History of Slot Machines

Before the first slot was introduced to the world, its precursor was created in 1891.  Sittman and Pitt, based in Brooklyn, New York, created a gambling machine based on poker.  The machine contained five drums holding fifty playing cards.  Players would insert a nickel, press a lever and wait for the machine to spin the drums, hoping that they would stop with a good hand displaying.  The gambling machines quickly gained popularity and spread throughout the bars of New York City.  Because they did not have a direct pay out mechanism, it was up to the owner of the bar or other establishment to come up with prizes for good hands, such as giving a free beer for a pair of aces.  In order to improve the odds of the house, the Ten of Spades and Jack of Hearts were normally removed because it cut the odds of getting a Royal Flush in half, along with rearranging the drums.

Although the gambling machine began gaining popularity in 1891, the first slot machine was actually invented in 1887.  Charles Fey created the first “one-armed bandit” in San Francisco, California.  The bandit offered a much simpler automated mechanism that allowed for an automatic pay out.  This slot machine contained three spinning reels with five different symbols, including horseshoes, diamonds, spades, hearts and a Liberty Bell.  The Liberty Bell offered the biggest pay out, with three bells in a row paying ten nickels, which is why the machines were referred to as the Liberty Bell.  In 1907, Charles Fey joined forces with the Mills Novelty Company to create the Mills Liberty Bell slot machine.  It featured a cast iron case and cast iron feet with toes.  The feet with toes were later replaced by decorate, ornate feet.

In 1910, the Mills Novelty Company introduced the Operator Bell slot machine.  The Operator Bell was very similar to the Liberty Bell, but it featured fruit symbols on the reels instead of card suits.  Between 1930 and 1940, the Mills Novelty Company added several new slots to its inventory.  These machines were known as Silent Bells.  This was due to the fact that they were much more quiet than the original machines.  The Silent Bells also offered double jackpots, which greatly increased a player's chance of winning.  The Silent Bells were designed with different themes, including the Roman Head, Castle Front, War Eagle and Lion Head.  These machines were made with three reels.  Although many slots still use three reels, casinos have also expanded to five reels.

Throughout the 1940s, slot machines gained a large amount popularity and notoriety thanks to Bugsy Siegel.  Siegel filled his hotel, the Flamingo Hilton, with machines to occupy the time of the high rollers’ girlfriends and wives.  Since then, slots have become a staple in casinos and gambling boats around the world.  Slot machines have steadily made the transition from the pull handle and reels to electronic machines that are controlled by a computer and operate by pushing a button.  This transition has greatly deterred players who try to beat a slot by cheating.