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Ye Olde Slot Machine: History of Slot Machines
Casinos are never complete without slot machines ( slots). That's because slot machines have grown so popular that casino owners and managers know better than to not have one in their establishment. Almost 70% of the average annual income of casinos are generated from slot machines these days. So when did it all begin? Let's take a brief tour of the history of slot machines.
In the year 1891, a gambling machine was introduced to the American public. This machine is considered as a direct descendant to the modern slot machines. The mechanics were similar to video poker in that the object of the game was to match cards that would amount to a winning poker hand. The player pulls down a lever which promptly spins five drums that contain the cards of a deck (minus 2 cards for a total of 50).
The prizes in these games varies wildly. Whatever the bar or the establishment can offer, such as beer or a cigarettes, can be given out as prizes to the lucky winner. This particular machine was developed by Sittman and Pitt from Brooklyn, New York and it was an instant success in bars throughout the city.
An American named Charles Fey however, is considered to be the inventor of slot machines. He developed a machine that predates even the machine manufactured by Sittman and Pitt. 1897 was the birth year of the first slot machine. Fey's gambling machine was much simpler than the slot machines we have today. It was called the Liberty Bell because one of the five symbols imprinted on the reels was the Liberty Bell. The four other symbols of this slot machine are spades, horseshoes, diamonds and hearts.
The difference between the poker machine and Fey's Liberty Bell was the practicality and simplicity of the latter. The Liberty Bell only had five symbols and three reels whilst the poker machine had a total of 50 to 52 symbols on five drums. This meant that spotting a winning combination was made easier and an automatic pay out was now possible.
Further developments of the slot machine took place during the years after it first debuted to the public. A pioneering slot machine with the name of Money Honey was introduced to the thriving gambling community during 1964. It was manufactured by Bally and it was the first ever slot machine that was fully electromechanical.
Without a doubt, the slot machine has really come of age. From its humble beginnings, the "one armed bandit" has earned its rightful place as a gambling game in a class of its own.
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