Where Does The Term Slot Machine Come From?

The Word "Slot Machine" Comes From The Slot In The Machine Where Coins Are Inserted And Retrieved. The Word "Fruit Machine" Comes From The Traditional Image Of Fruits Such As Lemons And Cherries On The Reels.

Playing Slots Has Long Been One Of The Most Exciting Ways To Win Big Prizes And Have Fun, But This Has Not Always Been The Case. Historically Speaking, Slot Machines Are Relatively New.

So When And Where Did Slot Machines First Originate? How Did They First Become So Popular?

The Earliest Slot Machines

According To Legend, The First Slot Machine Was Invented In 1894 In San Francisco. Pioneered By Charles Fey, His Device Was Called The Liberty Bell And Featured The Familiar Design We All Know And Love. The Liberty Bell Includes Three Spinning Reels, A Payline And A Fully Automatic Payout System. Over The Years, Slot Machines Have Progressed With More Ways To Win. Today, You'Ll Typically Find A Five-Reel Game With 40 Ways To Win!

Despite The Initial Popularity Of Fey'S Invention, Slot Machines Have Undergone Many Changes Over The Years. For Example, In 1907, The Fruit Symbols Were Added To The Reels Of The Slot Machine. Prior To That, Cardboard Symbols And Suits Were Used.

Mills Novelty Co. Created A Feature Called "Skill Stop" In The 1920s, Where Players Could Press A Button To Stop The Reels And Try To Affect A Win. A Feature That Is Still Popular Today In Games Throughout The Illinois Vgt Market.

In 1963, Bally, A World-Renowned Illinois Vgt Company, Introduced The Original Electromechanical Slot Machine Called Money Honey.

As Ingenious As Money Honey Was, It Still Required The User To Pull A Mechanical Lever In Order To Make The Spinning Reels Move. It Was This Lever, Which Also Appeared On Early Machines, That Gave The Slot Machine Its Nickname Of "One-Armed Bandit". In Later Years, A Button Was Added To Modern Machines To Replace The Infamous Mechanical Lever.

The Original Video Slot Machine Was Invented In 1976 And Was Later Improved With Better Graphics, Including Hd And 3d Images.

An Interesting Development In Slot Machine Technology Is The So-Called Class Ii "Bingo Slots". Many Tribal Casinos Are Limited To Class Ii Games, Defined As "Games Of Chance Commonly Known As Bingo Games". Therefore, In Order To Allow Class Ii Properties To Operate Slot Machines, A Technology Was Invented That Allowed The Slot Machines To Essentially Participate In Bingo Games, But Display The Results On The Slot Reels. This Impressive Technology Has Provided Slot Machines To Many Tribal Casinos That Would Otherwise Only Offer Bingo Games.

Progressive Jackpots Progressive Jackpots
The Invention Of Progressive Jackpots Is Undoubtedly The Most Exciting Slot Machine Invention Since Charles Fey Created The Liberty Bell In His San Francisco Studio. Igt Introduced Megabucks As The First Progressive Jackpot In 1986, And Shortly After A Large Number Of Progressive Jackpots Were Introduced To The Market.

How Do They Work?
The Progressive Jackpots Increase Gradually Over Time. Usually, As Losing Bets Increase, These Bets Increase The Progressive Jackpot. The Longer It Takes To Hit The Jackpot, The Bigger The Progressive Jackpot!

Is There A Wide Variety?
Many Manufacturers Have Their Own Offerings, But The Progressive Bonuses Grow In Different Ways.

Single Machines
Progressive Autocall Grows Over Time, But Is Specific To Single Cabinet Games.

Casino Specific
Many Slot Machines In A Specific Casino Can Be Linked Together To Increase The Progressive Jackpot Faster.

Wide Area Progressive
These Are Manufacturer-Based And Usually Span An Entire Jurisdiction. For Example, A Wheel Of Fortune That Spans The Entire State Of Nevada May Be The Same Progressive Payout.
These Are The Most Exciting And Largest Jackpots, Growing Into The Millions, And The Most Difficult To Win.

What Is The Most Famous Progressivism? The Most Famous Game Is, Of Course, "Lion'S Share" At The Mgm Grand. This Infamous Game Took Over 20 Years To Become A Hit And Finally Hit It Big In 2014 With A $2.4 Million Price Tag!

Slot Machine Regulations

Modern Slot Machines Are Subject To Many Regulations, Which Often Vary From Country To Country/Region And Even From State To State. In Fact, They Were Banned Outright In The United States In 1902. To Circumvent These Laws, Machines Pay For Snacks Like Gum And Various Sweets Instead Of Cash.

Nevada Even Banned All Forms Of Gambling In 1910, But Just Three Years Later They Legalized Public Gambling. Then In 1931, Commercial Gambling Was Legalized In Nevada Once And For All, And Other States Slowly Began To Legalize It As Well.