Every Canadian online casino player loves a game of slots, but the question is where does this popular casino game originate. Slot machines can be traced back to many years, although there has been some debate about who actually invented the slot machine. There are two accounts which seem to be accepted.
The first account recounts the story of the slot machine as being invented by Charles Fey who was an American. In 1887 he invented what was known as the Liberty Bell machine which had three reels and five symbols which were a Liberty Bell, spade, diamond and a heart and a horse shoe.
The other account says that Charles Fey invented the machine in 1895 and that two other inventors, Sittman and Pitt were the first to invent the slot machine in 1891. This machine had 50 playing cards which spun five on a drum and the reels would have a five card poker hand. A player would receive payouts depending on the value of the hand.
Both of the slot machines were similar in that each one had a lever which needed to be pulled to spin the reels, hence the name one armed bandit. Players also had to place a coin into the machine and the payout was determined by the outcome of the spin. The Liberty Bell machine would automatically dispense the payouts while the other machine did not. The Sittman and Pit machine offered more in the way of combinations because it had more reels and playing cards instead of symbols. The Liberty Bell machine was more popular even though both of the machines could be found in many places including saloons and bars. It was not long before other companies began making different versions of the early slot machine and the industry began to grow in popularity.
How the Slot Machine Evolved
The earlier slot machines were popular and many people enjoyed playing them. They were very basic machines and as time moved on these basic slot machines developed as improvements were made. There have been some important developments. The first slot machine using fruit symbols was made by a manufacturer in Chicago and the fruit machine as all Canadian players will know is still used in many slot games to this day. Some countries still call slot machines fruit machines.
In 1963 Bally Manufacturing made the very first electronic slot machine called Money Honey. Instead of pulling the lever all players needed to do was press a button. This slot machine also included some new features such as holding the reels for a subsequent spin and nudging the reels which could result in a winning spin.
These new and improved electronic slot machines improved further and video slots soon made it onto the market.
No longer did slot machines have physical reels but they were now displayed as graphics on a screen. This opened the way for second screen games which have a bonus feature and offers larger payouts.
Online Casino Slots
For slot players the end of the 20th century brought with it the online casino and a wide range of different types of slots.
Online slots are one of the most popular casino games and players will enjoy the choice of themed slots each with different rules and features. Some online slots have a progressive jackpot which becomes larger as the game progresses.
The online slot developers are continually developing new slots and look for ways to make this popular online casino game more enjoyable.
