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The slot machine has become more than a simple casino game, but an icon in today’s society. All regions of the world are familiar with the ‘One Armed Bandit’, the Wild Cherries and progressive jackpots that entice us to insert coin after coin. But what many slots players may not know is how it all began – the history of the Slot Machine.

Slots history begins more than one hundred years ago with the story of Charles Fey, an auto mechanic in San Francisco, California. The year was 1895 when Mr. Fey used his engineering brilliance to devise a mechanical apparatus that he termed ‘The Liberty Bell’.

Slot Machine
At this time, the word ‘Slot Machine’ had not yet been associated with the Liberty Bell. Slot Machine was a term used to define any mechanical device that accepted coins. It was many years later that the name became stuck to the casino gambling device we now affectionately deem ‘Slot Machines’.

Back to our Slots history, Fey’s Liberty Bell contained 3 reels, each depicting 4 symbols, a Diamond, Heart, Spade and a cracked Liberty Bell. By pulling a lever on the side of the machine, the reels would be set into motion, spinning until they finally came to a stop. Combining 3 Liberty Bells across the reels would result in the highest payout from the machine, $0.50 delivered in the form of 10 nickels. In 1895, however, that was a large sum of money!

If you stop in the Liberty Belle Saloon & Restaurant in Reno, Nevada, you can get a glimpse of slot history as the original Liberty Bell slot machine is proudly displayed.

Fey didn’t stop there, though. He went on to develop the first Draw Poker machine in 1901. At this time, he also devised the first trade check separator. This nifty little gadget would determine whether the player had actually inserted a real nickel, or a fake one, known as a ‘slug’.

Charles Fey distributed his slot machines to saloons and bars in the area, agreeing to split the profits 50/50 with the owners. Slot machines became so incredibly popular that Fey alone, working out of his little shop, could not work fast enough to meet the growing demand. For years, gambling supply manufacturers repeatedly attempted to purchase the right to Fey’s Liberty Bell, but he refused them time and again.

It wasn’t until 1907 that a Chicago-based arcade manufacturer Herbert Mills of Mills Novelty developed his own version of the slot machine, effectively copying the design originated by Charles Fey. It was called the ‘Operator Bell’. The company diverted from the playing-card style reels, instead choosing to use various fruit symbols. Mills also succeeded in making a more mobile slot machine, cutting down the weight substantially since the Liberty Bell weighed in at more than 100 pounds.

The slot machine business hit a major slump in 1909 when San Francisco outlawed their use, followed by the entire state of Nevada the same year. Slot machines were banned throughout California by 1911. They made their comeback in the 1930’s, though, as Nevada legalized slot machines for use in Las Vegas.

Mills Novelty began creating more slot machines with variable themes, which struck a new chord with players. They appreciated the variety and slot machines became even more popular. It also helped that Mills Novelty was able to develop slot machines that were much quieter to run than the original design. When Bugsy Siegel came along, lining his Vegas casino walls with one slot machine after another, the phenomenon grew to incredible heights.

Electronic slot machines
As the age of technology expanded, slot machine manufacturers found new ways to develop the popular machines. In the 1960’s, the first electronic slot machines were introduced. The ability to cheat was omitted, resulting in much higher jackpots.

Slots history took a new turn in 1975 when the Fortune Coin Company conceived a brand new style of slot machines known as ‘Video Slots’. These Video Slots were fascinating, but there was something lacking. Avid slots players did not take well to the new variety of slots, having little trust for a machine that didn’t allow you to see the reels spinning. It was more than five years before the Video Slot found a loyal following, but by the 1980’s, the company had added multiple pay-lines and they became extremely popular.

The last piece of the slots history puzzle comes with the introduction of online casinos in the mid-1990’s. Today, anyone can log onto an online casino and choose from hundreds of unique slot machines – Classic Reels, Video Slots, Multi-Lines and Progressive Jackpots – playing as much as their little heart desires (or at least until the funds are depleted).