If you open a web browser and search for “online slots,” you will be overwhelmed by the number of different sites that will be vying for your attention. This isn’t an accident, of course—slot games are still one of the most popular activities in both physical and virtual casinos.
Whether you love playing games like Fishin’ Frenzy or you want to try out some of the newer game mechanics like Megaways, the slot games we know, and love have been developing and growing for the last couple of hundred years.
Early Slot Machines
You might know them as slots, one-armed bandits, fruit machines, or even pokies depending on where you grew up.
However you know them, their roots are in the world of mechanical invention. What we understand as the first version of a slot machine was invented by Charles August Fey, a mechanic from San Francisco in around 1887.
This machine featured three spinning reels containing a total of five symbols, that could automatically read a win and trigger an automatic payout. The machine proved so popular that gaming company Sittman and Pitt created a gambling machine in 1891 based on this design but using playing cards and poker hands to assign a win.
America might have been the home of the invention, but with the burgeoning church and prohibition, actually getting to play the games was quite challenging. To combat the piety of the country, these machines would give away things like candy, gum, or even tokens for free beer or the like.
It didn’t take long for the government to realize that slot machines and other forms of gambling could be a way to raise much-needed funds following WWII—and they became more widely available, especially in casinos.
Casino Evolution
If you walk into any casino, you will notice hundreds of different slot machines—and they are likely to be the brightest (and noisiest) parts of the building.
Slot machines in early casinos had Bally to thank for becoming more modern, when they developed the first fully electromechanical slot machine (called Money Honey). It had a bottomless hopper and an automatic payout.
Video slots became the next big thing in 1976, using modified color screens to add video options to the game—rivaling the popularity of the arcade-style video games.
Online Casinos
It was in the early 1990’s that the internet became more popular and widely available, and it wasn’t too long before Microgaming introduced what is widely believed to be the first online casino in 1996.
While it was definitely not the smooth, brightly colored and expertly put together software that we might expect from our games today, it was a really important step in allowing us to play casino games for real money from home.
There have been several developments since then, of course, but the instant popularity of gaming and online casinos meant that while there were only 15 websites that offered online casinos in 1996, there were over 200 by 1997.
Online slots soon became a solid feature in online casinos. Where previously they might have stuck to card games like poker and blackjack, online slot game software meant that games were simple to learn and play, provably fair, and could make the online casino site owners a lot of money without too much effort.
Today, there are hundreds if not thousands of online slot games to choose from—classics like Fishin’ Frenzy, games based on movies, music, or TV shows, as well as games designed to entertain.
The Future of Slot Games
So, what is next for online slot games?
Like many online spaces, much of the conversation is centered around AI and machine learning. While you are not playing against anyone when you are in a slot game, there will be a certain amount of AI in use while you are on a website—tracking your spending, your time in the game, the types of games you play, and even where else you look while you are playing. This will make your gaming time way more personal specific.
There’s a lot to come for slot games!