Learn More about Slots History

1891 was the year the history of the slot machines was born.  Its design came from the imagination of Pitt and Sittman who were from New York.  The design was made out of five drums that show five poker hands, but it had no mechanism for payback, so companies that bought their design had to come up with their own prizes like free items or food.

The First Slots - The Liberty Bell

Charles Fey was the one who designed the first slot known as the Liberty Bell.  It was different from the ones that we see today since it was built with over 100 pounds of cast iron and was missing the fruit designs that we normally see today.  Its graphics were star, suits of playing cards, and horseshoes.  Its payout was 50 cents which was a considerable amount during those times.  The first ever Liberty Bell can still be seen when you visit the Liberty Belle Saloon and Restaurant where it is displayed.  The owners are the grandchildren of Fey who have preserved the slot machine in honor of Charles Fey.

The Operator Bell

The Operator Bell was the second slot machine designed by Fey.  It was here that the fruit symbols first came into being and has since been used for different slot machines that we can see today.  During this time, anti-slot machines campaign was rising, so Fey designed other machines that can work as vending machines.  It turned out that most vending machine companies were included in the anti-slot machines because of their machines.  The company of the Bell-Fruit Gum, which, according to the reports, stole a machine from Fey, sold their bubble gum through slot machines wherein you only have to pull the lever and the gum will fall out.  This was where the BAR started.  They created this concept to cover up the slot machine and to pass it as a vending machine which proved to be quite a challenge when marketing their product.

Continuing History

In the years 1909 and 1910, slot machines were considered to be illegal in San Francisco as well as in the state of Nevada.  By the time 60s arrived, slot machines were now turning into electric, which made it more difficult for players to cheat.  Bally was the first to take the slot machines a step into modernization and has since changed the way people look at slot machines.  The 70s brought the microchips into the slot machines.  These helped in generating random spins and proved to be more difficult to crack.  The 80s has been witness to the slot machines move using microchips, and since then, slot machines have been constantly evolving, bringing numerous types to players not only in casinos but in the internet as well.