The history of the appearance of the first ground one-armed bandits
Introduction
The first slot machines, nicknamed "one-armed bandits," appeared at the end of the 19th century and revolutionized the entertainment industry. The mechanics of the simplest cars combined gambling with automatic counting of winnings, eliminating the need for saloon owners to keep card tables.
1. Prototypes of the late 19th century
Sittman & Pitt (1891, Brooklyn)
A five-reel mechanism that simulated poker: 50 cards are applied to five reels.
The player inserted a coin, pulled a lever - the drums rotated, stopping at random "cards."
Payments were determined by poker combinations, they were manually issued by the owner of the saloon.
Prototype limitations
Opacity of payments and the need for owner intervention.
There is no automatic mechanism for collecting and issuing winnings.
2. The birth of the classic "one-armed bandit"
Charles Fey and Liberty Bell (1895, San Francisco)
He stole the idea of Sittman & Pitt, simplified to three drums and five characters: "peaks," "worms," "tambourines," "horseshoes" and bells.
The three-bell symbol (three-bell combination) gave a maximum payout of 50 cents at a rate of 5 cents.
For the first time, the car independently won coins through a special storage compartment.
Key technical innovations
Automated calculation of winning combinations due to a mechanical plate inside the case.
Simple lever mechanics: direct drive of drums without complex gearboxes.
Reliable coin acceptor with a mechanical bet counter.
3. Saloon distribution and adaptation
Mass release
After the success of Liberty Bell, Fey did not firmly patent the design, which allowed other companies to copy the car.
By 1907, there were already hundreds of such machines in Las Vegas and Chicago.
Development of design and interface
Introduction of the one-armed name: the lever was attached to the side, resembling a "hand bandit" pulling coins out of the wallet.
A variety of symbolism: fruits (cherries, oranges) appeared in 1907, when manufacturers replaced cards with neutral images, bypassing the laws on card games.
4. Legislation and regulation
Fighting gambling
With the adoption of laws at the beginning of the 20th century, slot machines were banned or strictly taxed in many US states.
To preserve the ability to work, the machines modified:
Legalization and return of cars
After World War II, some jurisdictions reauthorized automata as they generated a stable tax income and attracted tourists.
5. Technical features of the first models
Mechanical RNG: each drum stop was determined solely by the elasticity of the spring and the position of the gears.
Weight systems: heavy metal plates inside the drums changed the probability of symbols falling out - a prototype of modern "symbol weights."
Easy to repair: The opening back panel provided quick access to mechanics for cleaning and adjustment.
6. Impact on further development of the industry
Evolution into electromechanical slots (1963): Bally released High Hand, which used an electric motor to start the drums, simplifying design and increasing reliability.
Transition to electronic video slots (1976): Fortune Coin's first video slot appeared on the CRT screen, but the legacy of classic mechanical design remained in the interface and sound of the drums.
Conclusion
The first ground-based "one-armed bandits" laid the foundation for the entire slot machine industry: a combination of mechanical simplicity, automated payment calculation and a psychologically attractive interface provided these machines with immortality. Their invention by Charles Fey and subsequent replication on saloons around the world created prototypes without which it is impossible to imagine modern slots.
The first slot machines, nicknamed "one-armed bandits," appeared at the end of the 19th century and revolutionized the entertainment industry. The mechanics of the simplest cars combined gambling with automatic counting of winnings, eliminating the need for saloon owners to keep card tables.
1. Prototypes of the late 19th century
Sittman & Pitt (1891, Brooklyn)
A five-reel mechanism that simulated poker: 50 cards are applied to five reels.
The player inserted a coin, pulled a lever - the drums rotated, stopping at random "cards."
Payments were determined by poker combinations, they were manually issued by the owner of the saloon.
Prototype limitations
Opacity of payments and the need for owner intervention.
There is no automatic mechanism for collecting and issuing winnings.
2. The birth of the classic "one-armed bandit"
Charles Fey and Liberty Bell (1895, San Francisco)
He stole the idea of Sittman & Pitt, simplified to three drums and five characters: "peaks," "worms," "tambourines," "horseshoes" and bells.
The three-bell symbol (three-bell combination) gave a maximum payout of 50 cents at a rate of 5 cents.
For the first time, the car independently won coins through a special storage compartment.
Key technical innovations
Automated calculation of winning combinations due to a mechanical plate inside the case.
Simple lever mechanics: direct drive of drums without complex gearboxes.
Reliable coin acceptor with a mechanical bet counter.
3. Saloon distribution and adaptation
Mass release
After the success of Liberty Bell, Fey did not firmly patent the design, which allowed other companies to copy the car.
By 1907, there were already hundreds of such machines in Las Vegas and Chicago.
Development of design and interface
Introduction of the one-armed name: the lever was attached to the side, resembling a "hand bandit" pulling coins out of the wallet.
A variety of symbolism: fruits (cherries, oranges) appeared in 1907, when manufacturers replaced cards with neutral images, bypassing the laws on card games.
4. Legislation and regulation
Fighting gambling
With the adoption of laws at the beginning of the 20th century, slot machines were banned or strictly taxed in many US states.
To preserve the ability to work, the machines modified:
- Removed the symbols of playing cards, added fruit and chewing gum as a prize.
- They stated that the machines gave out sweets instead of cash, and the coins served only for the arcade "game."
Legalization and return of cars
After World War II, some jurisdictions reauthorized automata as they generated a stable tax income and attracted tourists.
5. Technical features of the first models
Mechanical RNG: each drum stop was determined solely by the elasticity of the spring and the position of the gears.
Weight systems: heavy metal plates inside the drums changed the probability of symbols falling out - a prototype of modern "symbol weights."
Easy to repair: The opening back panel provided quick access to mechanics for cleaning and adjustment.
6. Impact on further development of the industry
Evolution into electromechanical slots (1963): Bally released High Hand, which used an electric motor to start the drums, simplifying design and increasing reliability.
Transition to electronic video slots (1976): Fortune Coin's first video slot appeared on the CRT screen, but the legacy of classic mechanical design remained in the interface and sound of the drums.
Conclusion
The first ground-based "one-armed bandits" laid the foundation for the entire slot machine industry: a combination of mechanical simplicity, automated payment calculation and a psychologically attractive interface provided these machines with immortality. Their invention by Charles Fey and subsequent replication on saloons around the world created prototypes without which it is impossible to imagine modern slots.
