth century. Unlike the first slots, which were purely mechanical, the new models of slot machines were powered by electricity, were more compact, had more reels and symbols, and accepted not only coins but also dollar bills. With the advent of electromechanical machines, the first gambling clubs with “one-armed bandits” appeared. Of course, at that time, unlike today, there was no opportunity to play slot machines for free – games could be played exclusively with real money only.

Subsequently, slot machines were constantly improved, and in 1975 the first video slot appeared, on which mechanical reels were replaced with the screen with video output (graphics). Video slots immediately gained popularity and, in a few years, almost completely replaced the electromechanical models of devices from the gambling market. However, around this time, in several countries, the legislation regulating the gambling business was tightened, and casinos and slot machine clubs could only function in zones designated by state authorities.

The ubiquity of the Internet has had a decisive impact on the gambling business around the world, as many slot clubs and most of the players have moved online. And now fans of “one-armed bandits”, can either travel to places where gambling games are allowed, or go to the website of a trusted online club and plunge into the world of gambling without leaving their home.

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