A Brief History of Slot Machines
The slot machine has been around since the late nineteenth century, but in the 1930s the machine started to improve. The first improvements were the Silent Bell and double jackpot. The Silent Bell had a much quieter alert to notify the player they had won; double jackpot gave gamblers the ability to win in quick succession. Slot machine designers also started to improve the look of machines by picking themes for the different models. A very ingenious design of the gooseneck coin slot allowed the participant to observe the coins in the machine. This not only gave players confidence that coins were available; it allowed managers to watch that real money was being used.
With the legalization of gambling in Las Vegas, slot machines underwent another change. Casinos focused on the tables, which were usually dominated by men. Slot machines became the diversion for women while they waited. Electronic slots were introduced in the 1960s and were more secure than their predecessor, the “One Arm Bandit.” The 1970s saw the introduction of video slot machines, which did not become popular until the 1980s. Perhaps one of the most significant changes, also in the 1980s, was the creation of the random number generator. The random number generator meant the machines offered a greater variety on each reel.
The method of using a slot machine was revolutionized in the 1990s when the design allowed for players to use bills instead of coins. Gamblers were no longer required to carry large cups of coins or take intermission to change money into coins. This was a decided advantage to the casino since people would be more likely to continue feeding the machines money if they were not forced to stop and rethink their losses. The most recent change to slot machines arrived with the internet and online casinos. The greatest advantage is that online slot machines are not limited by space online, meaning they can offer players a much greater variety of themes.
