A Brief History of the Development of Slot Machines
Slot machines are by far the most popular casino game, but they are much different today than at their inception. Online casino games are especially popular nowadays for their wide array of slot games available. If slot games are your favorite options when playing online, then Prism Casino is the site for you. With several different slot variations at their site, there's really nothing more that a slots lover could ask for.
The Origins of Slot Games
Slot machines as we know them were invented in 1894 by Charles August Fey. These coin-operated machines were nicknamed 'One-Arm Bandits' for the handle that was used to spin the reels. One of Fey's earliest games was a three-reel machine called the 4-11-44.
In 1898 Fey developed the Card Bell, the first automatic payout slot machine. This three-reel game featured playing cards that lined up to create poker hands, and the next year Fey created the Liberty Bell which added horseshoe and bell symbols.
In order to bypass San Francisco's 1909 slot machine ban, The Industry Novelty Company developed the first machines using fruit symbols like cherries and melons that dispensed chewing gum. The Mills Novelty Company copied this design and added pictures of chewing gum packs that would become the 'Bar' symbol. They also introduced the first jackpot in 1916, which paid out all of the coins in the machine.
The Rise of Electronics
In the late 1940s machines began to incorporate electronics, and this allowed multipliers and alternative payout schemes to be added. In 1963 Bally produced Money Honey, the first fully electromechanical slot machine. This game featured a max automatic payout of 500 coins and a bottomless hopper, and spin buttons steadily replaced lever arms.
Through the late 1960s and into the 70s Bally added random number generators, video screens, and the dollar slot machine. In 1976, Fortune Coin Co-developed the first true video slot machine. While the public was skeptical at first, they quickly became popular.
In the 1980s slot machines began accepting paper money and computerized systems allowed games to be linked to each other. In 1994 the first game to feature a 'second screen' bonus play appeared, and the first online casino was launched. When playing online slots, you get the same bonus features as if you were playing them in a land-based casino. There are more bonus offers than just the welcome ones for new players. Regular players may receive daily bonuses from up to 100 free spins, with no deposit needed and win real money.
The Modern Slot Games
Today you can find machines featuring almost any theme in both land-based and online casinos, and technologies such as 3-D display and virtual reality are being steadily incorporated. The ability to link multiple machines also allows for massive progressive jackpots, and features available to slots today is only growing. Discover more by visiting our homepage.
