Perhaps the most popular of casino games, slots are favoured by gamblers as well as non-gamblers alike. A game that was used as a way to entertain people not interested in card or table games in a casino, slots have received universal popularity even becoming popular in premises other than casinos. And it is the said popularity that inspired developers to come up with new and updated versions of slot machines throughout history. Starting from humble card machines to the modern online casino slots games today, here is the progression of the slot machine and the game of slots.
The precursor to original slot machine
The game of slots has come a long way and is even available online as online casino slots today. But everything started with the precursor to the original slot machine which is the card machine developed by Sittman and Pitt. A machine based on Poker and that which used playing cards, this card machine worked on the same principle as the slots machines do today. The machine has 50 card faces, and when the lever is pulled and the various cards lined up, the player is rewarded if it resulted in a Poker hand. Though the card machine did work on the principle of modern-day online casino slots there was no automatic payment system in place. Rather, the reward was decided by the people running the casino itself.
The original slots machine
The original slots machine was a brainchild of Charles Fey, a car mechanic. The slots machine designed by Fey had all the aspects that make up the conventional and online casino slots that we enjoy today, including the automatic pay-out option. This design, called the Liberty Bell, didn’t use playing cards but used the symbols of hearts, spades, hearts and diamonds along with horseshoes and the image of the cracked Liberty Bell. The highest pay-out from this machine was provided when the player had the image of the Liberty Bell on all the three reels. To this day, the design of the slot has remained the same; the only change is in the images and the number of reels.
Fruit slots
Necessity is the mother of invention and the next iteration to the slots machine was the necessity to evade the law that considered all forms of gambling illegal. In a time where slot machines were so popular that even everyday stores that had no relation to casinos showed interest in having one installed in their premises, the slot machines were not considered legal as they used the symbols used on playing cards. Thus, in a bid to make the game of slots family-friendly, the new fruit slots machines came into being. The big difference with the fruit slots is that instead of the conventional images, images of fruits, candy and gum, etc. were used. Additionally, the pay-outs were also in the form of candy, a stick of gum, cigars, etc.
Electronic slot machines
The next upgrade that slot machines got, making them more like the online casino slots we enjoy today is during the time when electricity and computers became a norm. The invention of the computer and hence, the Random Number Generator totally changed how the slots machines worked. What were basically mechanical machines previously, the slot machines in this era were upgraded with the addition of the Random Number Generator, thus, allowing for much more random and unbiased results. It was during this time that the invention of electricity and the monitor resulted in video slot machines. Basically, slot machines now had monitors and colour images which made things more exciting for the players.
Online casino slots
Currently, we are in the age of the internet where everything is available online. Online casinos have provided us with the convenience of enjoying the excitement of gambling from the comfort of our homes. And most casino websites these days provide players with online casino slots! The best advantage of this concept is the inherent convenience of accessing the game of slots from anywhere and at all times of the day. Additionally, online casinos also provided unlimited, engaging options of slots to choose from.
Mobile slots
Apart from the concept of online casino slots, we are slowly but surely being treated to the concept of mobile slots too. The availability of powerful internet connections and mobile technologies has allowed developers to provide slot games and other casino games such as exclusive apps that can be enjoyed from anywhere, on-the-go!