Where did Slot Machines come from?
When a gambler walks into a casino, one of the first things that they undoubtedly hear is the bells, whistles, and music of the slot machine players. It is a hard thing to miss, and most certainly an iconic and popular part of the entire casino experience.
So when did the slot machine come about, exactly? While many gambling games can trace their origins back to B.C. times or Egyptian times, or some other far off point in history, the slot machine is still the relative “new kid on the block” (not to be confused with the 1980’s boy band).
Slot machine origins can be traced back to the late 1880’s, as it brought about the first “one armed bandit”. In San Francisco, California, a man by the name of Charles Fey created a game that used three spinning wheels with various symbols. Getting a combination of like symbols resulted in a payout for the player. The most popular game was called “The Liberty Bell”.
In the early 1890’s , another variation of the modern slot machine further evolved by a duo of Brooklyn New Yorkers by the name of Sittman and Pitt. The machine was simple in concept as compared to the modern slot machine, as is was more based on the game of Poker and contained five drums that held 50 card faces. The concept was the same: Put a nickel into the slot, and pull the lever, which would get the drums and cards spinning to get a winning poker hand (this sounds a lot like current video poker, doesn’t it?) Back then, money wasn’t won, but was more based on prizes. Other machine variants gave out flavored chewing gum. As the game increased in popularity, it soon became a regular fixture in bars.
Slot machines entered the “Electronics Age” in 1934 with a game called “Paces Races” which was themed around the sport of horse racing. Further advances came about in 1964, and the then 1975, with the first electronic slot machine.
Today, slot machines are a display of light, color, and sound, being based on any theme that the mind could possibly conceive of. Basically, if a player has an interest in any particular subject, there is probably a slot machine out there that is practically tailored just for them. Slot machines are catchy and great fun - and have proven to be a genuine crowd pleaser.
Next time you find yourself at the casino, be sure to check one out!
