The oldest form of gambling, pokies and slot machines are still in use today. They first appeared in the 20th century. Since then, they have enjoyed wide popularity. Here’s an overview of the history of slot machines as well as how they have changed over the years.
In 1891, the first version of the slot machine was spotted. Pittman & Sachs made a machine featuring five drums that each displayed poker hand symbols. Players would win these games and the machine would not pay them out. Instead, the bar housing them provided drinks.
Charles Fey, the inventor of the modern slot machine, would take four years to create the one we know today. If it revealed matching symbols, it paid cash out to players. These games quickly became popular until anti-gambling groups banned slot machines in the 20th century.
However, the ban was temporary and slot machines were soon back in fashion in casinos. Slot machines were first popularized in the 1950s. Aristocrat, an Australian casino company, took notice of this new trend in 1953 and started making its own brand of electronic gambling machines called pokies. The ‘Clubman’ was the company’s first machine.
Online slots were not going to be available for a long time, but Las Vegas casinos started offering electronic slots machines. These machines replaced the more traditional mechanical slot games that were popular over the years. These machines were more secure and less likely to be cheated than mechanical slots. This was also the time that electronic slots saw the introduction of the random generator, which made playing slot machines even more unpredictable.
Over the next few decades, slot machines would remain the same. We wouldn’t see online casinos until the beginning of the 21st century. The launch of the first online casino sites in 2001 saw the debut of the first online slot games. Microgaming and other companies were the first to create online slots.
In addition to accounting for over 80% in land-based casino revenues, online slots have become one of the most popular games. There are many online slots games that offer fun and creative themes. Online players can also find a variety of themed and branded slots games with innovative gaming technology.
