When Charles Fey invented the slot machine in the late 19th century, he may not have realised what an innovative and profitable device he had designed. Since this primitive early design, which he pioneered in San Francisco all those years ago, it has become an international multi-billion-dollar industry.
If you take a walk through any casino, whether it is in Monaco, Macau or Las Vegas, you will likely see hundreds of slot machines scattered across the floor. This phenomenon is not just limited to land-based casinos, though. Many online casinos like the one on this page, feature hundreds of different slot machine games, which are equally as thrilling as land-based casino slots.
These games were one of the key innovations in the space, and we will be discussing them in more detail in this piece today.
The Creation of The Slot Machine
When Charles Fey compiled his initial contraption, it was a basic device compared to the machines today, which use a whole host of sophisticated algorithms and the latest technology.
Although Fey is credited with developing the slot machine in its earliest form, inventors Sittman and Pitt created a gambling machine as a predecessor for the initial machine.
However, their design was slightly flawed as it used a combination of playing cards. Therefore, the odds of winning the jackpot were incredibly high.
Fey’s creation ensured that the odds of hitting the main prize were still rather slim but had a much greater probability compared to the complex contraption that Sittman & Pitt had devised.
Electronic Slot Machine
The creation of the electronic slot machine added a new dimension to a flourishing sector of the gambling industry. Fey had already cemented his name in the history books, and a landmark was erected in California to celebrate the location where he coined his innovative and groundbreaking game design.
Moving forwards, nearly 70 years from the day that Fey changed the landscape of casino gaming forever, another company was about to do the same with the first electronic slot machine design.
In the early 1960s, a Chicago-based company called Bally designed the first electronic slot machine. First entering the market as a successful pinball machine manufacturer, they soon became a multi-million dollar enterprise by developing the first electronic device.
It became the first machine that would automatically payout without an attendant. Soon, the lever would become defunct, as many casinos began using the game’s electronic version.
Video Slot Machine
As technological advancements began to accelerate in the second half of the 20th century, the technology that underpinned the slot machine mechanisms began to expand into fresh territory. Fortune Coin Co developed the first video slot machine in the mid-1970s.
After an extensive trial period which lasted nearly two years, the Nevada State Gambling Commission approved the use of these machines across a whole range of Las Vegas casinos.
Modern Day Slot Machine Games
As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, a slot machine game is a completely different proposition.
Granted, the three different types of slot machines discussed in this article were all highly innovative for their time. You will unlikely find any of these designs in a modern-day casino.
When we say modern-day casinos, we refer to both digital and land-based. How a slot machine looks in 2022 is completely different from how Charles Fey initially designed it in the late 1800s.
Nowadays, a slot machine is a highly sophisticated device which incorporates a whole range of innovations. This includes top-of-the-range graphics, detailed storylines, extensive colour schemes, immersive music, and groundbreaking algorithms.
The technology that underwrites these types of games is now the same type of technology you could expect in top-of-the-range console games and digital animated entertainment.
Slot machine companies are now battling it out to take control of the space as they seek to obtain some of the mammoth profits that are available in the industry.
Conclusion
Slot machine games are just one of the dozens of avenues for reputable online casino operators. You can play casino games online, such as video poker, roulette, blackjack and scratchcards. In addition, you can find out more about scratchcard news online.
How slot machine games will look in the next few decades is hard to say. The most notable trend over the last few years has been the rise to prominence of mobile device-based gaming.
As more of us do more things on our phones than on devices such as laptops and PCs, gambling operators have continued to develop their brands in this new gambling area.
In twenty years, we might be looking at a world where virtual reality has advanced to a point where you can immerse yourself in a casino with a VR headset. The technology may have advanced to such a stage that you can feel like you are operating in a real casino.
This may not be the case. We need to find out what these developers have in store. However, technology and innovations will undoubtedly follow as this industry expands at an ever-increasing pace.
