History of Slots

While today's slot games are cutting edge, the history of slots goes back a lot further than you might expect. Learn all about the fascinating history of slot games at Titan Casino.

The Origin of Slot Games

Though there are records of gambling machines which existed earlier, the first game which resembled today's modern slot machines was invented in 1899. Created by Charles Fey, the Liberty Bell machine featured a total of three reels and featured five different symbols – hearts, diamonds, horseshoes, spades, and the namesake Liberty Bell. The machine was the first to feature an automatic payout and had a jackpot of 50 cents.

The iconic cherry and melon symbols were introduced in early slot machines as part of a marketing campaign by the Bell Fruit Gum Company. The fruits represented the different chewing gum flavors produced by the company and the BAR symbol was their logo. Many of these games dispensed gum as part of their prizes in order to get around local gambling laws.

The first electric slot machine was invented in 1964 by Bally Manufacturing and was the first game to improve on the Liberty Bell design. The new slot, called Money Honey, featured new electrical components which allowed for multiple coin play and thus higher jackpot amounts. It also introduced sounds and flashing lights which quickly increased the slot machine’s appeal.  

Soon after, Bally Manufacturing continued their innovation by adding a dollar slot machine. This, of course, meant even bigger jackpots, and an ever increasing fan base. Up until that time, slots were mainly viewed as secondary games designed to entertain novice gamblers. With these high jackpots, however, they quickly became one of the casino's profit leaders. 

In 1980, a newcomer to the industry by the name of Sircoma launched the first video poker slot machine. Players were initially wary of a machine that didn't allow them to see the reels spin. But once they got used to it, the game became incredibly popular.

In the late 1990s online gaming took off and slot games were among the first games featured in online casinos. It was also around this time that slot machines introduced the bonus feature. Players could now look forward to winning prizes outside the regular spins.