Slot machines have become one of the cornerstones of the gambling industry today. Now going back, the history of slot machines can be traced back to 1895, when the first ever slot machine was created.
Charles Fey of San Francisco was the man who, invented the slot machine in the year 1895. this was the true origin of slots .His first true mechanical slot machine, was the Liberty Bell. It was indeed a brilliant mechanical system of reels and levers .He created the machine with three reels that were filled with different card symbols, like spades, hearts, and diamonds. On each reel, there was also a picture of a cracked liberty bell. Getting a set of three matching symbols was the way to win; certain symbols were more valuable. This machine had an automatic payout system built in.
Going through the slots history, it is seen that the slot machine was banned in many states of America in the year 1902, Fey introduced pictures of fruits and candies instead of cards symbols. In this way, players could still enjoy the thrill of slot games and with this slot machine came to be known as Fruit Machine. Slot machines also became to be known as one armed bandit referring to the lever that was be pulled by one arm.
Slots became more advanced and more technical over the years and became electro mechanical in 1960s but it was soon replaced by the electric machines which were powered by electric microprocessors. These machines allow bigger bet and payouts.
Creation of the random number generator has made slot machine gain even more popularity. Random number generator transforms weak physical phenomenon into digital values, i.e. numbers. The device uses the programmed algorithm, constantly sorting the numbers. When the player presses the button, the device selects a random number required for a game.
The advent of online slots in the history of slots has provided another area for these machines to flourish. Online slots have better payouts compared to land based casinos. With the introduction online slots, players can enjoy the excitement of playing slot machines in the comfort of their home.
This new technology, enabling the slot machine manufacturers to produce a virtually unlimited number of entertaining and attractive slot machine games is a real eye candy of the highest order. Slot machines now take up over 80% of many casinos' floor space and make up a similar amount of the casinos' revenues and profits.
As seen, the history of slots is not only interesting but helps us to fathom the hundreds of years of research and development that have gone into each and every slot machine that you find at online casinos today.