A Complete History of Slot Machines

By Jerry Smith Staff Writer Updated: 06/02/2023

Jerry Smith Staff Writer See Full Bio

Jerry’s greatest advantage is his extensive experience on the casino floor. His time as a casino manager taught him everything about what makes a player tick. Besides being a skilled poker player, he has deep knowledge of all live table games and gambling regulations in the US.

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History of Slot Machines

• Slot Machine History
• The History of the Slot Machine
• Charles Fey: The Father of Slots
• Fruit Symbols and the Liberty Bell
• The Transition to Electronic and Video Slots
• Online Slots and Their Impact on the Industry
• What’s Next for Slot Machines?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Whether you want to play the best online slots or learn more about where today’s state-of-the-art video slots came from, this blog aims to give you all the information you need. The history of slot machines is pretty fascinating, and it’s what we’re going to be covering today.

What You’ll Find in This Slot Machine History Blog

Slot machine history dates back to the late 19th century with the creation of the one-armed bandit – the first mechanical slot machine. In today’s post, we’ll take a look at the creation of the first slot machine, as well as some of the legal issues surrounding the creation and subsequent evolution of the slot machine.

We’ll also look at how games have gone from old, mechanical machines where you had to physically pull a lever, to the modern-day video slots you can find at virtually every online casino.

The History of the Slot Machine

The history of slot machines dates back to the late 19th century. In 1891, Sittman and Pitt, a Brooklyn-based company, created the first poker-based gambling machine.

Their innovation laid the groundwork for future slot machines, and the next notable achievement came in 1895, when a man called Charles Fey, a San Francisco mechanic, released The Liberty Bell. This was a very simple machine that used just three reels.

Over time, slots started to get more complex, and soon, they began to incorporate fruit symbols and the iconic BAR – symbols you’ll still see in many slot machine releases today!

In 1963, Bally Technologies’ Money Honey was released, and it was revolutionary, as it was the first fully electromechanical slot machine. This inspired several other companies to enter the industry, and in the early 1970s, the first video slot was released. It was developed by a company called Fortune Coin Co., and it was revealed in 1975.

Since then, the industry has continued to innovate, and today, slot machines are available at pretty much every offline and online casino. The history of the slot machine is fascinating, and in the next section, we’re going to look at the man credited with the first proper slot machine.

Charles Fey: The Father of Slots

Born in Bavaria in 1862, Charles Fey decided to move to the United States in the late 19th century. He ended up settling in San Francisco and started to work as a machinist, before he decided he had a passion for gambling and wanted to work in the development of gambling-related machines.

When was the first slot machine invented? 1895, this was then Fey launched the Liberty Bell, as we mentioned in the previous section. This was a highly innovative device, and it used three spinning reels, which included several symbols – including a horseshoe, a diamond, and playing card suits. Naturally, the top-paying symbol was the Liberty Bell itself!

The machine’s design allowed for payouts to be awarded automatically, and this was seen as a really big deal at the time. Previously, payouts were manually paid by employees – so this was something that greatly interested establishments with gambling machines.

The Liberty Bell was a massive success, and its popularity quickly spread across the United States. It laid the foundation for modern slots and inspired countless inventors to create their own versions of Fey’s revolutionary device.

Today, the original Liberty Bell machines are considered incredibly rare. They’ve actually classed as a collector’s item, often being sold at auctions for tens of thousands of dollars!

Fruit Symbols and the Liberty Bell

Some early slot machines paid out chewing gum instead of cash. The fruit symbols on the reels represented the flavors of gum you could win.

The fruits are a really interesting piece of slot machine history, in our opinion. When you play slots online in Michigan, for example, you’ll find hundreds of games with fruit symbols. Unless you know the real history behind them, you’d have no idea they represent the flavors of chewing gum you could win while playing early slots!

But why the bell symbol? Well, it was a symbol that appeared on Charles Fey’s game, and if you lined up three, you’d get the biggest payout! The Liberty Bell soon became intrinsically linked to slots and it’s something you’ll continue to see in slot machines released today.

The Transition to Electronic and Video Slots

Money Honey, the groundbreaking creation by Bally Technologies in 1963, marked a significant turning point in the history of the slot machine. This innovative electromechanical machine offered a hugely different playing experience to what players were used to. There were bright lights and loud sounds, plus you could win up to 500 coins at once!

The creation of electromechanical machines led to a surge in creativity and technological advancements. A lot of this was driven by a company called Bally Technologies, who kept on with developing electronic slots. They continued to innovate with games like Big Bertha and Money Tree, pushing the boundaries of slot machine capabilities and helping make them more popular in the US than ever before.

Other notable manufacturers, such as IGT and Williams Electronics, followed suit, and these three game developers are still operating today, both in the online and offline gambling markets. One major benefit of electronic slots was that bonuses and features could be built into them. Previously, this just wasn’t possible.

These machines also enabled the development of progressive jackpots, where a portion of each bet contributes to a shared prize pool that grows until it is won.

As technology continued to advance, the 1970s saw the introduction of video slots, which used computer screens instead of physical reels. Fortune Coin Co. made history in 1976 by launching the first-ever video slot machine, changing the industry. This technological leap allowed for the integration of elaborate themes, animations, and immersive soundtracks, solidifying the slot machine’s place as a casino mainstay.

Online Slots and Their Impact on the Industry

The transition from video slots to online slots was a natural progression as the internet began to transform pretty much every industry in the world back in the 1990s. With the internet came online gambling, and this offered game developers even more options in terms of development.

Microgaming, a pioneer in online gaming software development, played a crucial role in this transition. In 1994, they introduced the first online casino software alongside the first online slot – and even today, they continue to be one of the world’s major names in the online gambling world.

As technology advanced, online slots became more diverse and engaging, with companies like NetEnt, Playtech, and IGT leading the charge in creative game design.

Online slots now offer intricate themes, immersive storylines, and interactive bonuses, with releases like Gonzo’s Quest, Mega Moolah, and Starburst propelling the industry forward and making games more accessible to new players than ever before.

The rise of mobile gaming further transformed the industry, with developers optimizing online slots for smartphones and tablets. The convenience of playing anytime, anywhere has attracted an even broader audience to the world of online slots.

Below, we’re going to look at five companies who have played a significant role in the development of online slots and online gambling in general:

What’s Next for Slot Machines?

Slot machine history is an interesting topic, there’s no denying that. However, what does the future hold for slots? Well, no one can say for sure, but there are some exciting possibilities on the horizon.

For starters, virtual and augmented reality technologies are likely to make their way into the slot machine world. However, it’s worth noting that game developers including Netent have already tried this, as the technology has actually been out for more than seven years!

Due to the high cost of purchasing AR headsets, it’s never really kicked off, so we’ll probably need to see major AR advancements before this gets re-visited by developers.

What we are seeing right now is a fundamental shift in the way players play video slots. Firstly, it’s clear that players are generally going in search of high variance machines with much bigger win potential. This has caused game developers to start producing games that can produce non-jackpot wins of up to 200,000x!

Secondly, players are using bonus buy features to skip the base game and purchase direct entry to the bonuses and features. While this has caused controversy – mainly surrounding responsible gambling – it would suggest attention spans are getting shorter, and players want fast-paced, action-packed, and on-demand action.