There are at least two different accounts of the original invention of slot machines. One is that the first device was the Liberty Bell machine, invented by an American named Charles Fey in 1887. The first slot machine was invented by Charles Fey in San Francisco California U.S. Many, however, believe that Charles Fey completed the first slot machine in 1895. The original machine was of course much simpler mechanism. The first-ever slot machine Before we get to the first-ever slot machine, we should mention its precursor. In 1891, Sittman and Pitt, a company based in Brooklyn, New York, developed.
History of Slots
The history of the slot machine starts in 1887 in California when Charles Fey built the first one. This first slot machine looked a lot different from the ones today but it was the forerunner to all of them that have come since. This first slot machine had three reels with five symbols on each reel. The symbols that Fey used on his reels were a bell, spades, hearts, diamonds and a horseshoe. The three reels on this slot machine would spin and when they came to a stop, if any of the same symbols were lined up, then you would receive a win. Although it was illegal to gamble in California at that time, Fey found that the slot machine was popular in other states and so was able to sell, out of state, all the ones that he built.
First Slot Machine 1887
The next slot machines were built in New York around 1891by Sittman and Pitts manufacturing. These slot machines were different to Fey’s in many ways. Firstly, the New York slot machines had five reels housing a total of 50 symbols. The symbols on these reels were playing cards and in order to win you have to have the symbols line up to form a poker hand.
It was in 1963 that the first truly and solely electromagnetic slot machine came into existence. This slot6 machine heralded automatic payouts of less than 500 coin wins, as opposed to having to have before, an attendant to assist you in collecting your winnings. This first electromagnetic slot was called Honey Money and was designed and manufactured by Bales Manufacturing.
Another land mark point in the history of slots came in 1976 as this was when the first video slot came into being. These new video slots were an immediate success on the Las Vegas strip and they remain today, possibly the most popular game in the casinos.
Today with the emergence of on line slot machines, they are once again going through great changes as on line slots are by no way hampered by size which allows them to cater to even more themes.
First Slot Machine 1887 Machine
There are at least two different accounts of the original invention of slot machines. One is that the first device was the Liberty Bell machine, invented by an American named Charles Fey in 1887.
It was relatively simple, featuring just three reels and five symbols: a Liberty Bell (hence the name) along with a horseshoe, a heart, a diamond, and a spade.
The other version is that Fey didn’t develop his machine until later, in 1895, and that the first device was in fact inaugurated in 1891 by two men named Sittman and Pitt. This machine wasloosely based on poker, although there were only 50 cards used.
These 50 cards were featured on five spinning drums (10 on each), which would display a five-card poker hand on each spin. The better the hand displayed, the more a player could win.
There were some similarities and differences between these two devices. Both required a player to pull a lever to start the reels or drums spinning, and it was this aspect that led to slotmachines being known as one-armed bandits.
First Slot Machine 1887 Serial Numbers
The basic principle of both was also the same in that players inserted a coin and won certain amounts based on the result of the spin.
One of the main differences between the two was that the Liberty Bell had a mechanism that automatically dispensed coins depending on the result of the spin, while the machine developed bySittman and Pitt did not.
There were many more possible combinations due to the five reels instead of three and the use of playing cards instead of just a few symbols.
It was perhaps this key difference that made the Liberty Bell the more popular of the two. Although both devices were produced in numbers and installed in bars, saloons, and other venues, it wasthe Liberty Bell that really started the slot machine boom.
First Slot Machine 1887 Penny
Other companies soon began to manufacture their versions of these early devices, and the slots industry was well and truly established.