From the rudimentary ancestor into some of technology’s most ingenious creations, the arc of the slot’s development traces an impossible-seeming trek. The tale of the machine’s evolution says something about the human mind, and a lot about an industry that has been, and will surely continue to be, in a perpetual state of electronic reinvention.
The Liberty Bell, the first slot machine, was invented by Charles Fey at the end of the 19th century. It had three reels and simple symbols, plus a lever to pull in order to make them spin.
Charles Fey’s Liberty Bell
Unless you are deeply versed in the history of gambling, the name Charles Fey is unlikely to prick your brain, but his 1887 invention of the Liberty Bell – the first noteworthy step on the long road to modern slot machines – was operating in thousands of saloons and alehouses throughout San Francisco by the end of that year.
Fey’s work on electrical, telegraphic and telephonic devices had taken him from Chicago to Cincinnati, Illinois to Colorado and, finally, to San Francisco, where he hung out with fellow German immigrants such as Theodor Holtz and Gustav Friedrich Wilhelm Schultz, who designed mechanical gambling machines.
As the Liberty Bell grew in popularity, Fey had to look beyond his small machine shop. He would strike agreements with proprietors that they could use his devices in their saloons on the condition that they give him 50 per cent of the take. Elsewhere, the Chicago manufacturer Herbert Mills added fruit symbols to his Operator Bell machine so that the combinations serving as wins became much easier to recognise and, at the same time, the door to the future’s games of chance was opened.
Electromechanical slots
Gambling machines (commonly known as slot machines, one-armed bandits or pokies) have changed out of all recognition in the past few decades, thanks to technology, changing player taste and an incessant drive towards innovation on the part of the gambling industry.
Charles Fey’s Liberty Bell wired a row of three reels with simple symbols such as horseshoes, hearts, spades and diamonds on each of them, which players would spin into winning combinations by pulling on a lever. After spreading from the bar to neighbouring drugstores and bowling alleys to capture post-Prohibition sensibilities, the game reached mass audiences courtesy of improvements in electronics.
Electromechanical slot machines made their appearance in the 1960s, with features such as hopper payouts – which enabled larger jackpots and automatic payouts – allowing for larger jackpots and automatic payouts. With Bally Manufacturing’s Money Honey, which made it possible to pay out up to 500 coins an hour without the use of a lever, technological development moved the gambling industry into higher gear.
Video slots
Following the introduction of video slots in the nineties, the evolution of slots towards more elaborate gameplay continued unabated. Now digital displays replaced the mechanical reels. This made it possible for developers to create bonus games taking place outside of the three rows of traditional reels. This created opportunities of player engagement that had not been possible before, and slowly but surely, slots became the characteristic symbol for casino gaming.
The gambling industry has adapted to this by continuing to develop pokies over the years, going from the mechanical Liberty Bell machines of old to the sensory feasts of digital games that capture the imagination of players today. This evolution has occurred ludicrously quickly. And with the new frontiers of VR and AI yet to be exploited for further enhancements to the gameplay, the future looks bright indeed.
Online slots
The 1960s were the era when electromechanical slot machines saw explosive growth. The new technology allowed for more complex game designs, and larger payouts. The ‘Money Honey’ slot machine, Bank of New York, 1964. Photo courtesy the Wikipedia entry on Money Honey The Money Honey, developed by Bally, was the first automatic machine that allowed the user to switch between payouts of one coin and the maximum available (500 coins) with flashy noises and brighter lights.
The Video Slot Era saw the utilisation of video slots with digital screens – replacing the mechanical reels – presenting a number of new features and becoming one of the most popular genres of all. The utilisation of digital devices brought higher complexity graphics, more thematics and variations (like progressive jackpots) and Random Number Generators as the way to make sure the game don’t cheat and keeps creating new results being the fair way for players, increasing their trust in the game. Some of the features present in this generation became available with the utilisation of digital deices and created a gaming revolution which is still valid nowadays; we are still gaming to a machine for over 100 years!
