Evolution of Vintage Slot Machines
Slot games are some of the most played casino games, especially online where you can find hundreds of fabulous video slots spanning just about every imaginable theme. Here at Pink Casino, we’ve got online slots with Gigantic Jackpots, bonza bonus features, and thousands of individual paylines.
These games have come a long way from the first slots. Back when they were first invented, games were mechanical, offered smaller payouts, and lacked any bonus elements.
The evolution of slot machines is a fascinating story taking you from the sunny climes of California to the much more overcast skies of Britain. Let’s take a look at how they grew to become the spectacular slots we know today.
The First Slot Machine
Although it wasn’t technically the first game of its kind, the Liberty Bell is widely credited with being the first ever slot machine. It holds this title because it offered all the key features that we take for granted today, including spinning reels and automatic payouts of coins.
Before this, predecessors to the Liberty Bell required a business to employ a slot machine attendant to determine whether a player had won and manually award prizes.
The game was created by a German inventor named Charles August Fey who had moved to the United States in the late 19th century. It was there he started inventing, eventually creating the Liberty Bell.
This game took its name from the Liberty Bell symbols that made up the top prize of 50 cents. It became a massive hit and Fey couldn’t keep up with demand.
The Move to Electromechanical Slots
Moving into the 20th century and the creation of the modern casino, the evolution of slot machines began as they moved from solely mechanical parts to using electrical circuitry.
This allowed these ‘one-armed bandits’ to go beyond a single payline with a fixed payout. You may remember these for their physical reels with a panel of lights above them.
Electromechanical games also allowed for some of the features we know today, including multiple paylines, additional symbols, and bonuses.
Their more advanced technology also allowed for larger prizes. For example, the 1960s saw Bally develop an electromechanical slot machine that could pay out up to 500 coins completely automatically.
The First Video Slots
Although video slots may feel very modern, they actually first appeared in the 1970s where they appeared in some Las Vegas casinos.
Fortune Coin, a game created by the Vegas-based Fortune Coin Company, is widely considered to be the first video slot. This did away with a set of physical reels, using a video screen instead.
By the 1980s, video slots had come along way and casinos were looking for new ways to make their games stand out. This ushered in the next major step in the evolution of slot games with the introduction of the progressive jackpot in 1986.
The first slot to boast this feature was Megabucks, which put its gradually growing jackpot front and centre to attract players. Other casinos quickly followed suit and it wasn’t long before slot games were promising progressive prizes of millions.
The move from vintage slots games to online
The next big change came when slots went fully digital by moving out of the casino and into the computers of millions of players worldwide.
Online casino games offer the same fabulous features as physical slot games but with the added convenience of playing from anywhere and at any time. That’s why millions of players log in each day to spin the reels of their favourite slot games.
These games take video slots to the next level, offering even bigger progressive jackpots, bigger bonuses, additional features, and the ability to play at whatever places is convenient to you.
This was made possible by the passing of a law in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda. Known as the Free Trade and Processing Act, it became law in the country in 1994, granting companies the right to operate online casinos from its shores.
The evolution of online slots continued as casinos began opening closer to home. Today, players in Great Britain can only play at UK-registered sites like Pink Casino, helping to ensure their safety and the fairness of the slots.
Next came the ability to play from your mobile devices. You might take it for granted today, but it was revolutionary to have the chance to play all your favourite slot games from the bus, bedroom, or even the bath.
At the same time software providers were experimenting with new ideas, like cascading reels, expanding wilds, Megaways, bonus mini-games, and more, creating the fabulously diverse variety of slot games you can find at Pink Casino.
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