Fruit machines, also known as slot machines in England, are a well-known invention that has been around for more than 100 years. Because of the thrill they provide to players, slot machines are a popular choice. There is always a chance to win the life-changing jackpot with each pull. Charles slot fey, a German immigrant and mechanic who lived in San Francisco in 1899, invented the first slot machine. Online and land-based casino slot machines have all descended from the original liberty Bell machine.
Three spinning reels made up the Liberty Bell slot machine. Each reel featured the symbols of a Liberty Bell, including the images of a broken Liberty Bell and the spade, heart, and diamond symbols. The biggest payout was a spin that produced three Liberty Bells consecutively. This paid out a grand total fifty cents or ten pennies. In those days, it was simple to calculate odds. There were only 3 reels and 10 possible stops. This gives you the following odds: 10X10X10 = 1000 combinations. Only one of these combinations resulted in the big jackpot.
Slot machines were outlawed in many states in 1902. Charles Fey had to think outside the box. Charles Fey changed the symbols of his machines and began offering gum, candy, and drinks as prizes. Owners of machines with already-out redecorated them with images of gum and fruits instead of card suits. The ubiquitous cherry has remained on slot machines through the ages. The sticks of gum became the bars you see today on many common machines.
In casinos, slot machines weren’t very popular until the 1970s. Older machines had a limited number of stops. This meant that the largest reels only offered a chance to hit a jackpot with a 15,624-to-1 ratio. To make the casinos enough money to afford this kind of floor space, the jackpot had to pay less.
Bally, a pinball machine manufacturer, created a new machine that could have both electronic and mechanical parts. Newer machines allowed for larger bets and larger payoffs. This made machines more profitable.
In the 1980’s, the random number generator was popularized and all things changed. The random number generator basically simulates the sinning reels using a computer program. This revolutionized the face of casinos. Because the computer program powered them instead of a mechanism, the reels could have been larger than actual reels. Because the spin button activated random number generator software, the spin arms were no longer necessary. The machines paid out a predetermined percentage.
Machine manufacturers can now produce an almost unlimited number of entertaining and attractive slot games thanks to the new technology. Nowadays, slot machines take up more than 80% of casinos’ floor space. This is eye candy at its best, and gamblers love it.