There is nothing like the rush of winning in on online slots game like Fishin’ Frenzy – and there are so many classic and new games to play, it is hard to imagine that there was a time when slots were physical machine, rumbling and tumbling on the pull of a lever.
But while the growth of online slots has been undeniably fast – matching the innovation and technology that is used to make these games as much fun as they are – the history of slot gaming has roots back in the 1800s.
Mechanical Slots
In 1887, Sittman and Pitt created a machine that used a dial and five drums as the earliest example of what we would recognise as a slot machine. The five drums held 50 playing cards, and winning matches were based on poker hands, with different values matching to different prizes that you could win from the bar owner who hosted the machine.
A more streamlined, simple, yet effective machine was invented in 1891 by Charles Fey. This machine offered a mechanical payout, and instead of using cards it used symbols of hearts, diamonds, spades, and the Liberty Bell on the three reels.
In 1907, Herbert Mills created the Operator Bell, as an homage to the Liberty Bell machine created by Fey, and this used the same mechanism but dispensed things like fruit flavoured gums and sweets. It was this that led to these machines becoming known as fruit machines.
Electromechanical Slots
It wasn’t too long before the electrical revolution reached entertainment. The well-known pinball manufacturer Bally created one of the earliest examples of a slot machine where the reels were operated using electricity – called Money Honey. While you still needed to pull a lever to start the game, there was a bottomless hopper.
Video Slots
When Atari released Pong in 1971, this was the beginning of the gaming boom that developed over 50 years to become the ultra-realistic, in-depth, and broad games that we enjoy today.
The first company to take video games into slots was the Fortune Coin company and their game Fortune Coin. This attached a 19” Sony CRT TV as the display and was introduced in the famous Las Vegas Hilton.
In 1986, Megabucks by IGT was released – and this game linked video slots in a building to allow for progressive jackpots. The idea of this was that a pot of winnings was built using a small percentage of all the wagers made, increasing with every play and at any point, one of the players could win the lot.
A decade later, Reel ‘Em In by WMS Industries introduced a second screen to their video slot, which allowed the addition of a bonus game to the basic operation of a slot.
Online Gaming
Microgaming, an internet company that was at the forefront of programming for the burgeoning world wide web, was the first to create an online casino in 1996.
The development of games to play online grew exponentially when other creative companies started adding their games to the online space – and it wasn’t long before slots became a central part of the online casino landscape.
Online Slots
Now, almost every online casino operator offers a wide range of slots – and the growth of these is inherently linked to the technology that has been improving other gaming genres.
In terms of things like design, online slots look similar, especially when it comes to the mechanics. Essentially, instead of pulling a lever like you would in a casino, you press a button on screen to spin the reels. The number of reels, the theme of the game, and the availability of bonus games and extras is the difference.
When players are choosing the online slot games that they want to play, the theme is usually most important. Players can choose to play games based on their own preferences, whether they want to play a game based on a movie or a famous singer, or one set in ancient Egypt or one that focuses on their favourite hobby.
The technology that sits behind these gorgeously animated slot games allows for fair play – they are based on Random Number Generators (RNG) that ensure the volatility of a game is reliable. This also plays into the RTP rate, which is something that as a player you will want to know – the higher the number, the more likely you will win.
Mobile Gaming
While online slot games proved popular, it is mobile gaming that seems to be the biggest draw – smartphones and readily available internet connectivity mean that you can now play your favourite games wherever you are.
Mobile slots are beautifully simple and elegant; made to work with the specific smartphone technology that makes an Android or an Apple device unique. The convenience of this – as well as the wide variety of game types available, has made slot games even more popular.
