| The first Slot machine was believed to be invented in
1887 by Charles Fey, a mechanical engineer, from San
Francisco. Fey agreed to give his slot machines to bars and
gambling halls, in return he was given fifty percent of the
amount, earned by these bars and gambling halls, as the
rental fee. These slot machines were handmade and the first
machine appeared to be similar to today's slots. Though the
original symbols were different back then, later on
entertainment machines took the place of fruit symbols.
Fey accidentally created slot machine and modified the
early casino industry with this simple game. Soon after its
launch it emerged as a huge hit. In 1907, Fey decided to
collaborate with the Mills Novelty company, to generate a
fresh range of slot machines.
In the beginning slot machines were based on simple
symbols such as stars, bells, playing card metaphors and
horseshoes and were named as "Liberty Bells". The first
machine manufactured by them was the Mills Liberty Bell in
1907. Even today you can find the original Liberty Bell
machine, manufactured by the Mills Novelty Company, in The
Liberty Bell Salon and Restaurant in Nevada.
After three years they created the "Operator Bell", the
very first fruit symbol slot machine. Earlier, slot machines
were made with the help of cast iron. But those were tricky
to carry from casino to casino because they were made of
heavy material. But in 1915, they decided to come up with
the first wooden cabinet slot machine. These machines were
easier for Fey and the Mills to deliver to various
businesses.
The Mills Company soon directed its marketing and
mechanical geniuses, to come up with more creative and
interesting slot machines, for its enthusiast players. In
the 1930's they started working on different designs for
different machines. They came up with a whole series of
"themed" slots. These machines were comparatively more
colorful, eye-catching and slightly peculiar. During 30's
and 40's United States, witnessed a huge slot machine boom.
The original concept of slot machines in casinos was to
keep wives entertained, while their husbands hit the tables.
Casino owners were stunned with the results, because the
profits emerged higher than that of the table games.
Slot machines today have become the most prominent game
in the casinos. It is almost impossible to ignore the
lights, the laughter, the sounds of metal hitting coins and
the vibrant atmosphere of the casinos. These machines make
up more than seventy percent income of some casinos. Hence
these machines not only make the maximum money for the
casino owners but also for the gamblers. Today slot machine
games dominate the table games.
More About
Slot Machines
|
|
