History of slots: from "one-armed bandits" to mobile games
The first slot machines appeared at the end of the 19th century. In 1895, San Francisco mechanic Charles Fey created the Liberty Bell slot, an apparatus with three rotating drums and five symbols. The machine had a lever on the side, for which such machines were later nicknamed "one-armed bandits." Three Liberty Bell characters gave a maximum win of 50 cents.
In 1907, improved versions from Mills Novelty Co. appeared, including a vending machine with fruit symbols (cherry, lemon, plum, BAR). These looks have become classics and are still used in retro slots.
In 1963, Bally released the first fully electromechanical slot, the Money Honey. This allowed for increased payouts and added lighting and sound effects. In 1976, the first video game slot from Fortune Coin appeared - with a display instead of drums. She became a harbinger of the digital age.
Since the mid-90s, the era of online casinos began. Providers began to release slots available via the Internet. The first games were simple copies of mechanical machines, but soon the developers added animation, bonus games and progressive jackpots. Brands such as Microgaming and NetEnt became early market leaders.
With the beginning of the 2010s, slots went beyond browsers. There are applications for Android and iOS, adapted for touch control and small screen. Developers such as PG Soft and Pragmatic Play began to create mobile slots with vertical orientation and minimum load times.
Modern mobile slots include hundreds of game mechanics: Megaways, Sticky Wilds, bonus purchases, respins. They combine gameplay, visual effects and plot comparable to video games. Some providers add competitive mode elements, tournaments and quests.
The history of slots is the history of technology, psychology and marketing. From a simple lever to RNG neural network systems, from metal coins to cryptocurrencies. Today, the slot is not just a machine, but a full-fledged interactive experience, available anywhere and anytime.
In 1907, improved versions from Mills Novelty Co. appeared, including a vending machine with fruit symbols (cherry, lemon, plum, BAR). These looks have become classics and are still used in retro slots.
In 1963, Bally released the first fully electromechanical slot, the Money Honey. This allowed for increased payouts and added lighting and sound effects. In 1976, the first video game slot from Fortune Coin appeared - with a display instead of drums. She became a harbinger of the digital age.
Since the mid-90s, the era of online casinos began. Providers began to release slots available via the Internet. The first games were simple copies of mechanical machines, but soon the developers added animation, bonus games and progressive jackpots. Brands such as Microgaming and NetEnt became early market leaders.
With the beginning of the 2010s, slots went beyond browsers. There are applications for Android and iOS, adapted for touch control and small screen. Developers such as PG Soft and Pragmatic Play began to create mobile slots with vertical orientation and minimum load times.
Modern mobile slots include hundreds of game mechanics: Megaways, Sticky Wilds, bonus purchases, respins. They combine gameplay, visual effects and plot comparable to video games. Some providers add competitive mode elements, tournaments and quests.
The history of slots is the history of technology, psychology and marketing. From a simple lever to RNG neural network systems, from metal coins to cryptocurrencies. Today, the slot is not just a machine, but a full-fledged interactive experience, available anywhere and anytime.
