Slots have become an integral part of the gambling and entertainment industry played by millions of people worldwide. They have a fascinating history that dates back to the 19th century. these digital slots have evolved from simple mechanical devices with only a few features to thousands of digital machines with advanced bonus features and high-quality graphics – also play Big Bass Slot.
This article explores the history of these digital slots back to the first mechanical slot.
Early Mechanical Slot Machines
The first mechanical slot machine with automatic payouts was invented in 1895 by a car mechanic, Charles August Fey. It was called the Liberty Bell. This slot machine featured three spinning reels with spades, horseshoes, liberty bells, diamonds and heart symbols.
You’d pull the lever to initiate a spin, and the reels would turn. The best winning combo was of three bell symbols hence the name Liberty Bell. The top prize was set to £0.50.
Demand For More Slot Machines
The Liberty bell became so popular that players wanted more gambling machines. However, because of the gambling laws in California, the games were banned, and Fey couldn’t produce more slot machines. This was a key loophole that allowed other people like Henry Mill to begin manufacturing their slot machines.
Henry Mill made his version of the Liberty Bell in 1902 and improved the old version with new symbols such as cherries, plums and lemons symbols on the screen. This is where the term fruit machine was derived. It was the first online slot machine to use the BAR symbols on the reels.
Introduction Of Electromechanical Slots
The swinging sixties saw the rise of the first electromechanical slots. Bally was the first company to develop a slot machine with electric reels. The slot was called Money Honey. Although it featured electric reels, you had to start it with a mechanical level.
The First Video Slot
The first-ever video slot was developed by Fortune Coin Company, now owned by the famous IGT. The slot machine had some futuristic features, and it took people a while to get used to it as they were more familiar with mechanically operated reels.
After IGT acquired Fortune Coin Co. in 1978, changes were made to the Fortune Coin slot machine. The slot started using RNG, featured more paylines and promised much bigger payouts.
Progressive Slots
After the success of the improved Fortune Coin, IGT introduced the first progressive slot called Megabucks. This slot had top prizes that were linked across multiple slot machines.
By the end of the decade, IGT had released several progressive slots, including Wheel of Fortune. WMS Industries Inc. had also started creating some video slots at the time. Reel’ EmIn slot was one of their inventions. The slot allowed players to trigger a pick ’em-style bonus game.
Digital Online Slots
When the internet came to the world in the 1990s, it paved the way for manufacturers to develop digital online slot games. Microgaming developed the first online casino that offers a few online slot games. It launched the first online progressive jackpot slot, Cash Splash, in 1998.
After technologies improved, more developers started emerging. Now you can find various online slots from different developers in various online casinos.
