Slots have had a long journey from their initial development all the way to the HD video slots that are now available at every deposit on website casino. The changes from mechanical to electric to online have made slots one of the most enduring forms of gaming around.
Early Origins
The very first mechanical slot was first developed in the United States in the late nineteenth century! Initially, these slots were nothing like the modern slots we are familiar with today as they didn’t even give players any winnings. A few decades later, a man named Charles Fey created a slot named the Liberty Bell slot. This paid out coins to winners and had many features that are recognisable on today’s video slots, it utilised symbols such as cards and horseshoes. Soon, Charles began manufacturing and selling his invention to bars across his home state, California. The invention proved popular as the Slot soon spread across the United States, it even made its way across the pond to other countries such as the United Kingdom and France! Arguably, the 1960’s were the golden age of mechanical slot gambling, largely thanks to Las Vegas. As time went on, laws became stricter for mechanical slots and they were altered to combat cheating. For example, the outside of slots became incredibly thick to stop cheaters from using magnets to manipulate the reels.
Video Slots
The very first video slot machine was created in California by Las Vegas based company, Fortune Coin Co. in 1976. It used a screen that was nineteen inches and performed all regular slot machine functions. After an initial trial, video slots were approved by the Nevada state gaming commission and they were a major hit throughout Las Vegas. Fortune Coin Co. was bought out by IGT in 1978, IGT had the funds and resources to develop video slots throughout the whole of the United States and the rest is history. These slots also saw the development of RNG’s, this random number generator meant that it was practically impossible for players to cheat on slot machines.
Internet Explosion
Video Slots experienced a major change with the rise of the internet. In the past, players who wanted to enjoy video slots had to travel to their local casino. Nowadays, all players need to do is open up their online casino apps to get started! Video slots adapted alongside the internet’s early days, online slots would not exist if it were not for video slots. As long as players have wifi, an online slot is going to be accessible. We are certain that even in Charles Fey’s wildest dreams, he never would have quite imagined what his invention would become.
Conclusion
Slots have come a long way, from mechanical all the way to video and online. But what comes next? That’s going to be impossible to predict, though with the rise of VR technology don’t be too surprised to see slots slowly being adapted to suit the software.
