There are a few iconic staples of casinos that almost anyone would recognise – slot machines are one of those. Even though they came onto the casino scene much later than classics like Blackjack or Roulette, there’s no denying that Slots are one of the most well-known casino games out there today.
But how did slot machines get to where they are now? A modern slot game looks pretty different if you were to put it side by side with one of the earliest slot machines. So, let’s take a look at just how Slots have evolved over the course of the last century and a bit, going from mechanical beginnings to modern games like Clover Rollover.
The Liberty Bell and the start of slot machines
Slot machines got their start in the final years of the 19th century, taking inspiration from other mechanical games and novelties that operated on a similar system. In 1895, a San Franciscan named Charles Fey unveiled what would become the blueprint for the development of Slots – the Liberty Bell.
With three spinning reels and a selection of five different symbols – diamonds, hearts, spades, horseshoes and the titular Liberty Bell – this game set the pattern for everything that would come next.
Unlike earlier attempts at a similar concept, the Liberty Bell featured an automatic payout mechanism thanks to the much smaller number of potential winning combinations. The combination all players wanted to see was a row of three Liberty Bells lined up, which was essentially the jackpot of the time.
The rise of the fruit machine
With its simple core concept, the Liberty Bell proved a major success, so much so that it wasn’t long before imitators started to pop up. This led to a proliferation of slot games across the US, all of them largely based on Charles Fey’s design.
As a method to differentiate themselves – and in response to government regulations – many newer designs switched out their selection of symbols. Rather than using classic card suits, these games instead featured a variety of different fruits on their reels. In some cases, these fruits were based on flavours of gum.
In the end, the fruits themselves became an iconic staple of the slot game formula and many classic-styled games still use them today.
The switch to electromechanical
Slot games stayed mechanical in nature until the 1960s, when developers were able to start incorporating electromechanical parts into their designs. It wasn’t long before the majority of Slots swapped out their mechanical parts, as newer electronics allowed for the introduction of new features and more complicated game mechanics.
Within the space of another decade slot games would see another major shift with the advent of video Slots. These replaced the physical reels entirely in favour of a screen, allowing for an expanded number of reels and animated symbols.
The online era of Slots
As video Slots took over the market by the end of the 20th century this helped to smooth the transition when online play began to take off. With slot gameplay already converted to a digital format it was a relatively easy jump to translate those games from physical cabinets to the internet platform.
This switch in format led to even more innovation and creation in the slot game space, with more new games coming to players.
A modern slot game is vastly different from the initial mechanical designs of Charles Fey. But even though what’s going on behind the screen is different, the same simple core of the games remain the same.
