Slot Machine Revolution: From Coin to Online
The way casinos are trying to attract their customers and influence their activities are obviously reflected through the slot machines. There are lots of important factors, such as the slot machine, that affect the strategic design of the casino. And those had contributed to the massive success of both the conventional and modern-day casino.
Looking Back to Where the Slot Machines Began
In 1894, Charles Fey built the first ever gambling machine operated by coins. Charles was from San Francisco doing machine jobs and he was also referred as the “Thomas Edison of slots.” The inventor, who was born in Bavaria, wasted little time perfecting his design and releasing the “Card Bell” in 1898. It was the first three-reel slot machine to have automated cash payouts, but it was light years ahead of the real money slots found in modern internet casinos.
When you pull down the side arm or lever of the machine, the reels spin and the magic happens: suites of playing cards line up to make poker hands. An additional year later, Fey introduced the “Liberty Bell,” which brought even more success by combining the card suits inscribed on the reels with bells and horseshoes.
The Introduction of Electrical Slot
The first electromechanical slot machines or known as the “Money Honey” was manufactured in 1964 by the Bally Manufacturing Co. Sales of the Money Honey machine were mostly made abroad in the first few years due to limited production.
A mere four years after manufacturing of the electromechanical slots commenced, Bally’s proudly produced 94% of the machines sold in Nevada, ending that lull. The company became the first publicly traded coin-operated producer by March 1969 as a result of its success. Because of the machine’s success, electronic games quickly took over, and the side arm shrank to a fraction of its original size.
Video Slot Machine
As technology advanced, the Fortune Coin Co. of Las Vegas, Nevada, created and produced the first video slot machine in 1976. The prototype’s display was a modified 19-inch Sony Triniton color receiver, and all of the machine’s functionalities were implemented using logic boards. Afterwards, a slot machine cabinet was used to mount the display screen.
Following adjustments to prevent cheating, the video slot was authorized to operate statewide by the Nevada State Gaming Commission.
The initial games were introduced at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. After then, casinos along the strip and in Downtown began to rely on electric slot machines as a source of revenue.
Mobile Slots and Online Slots
With the 2005 introduction of Pub Fruity, mobile slots finally came. With that, mobile gambling truly took off. Just three months after that, in October 2008, Google launched the Android Market.
Simultaneously, online casinos began to provide downloadable games. Players could access the mobile-friendly slots, make deposits, and download the file all from the convenience of the online mabosway casino.