History of Slot Machines — The Evolution of Casino’s Most Beloved Game

Sep 1, 2022 Artyom Ustinov
Table of Contents
Slot machines have come a long way from being used as a name for just about any mechanical vending machine to casino’s most popular games. There are virtually thousands of slot machines on casino floors worldwide and just as many in the realm of online casinos. So, what makes them so popular? How did they evolve over the years? What can we expect from slots in the future? For answers to these burning questions, you have come to the right place.
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Early Beginnings

The first slot machines date back to the 19th century to a machine developed by Sittman and Pitt in 1891. The machine had a total of 50 cards with five drums. The goal was to line up the best possible poker hand, so we can say that the predecessor of modern slots was a poker machine. Then, in 1894, Charles Fey pioneered the first ever slot machine, named the Liberty Bell, which featured three spinning reels and five symbols: horseshoes, spades, diamonds, hearts, and an image of a cracked Liberty Bell. As the first coin-operated slot machine, it was a huge hit. Instead of selling the machines, Fey rented them on a 50% commission. In 1907, the first major slot machine transformations happened. Namely, the fruit symbols were added to the original card suit symbols.
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Electronic Slot Machines See the Light of Day

The first ever electromechanical slot was created by a household name in the world of casino software — Bally. In 1963, it released the famed Money Honey, a three-reel slot activated by pulling a mechanical lever, which ultimately led to the moniker the One-Armed Bandit, which is now broadly used to describe all slots. The development of audio-video technology in the early ‘70s successfully paved the road to video slots. In 1976, Fortune Coin Company created Fortune Coin, the first video slot that used a 9-inch Sony TV to display the symbols instead of mechanical reels, which was a huge step forward. Fortune Coin was first offered in the Hilton Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. In 1978, the company was bought by IGT.
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First Progressive Jackpot Slots

It was IGT that brought another monumental invention to the world of slots. In 1986, it released the world’s first progressive jackpot slot machine, Megabucks. It allowed slot machines to generate pooled jackpots rather than fixed ones, and the pooled ones could grow virtually indefinitely. The machines across the US were connected through phone lines, and IGT guaranteed the funding of the first payout of up to $1 million. Anything more than that number would depend on the number of people playing the machines. In 1987, the first progressive jackpot, close to $5 million, was hit in Reno.
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Bonus Rounds Hit the Scene

There weren’t that many milestones for slot machines until WMS released Reel ‘Em, the first slot to feature a bonus round played on a second screen. When players triggered the bonus round, an entirely new game appeared for that particular round, giving way to additional payouts.

Age of Online Slots

The rise of online slots was recorded in the late ‘90s with the birth of online casinos. The classic 3-reel slots with simple visuals and gameplay features were now being replaced with elaborate themes, bonus rounds, and layouts with multiple reels and paylines. Compared to their land-based counterparts, these online slots had flexible and higher RTPs, and lower buy-ins. The first online slot game was Temple Of Isis by Eyecon, an Australian developer. Now, we have slots with innovative mechanics, such as Megaways which can offer more than one million ways to make a winning combo, global progressive jackpots worth millions such as those found in Mega Moolah slots by Microgaming, and many other perks. Slots are played on desktop and mobile devices and feature complex themes and payout structures that few could predict at the early stages of online casino gaming.
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Future of Online Slots

The future of online slots is a bright one, that’s for sure. With the rise of 5G internet, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and other technological innovations, slots will become even more immersive. Take Gonzo's Quest VR slot by NetEnt, for example. With the help of VR goggles, you will find yourself in a 3D environment with a full 360-degree view and spinning the reels of a slot game. It seems that the future of online slots is already here. All it’s left is to see how the providers will adapt and deliver their products.
Artyom Ustinov

Artyom is Head of White Label & Turnkey Solutions and has been working in complex B2B/B2C sales, as well as business development and management consulting in iGaming for more than 10 years.

Together with the Key Account Management Team, he has helped over 100 start-ups and experienced gaming companies to launch their projects with SoftGamings.

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