Slots and pokies are some of the oldest gambling games in the modern world. They saw their beginnings at the start of the 20th century, and also have attracted a vast audience ever since. Here is a synopsis of slot machine game history and how they have developed over the years.
The first ever version of the slot machine was observed in 1891. Pittman and Sachs created a machine with five drums, each showing poker hand symbols. When players would win at these games, the device would not spend; rather, the bar housing them would provide players with drinks.
It could be four more years before Charles Fey would create the version of the slot machine game with which we have been most acquainted today. The machine provided players with cash payouts when it revealed matching symbols. The popularity of the games caught on rapidly, until anti-gambling groups enacted a ban on slots in the early 20th century.
The ban only lasted a couple of years, and it wasn’t long before slots became popular again in casinos. It had been during the 1950s that slot machines started to become popular all over the world. In 1953, Australian gaming company Aristocrat took note of the new trend and decided to manufacture its own make of electronic gaming machines called pokies. mpo100 was called the ‘Clubman’.
Although it would be quite some time before we would see online slots, casinos in NEVADA started making electronic slots, moving away from the typical, mechanical slot games that had recognition over the years. These machines were more secure than mechanical slots and made it more difficult for folks to cheat casinos. During this time, electronic slots also saw the invention of the random number generator which made playing slots even more unpredictable.
Over the next few decades, slots would remain exactly the same. It wouldn’t be before turn of the Century that we begin seeing the advent of online slots. The initial online slots games were seen around 2001, once the first internet casinos went live. Companies like Microgaming got on the ground floor, creating some of the first online slot machines open to the public.
For the past ten years, slots have become many of the most popular games at online casinos, besides making up over 80% of land-based casino revenue. In the internet, players can find a huge selection of different online slots games, many of which feature fun and inventive themes. Players are also able to find a wide range of branded and themed slots games, featuring innovative gaming technology.
