The evolution of the slot machine

Slot machines have been entertaining gamblers for over a century. Granted, the online slots we now play on our smartphones are nothing like the one-armed bandits of the early 20th century. But all slots have evolved from the same machine: Charles Fey’s Liberty Bell.

First seen in 1895, the Liberty Bell was a 3-reel machine weighing over 100 pounds. Gamblers pulled the machine’s lever to make the mechanical reels spin. If when the reels stopped spinning a matching row of diamond, spades, heart, horseshoe or bell symbols appeared, the lucky chancer won a cash payout.

The Liberty Bell proved a hit in the bars of Fey’s hometown of San Francisco, so much so that other manufacturers were quick to bring out copycat versions. One of the most notable was Herbert Mills’ Operator Bell. This slot machine introduced us to fruit and bar symbols, which continue to appear in online slots today. As you know, the slot machines history didn’t end with the Operator Bell. Advancements in technology led to first a electromechanical slot in the ‘60s (the Money Honey), followed by a video slot in the ‘70s (the Fortune Coin) and finally to the online slots we know and love today.

From Starburst to Cleopatra, you can discover hundreds of online slots playing at Vegas Luck, the online casino available on your smartphone, tablet and PC.