History of Slot Machines

How Slots Were Created

Slots have been a popular casino game for decades now; more than a hundred years, in fact. Slots date back to the end of the 19th century. Charles Fay is often credited with inventing the first slot machine in California, but there were actually two different slot machines that were produced during this time period. One was manufactured in Brooklyn, New York and was produced by Sittman and Pitt. This first machine was manufactured in 1891 and featured five drums. Each of the drums on the machine was capable of containing as many as 50 cards.

This first machine featured a poker theme due to the fact that poker was such a popular game at the time. This type of game became quite popular and most bars and saloons featured at least one such slot machine. Players liked them because they only cost a nickel to play, although a nickel was really more money at this time than today. All the player had to do was insert a nickel in the game and then pull a lever. In the event that the cards lined up correctly then the machine would pay the player. Most of these early machines had a low frequency payout.

The other well known slot machine developed at this time was produced by at Charles Fay, a young entrepreneur. Fay had begun working on inventing the slot machine back in 1894 in San Francisco. At the time he was employed in the electrical manufacturing business. The first slot machines actually did not feature the cherry symbol that is so popular in slot machines today. Instead, Fay invented a slot machine that featured images of playing cards as well. The first slot machine invented by Fay was known as the Liberty Bell. This slot machine featured three reels that had different symbols as well as a handle on the right side of the machine and a coin tray at the bottom. There was also a payboard for the machine. The slot machine was constructed of sheet metal placed on a brass frame.

Needless to say, the slot machine was an instant hit and by 1909 San Francisco was home to some 3,200 slot machines. Unfortunately, slot machines were soon banned in the state and for a while the slot machine was forced to go underground. Manufacturers of slot machines began to look for other markets and found a warm welcome in the cities of Detroit, Chicago and Newark. As the Roaring Twenties approached, it was just the right time for the slot machine business to boom and slots quickly spread throughout the country.

Slots were eventually once again banned as a result of the Great Depression. As World War II approached, many slot machines were actually turned to scrap to help the war effort. In 1953, the only state where slot machines were actually legal was Nevada. The popularity of slot machines quickly escalated in that one state and as Las Vegas became further developed, the demand for slot machines increased exponentially. There are now hundreds of thousands of slot machines in Nevada, not to mention the thousands that are located in other states around the country today.

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