Today slot machines are one of the cornerstones of the playing industry and are one of the most profitable revenue channels for land based casinos. Bicycles of slot machines and the history of playing in the united states are intertwined and can be tracked back to 1895, when the first ever slot machine game was built.
Designed and built by Charles May Fey, the Liberty Bell slot machine game was initially available to the public in 1895. Named after the San fran saloon it was put in, the Liberty Belle became an immediate hit with bettors. Recognising that there was potential in this new untrained market, and buoyed by the huge publicity and success that his first creation had created, Charles May Fey decided to set up a new company that would focus solely on the design and manufacture of slot machines. The new company, aptly named ‘Charles Fey and Company Inc’ would go on to dominate the video poker machines industry for the next 50 years.
The first half of the twentieth century was a challenging one for the playing industry in general and was characterised by legal regulation. In 1909 video poker machines were made illegal in their home city of San fran, and by 1911 this had spread to the entire State of California. However, the small number of slot machine game companies, led by Charles Fey became increasingly innovative in identifying hook holes within the law. So that they can ensure their machines did not fulfill the pg slot legal classification of a ‘gambling device’ slot machine game, manufacturers changed the symbols suited for the machines from playing themed cards to fruits and puddings.
Whilst certainly creative, it was just a matter of time before the authorities realised the inherent disadvantages in their legislation. The video poker machines industry was treated a further blow with the ‘State v Ellis’ case, which effectively banned all slot machines.
Despite the legal constraints, the video poker machines industry continued to grow and develop, primarily in Nevada where the playing industry was free from the legal constraints faced in other states. On the back of rising demand, the Mills Unique Company started to be one of the major players within the industry on the back of producing cheaper video poker machines in lighter wooden cabinets. In 1933 they produced the ‘Castle Front’ position which located symbolise the video poker machines market at this time.
A further blow was treated in 1951, when Congress passed the Transportation of Playing Devices Act. Understandably, technological advances, initially electro-mechanical development in the 1960’s by the Bally Corporation tool slot machines to new numbers of functionality that provided players with an increase of advanced features that added significantly to the entertainment levels experienced by players. Further advances in the 1970’s saw the introduction of Video Video poker machines. It was at this time that International Game Technology (IGT), one of the current the big players within the video poker machines industry was established.
With technological advances came the introduction of Random Number Generators (RNG’s), a key development which is still at the core of the land based video poker machines market as well as the ever growing online pokies market. The video poker machines industry has come a long way since the Liberty Bell was initially produced back in 1895, and has faced a huge amount of legal challenges and regulation. Understandably the haven’t only made it through but has blossomed.