Slot machines have become one of the most sought after games in casinos, whether land-based or online. These games have actually been played by so many people over the course of the years that it has also gotten some completely adorable nicknames like pokies, video poker and so on. With the advancement of the internet and gambling and iGaming software, especially with the help of famous gaming software providers such as NetEnt, Playtech, Microgaming, Yggdrasil, Evolution Gaming, Booming Games and so on, pokies or slot machine games have been moved online to a great extent, although there are still arcades out there all over cities, especially in the City of Sin or Las Vegas to beckon you to play for real money.
The most amazing fact about online slot machine games is the availability of different types when it comes to gameplay. There are so many genres to choose from in the world of online slot machine games. Do you fancy a slot based on your favourite television show? Fret not, because there are enough television show based slots out there for you to play, namely Vikings. With different kinds of bonus rounds, RTPs, Infinity Reels, Megaways, Cascading Wilds and so on, the world of slot gaming has come a long way from those retro fruity slots that you would always find at the closest arcade. Even though, if you are a fan of nostalgic retro beats and fruit symbols, online slots have those too!
But, it is also going to be an interesting discussion to know exactly where and when these thrilling but absolutely unique slot machine games originated and how they have evolved over time, right? So, what are we waiting for? Scroll through this article, prepared in conjunction with Meta.reviews, and get hooked on the history and evolution of slot machine games.
According to popular lore, slot machine games originated right here in the USA in 1874. They were developed by Charles Fey and were called the Liberty Bell. The device resembles the modern land-based slot machine to a great extent even now. The Liberty Bell had three spinning wheels, one payline and a payout chamber. But, with the introduction of more audacious technology, now even land-based slot machine games have more than 5 reels and at least 40 paylines to boot. In 1907, the now ubiquitous symbols were added to create the first ever fruity slot machine games, with retro beats. Before this, the major symbols that were used included card symbols and suits.
Next came the 1920s where the well known Mills Novelty Company introduced a new feature into the world of slot gaming. This was called the Skill Stop feature where the player could push a button to stop the reels and try to influence a win in the process. The Skill Stop feature became quite the talk of the day in the Illinois VGT market. It actually still is!
After this came Bally with their first original electromagnetic slot machine device quirkily titled Money Honey, in 1963. But it still had a lever attached to it as in the case of older machines which soon made way for the introduction of the button that would replace the lever. It was because of the levers that slot machines came to be famously known as “The One-Armed Bandit”.
It was only in 1976 that online video slot machines came into the competition with the invention of the original video slot machine that came to be the precursor of the Illinois VGT Games. Online casinos started hosting slot machine games digitally on their handles and even though the quality of the graphics was not what it is today, there was a great innovative procedure that led to the inclusion of HD and 3D in the online slot varieties. Later the graphics turned into much better counterparts, with the introduction of HTML 5 and Flash based graphics, so much so that with the soundtrack, the graphics and the luxurious controls including the zoom in and the Autoplay feature, new slot machine games introduced online have almost taken over the market. The sheer number of options and features that software providing giants like Wazdan, Yggdrasil and so on have been able to introduce is a testament to their commitment to innovation and their promise to provide the best to their gamers.
All in all, in the end, it is undoubtedly up to you as to whether you enjoy the thrill of the physical casino slot machines or the ones you get to play online. So, check out the entire variety of fruity or Las Vegas based slot machines available offline or take a shot at the unique and genre based online video slots. What’s more? Well, now there are VR or Virtual Reality based slot games available, even in demo mode where you enjoy without expending any of your own money!
Photo Credit
Slot Machine photo is from Pixabay
Liberty Bell is Wikimedia Creative Commons
Guest Author Bio
Victor Sterling
Victor Sterling is a sports columnist and writer. Among his many hobbies are cooking, long walks and fitness. Between watching a top-tier derby on TV or going to a stadium for some live struggles of a relegation team, he’ll always pick the second one.
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