The History of Casino Slot Machines

Slot machines are not just casino gambling devices; they are also unique works of art that have a long and unique history. The archaic details and symbols that used to characterize brass iron and aluminum machines are now being represented graphically in online casinos.

First prototype for a gambling machine was developed in 1891 by the Sittman and Pitt’s Company at Brooklyn, New York. This tumbler was actually a form of video poker and contained five drums with 50 spinning card faces. The cost to play was a nickel and the idea was to score a winning poker hand. These primitive machines were rigged in favor of the house and did not contain a Jack of Hearts or the Ten of Spades, thus cutting the odds of winning a Royal Flush in half. There was no mechanism to dispense coins and the bar owner was in charge of the prizes dispensed. The prize could be a free beer, a cigar and sometimes cash.

The first "one-armed bandit" was called The Liberty Bell and invented in 1895 by Charles Fey of San Francisco, California. He devised a machine with three spinning reels containing a total of five symbols – horseshoes, diamonds, spades, hearts and a Liberty Bell. By replacing ten cards with five symbols and using three reels instead of five drums, the inventor reduced the odds of getting a Full House in half. Three bells in a row produced the biggest payoff, which at that time was ten nickels. This simple invention, which also automatically dispensed the winnings, spawned many new free casino games.

Another early type of slots machine did not dispense money at all, but rather fruit flavored chewing gum. This is why we still see images of lemons, cherries and raspberries on slot machines today. In fact the BAR symbol used to be the logo for the Bell-Fruit Gum company.

Character slots came into being in the early 1950s when Frank Polk carved 92 life size statues of cowboys and Indian characters. The torso of these characters held the slot machines. These types of slot machines are now considered to be precious antiques.

In 1964, Bally developed the first fully electromechanical slot machine called Money Honey. From there thousands of permutations of this original design have led to the machines that we are familiar playing with in both offline and online casinos.

There are many different kinds of gambling slot machines in places such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Some of the most popular are the video poker machines, in which players hope to obtain a set of symbols corresponding to a winning poker hand. There are standard 5-card draw machines, all the way up to 100-play machines, where you can play 100 hands at a time.

The latest development is the 9 line slots. Usually these are themed to represent a Hollywood movie (such as the Addams family or Star Wars) and they do in a way maximize your chances of achieving a high payout. However keep in mind that the more reels you play, the more expensive each bet is going to be!

Why Play at Online Casinos

There is a diversity of reasons why citizens play at online casinos. There is lots of compensation to sitting house with your feet up on the small table playing your preferred casino game. There is no time spent traveling and there are no travel expenses or costs for lodging. This is time and money that the player can use for casino royal gambling online. The whole smoking issue is avoided when playing online. Most gamblers tend to be smokers.

If the player wants to smoke in his own home, he can. If he is a non-smoker, he doesn’t have the other players’ smoke bothering him. In addition to not having all of the noise and excitement of the casino, the player playing online doesn’t have the interruptions that occur at a casino. There are no waitresses bothering him to ask if he wants a complementary drink. If the player wants a drink he has to get his own.

If the player is playing a game involving strategy, playing online casino results in a quieter environment where he can think without interruptions from the staff, other players or just noise and events in the casino. The player can wear his comfortable at home clothes while he is playing. If he is playing a single player game, he can play at his own pace, checking rules or strategy plans. Most of the advantages of playing in an online casino have to do with convenience and the player’s own schedule.

Tips for Casino Players

Even though casinos are in different countries, or online or brick and mortar versions, there are several things that players should keep in mind. The casino is a business, no matter where it is located and businesses exist to make money. The players are gambling trying to win money and the casino is profiting from the money that the gamblers lose. The casino is not going to help the player win money. People who visit a casino should know the rules of the games and how to play before they join a game.

If the casino is not busy, you may be able to find a dealer that will help you learn a game, for a healthy tip. But don’t ever wait for the casino populace to assist you win. Learn what house advantage is and which games have the lowest house advantage and what the player can do to lower the house advantage. With games like slots the player can’t affect the house advantage in any way. In a game like blackjack the player can lower the house advantage of online gambling by playing according to basic strategy. So if there is a strategy for the game you are playing in a casino, follow it.

This is why many experienced plays play blackjack, roulette, craps and baccarat. These are the games with the lowest house advantage in online casino. The player can affect the outcome by the way he plays the game. You don’t often see serious gamblers playing slots because it is put luck with nothing the players can do to change the house advantage.