The History of Slot Machines (Slots)

The first gambling machine was invented by Sitmann and Pitt during 1891 at Brooklyn. The game was based on poker and contained 5 drums that hold 50 card faces. The machine became very popular and almost all bars in New York during that time had one. It would be considered uncool if you didn’t have one at your bar. Plus it gave them added profits.

The concept from current slot machines didn’t differ much. Players would have to drop a nickel to be bale to pull the lever down. Since the game was based on poker, the player would hope to get a good poker hand, such as a pair or royal flush. It seems unfair however that the machine was removed two cards from the deck to make the house odds even better. The drums are also rearranged.

The machine was not able to pay the player directly. The reward was highly dependent on the establishment. I.e. a pair could get you a free beer while royal flush could get you drinks for the whole gang.

Because the 1st machine proved virtually impossible for the player to win. The 1st machine had lots and lots of potential combinations that made it hard to win. That’s why Charles Fey created a simpler machine.

Charles Fey invented it at the basement of his own home. He probably invented it due to frustration from the gambling of Sitmann and Pitt.

His machine was not famous until it was installed in the infamous Flamingo hotel in Las Vegas of Bugsy Siegel. This first slot machine is called the Liberty Belle. It can still be seen as a collection at Nevada’s Liberty Belle and Saloon.

You might imagine that the 1st slot machine was very crude and bulky. Contrary, the bulk and the crudeness of the 1st slot machine is almost the same to the modern ones we have today.

Instead of using fruits as symbols, it used card symbols such as hearts, diamonds, spades, clovers and the Liberty Belle. In which it derived its name. Because it now only used 5 symbols, reading a win became less complex. This made Fey able to device a payout mechanism. When you hit 3 liberty bells in a row, you’ll be getting the big payout of 10 nickels.

Liberty Belle eventually became popular like the 1st machine by Sitmann and Pitt. It even spawned its own gaming industry. It was even banned at his home state of San Francisco, California but the demand was still enormous.

Now there are more multiple types of Slot Machines out there. All spawned form the simple idea of Sitmann, Pitt and Fey.

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The History of Slots (Slot Machines)

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