The History of Slots: 7 Milestones in the Evolution of Slot Machine Games
From the very first one-arm bandits to today’s online slot titles: join us on a journey back in time to discover the story of the humble slot machine.
1889: Black Cat ushers in the slot era
In the year in which Benjamin Harrison was sworn in as the 23rd President of the United States of America and the Eiffel Tower was completed just in time for the Exposition Universelle (world’s fair), two French immigrants based in East Saginaw, Michigan, came up with a magnificent invention.
A few years earlier, Adolphe and Arthur Caille, who loved to tinker, had devised a till with a complex system of wires and rails that was able to sort coins. This invention helped them raise enough money to found the Caille Cash Carrier Company, which brought out a slot machine game called Black Cat in 1889. This machine came fitted with a sophisticated gear wheel and featured the characteristic lever on one side that would result in such contraptions being referred to as ‘one-arm bandits’.
The aim of Black Cat was simple: choose a colour, pull the lever and hope that the rotating plate stops on the right colour. The exquisite design of the device (in a Victorian style) made it popular among the wealthier class of society.
As for the inventors, they were honoured in a unique way almost one hundred years later! The famous cartoonist Morris immortalised them in 1981 as protagonists of the Lucky Luke album “The One-Armed Bandit”. The story was also filmed in 1991 for the well-known Lucky Luke cartoon series.
1891: Poker fun on a machine
In the same year that Frenchman Charles Terront won the first Paris-Brest-Paris race and construction on the Trans Siberian Railway began in Vladivostok, a New York-based company called Sittman & Pitt brought out something truly special: a slot machine with five reels, each with ten card symbols. Players who managed to form a winning card hand in a spin of the reels were rewarded with a prize – often in the form of cigarettes or drinks. Just a few years later, this poker machine could be found in countless bars along the east coast of America, and it soon made its way across the country.
1894: The Liberty Bell delivers automatic payouts
The Reichstag in Berlin was opened after ten years under construction. And on the West Coast of America, a German immigrant, Charles August Fey, changed the future of slots forever. His machine, The Liberty Bell, comes closest to today’s slots in terms of its shape and symbols.
Moreover, thanks to an automatic payout system, The Liberty Bell was the first slot that churned out coins when a winning combination was achieved. Fey, who remained one of the foremost slot inventors in the USA at the time, also had a hand in the release of the legendary Fruit Machine in 1910.
1963: The first electromagnetic slot makes waves
Over the decades and two world wars that followed, there were no major developments of note in slot technology. But in 1963, in the year the world briefly stood still after the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy, Bally Manufacturing Co. presented Honey Money. This ground-breaking game was the first slot in which the reels were started and stopped electronically. The one-arm bandit was consigned to the history books, and Honey Money – a game in which one could win up to 500 coins in one go – signalled the arrival of a new slot age.
1976: A video slot advances the development of slots
Mao Zedong died and the cultural revolution in the People’s Republic of China ended. Jimmy Carter was voted to become the President of the United States of America. And in the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, a brand-new slot machine with a 19-inch television screen was installed. The game was called Future Coin, and once official approval of the Nevada State Gaming Commission had been granted, it quickly became a hit up and down the Strip of the gaming metropolis. The future of slots was shaped, and almost all new slot games that followed also featured a screen.
1985: The reels spun also in East Germany
The slot machine Poly-Poly was a huge hit in the GDR. However, this fun game couldn’t be found in casinos, but instead in bars, holiday homes and club houses. The condition: the approval of the VEB State Circus was required before the slot, which cost 22,000 mark (around CHF 28,000 today), could be installed. Only about 2,000 units of this game were produced, one of which is currently displayed in the computer game museum in Berlin.
1996: The first multiscreen slot delivers revolutionary gameplay
In the year in which the world was talking about Dolly the cloned sheep, Reel ʼem In was released by WMS Industries. This slot hit boasted the most innovative slot function to date: the possibility to activate a second screen view in which various bonus games could be enjoyed. Four years later, in 2000, the slot manufacturer caused a stir once more when it began releasing licensed games of brands including “Men in Black”, “The Price is Right” and “Star Trek”.
The age of the online casino
Beginning with InterCasino in 1996, more and more online casino titles and slot innovations have been launched over the last 30 years. Legendary games like Book of Ra deluxe, Lucky Lady’s Charm deluxe and Sizzling Hot deluxe are played the world over, while increasingly sophisticated video slots, including those with linked jackpots and various re-spin functions, now provide players the chance to explore something new every time they fancy a spin. The big casino classics like Blackjack and Roulette can also be played live now against real croupiers. There are even new releases on the casino market which can be played with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. One thing is for certain: casino fans can look forward to many exciting new developments over the next few years and beyond.
FAQs: Important Questions About the History of Slots
Who invented slots?
This question cannot be answered with a single name. That’s because several developers released the first slots almost simultaneously around the end of the 19th century. Among them were brothers Adolphe and Arthur Caille with their Black Cat (1889), Sittman & Pitt with the first poker machine (1891) and Charles August Frey with the Liberty Bell – one of the first slots with an automatic payout system (1894).
When were slot machines invented?
The heyday of slot invention began around 1980. In the decade that followed, several ground-breaking slot systems were developed that played a crucial role in the decades to come. It wasn’t until the 1960s, when the first electromagnetic slots appeared, that a new age of slot development began – one that was prolonged in the 1990s with the introduction of video slots and the internet boom.
Why are fruit symbols so popular?
Fruit symbols were added to the reels from 1900 onwards to complement the card symbols, horseshoes and bells that were already commonplace at the time. This development was partly brought around by the fact that it was forbidden in the USA for games of chance to pay out cash winnings. Therefore, instead of displaying the well-known playing card and lucky charm symbols, the machines switched to fruits and rewarded players who achieved winning combinations with sweets and chewing gum.
What does the future hold in store for slot games?
Without having to peer too deeply into our crystal ball, it’s already clear that cryptocurrencies could make a big splash in the world of online slots. In fact, some casino providers already accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. And there is plenty going on in the areas of live casino gaming and casino streaming, with many exciting innovations on the horizon.
Are there also milestones in the history of Swiss slot gaming?
The history of slot gaming in Switzerland is intertwined with that of the company Golden Games. Above all, the slot Super Cherry (which was developed in Switzerland and is playable online on StarVegas with several editions to choose from), was found in bars across the country and is now a huge hit online.
