The First Slot Machine
Have you ever wondered where the slot machine came from? Who invented it? Was the first the first slot machine(s) as popular as they are today, or did they have a slow beginning?
Well the slot machines history began all the way back in the year 1895. It was the first mechanical slot machine which went by the name of The Liberty Bell. It was located in San Francisco. It was invented by a car mechanic by the name of Charles Fey who was born in the year of 1862 and died in the year of 1944. He was only thirty three when he created the world’s first mechanical slot machine. This is quite an achievement in and of itself at that point in time.
The Liberty Bell is a slot machine that had three spinning reels in all. The heart, the spade, and the diamond symbols were painted on each one of those reels. The jackpot symbol was a painted on version of a cracked Liberty Bell, in cohesion with its name of course. If you were to hit the three jackpots in a row your total payout would have been a grand total of fifty cents or ten nickels. Not much to us now, but it was worth more during that time then it is for us right now.
The original Liberty Bell is still in existence, and is on display. It is located at a restaurant called the Liberty Belle Saloon & Restaurant. The restaurant is located in Reno, Nevada.
Apparently even back then the demand for the Liberty Bell slot machines were high in demand. So much that Charles Fey could not keep up with the growing demand that he had back then. A company called Gambling supply manufacturers tried to buy the manufacturing and distribution right to The Liberty Bell but Charles Fey refused to sell them. As a result of that in 1907, a company called, Herbert Mills, made a knock off version of the Liberty Bell. Herbert Mills was the first company to use to use the fruit symbols lemons, plums, and cherries on there machines.
In actuality, in 1891, the first slot machine idea was invented. It had five drums that would display poker hands. It didn’t have a payback mechanism in the machine so the places that bought the machine, usually bars, had to provide there own prizes such as drinks and whatnot. But the invention of what became the modern day slot machine has to go to Charles Fey for his invention that eventually changed the dace of gaming today.
It wasn’t until the late 80’s that a fully electronic slot machine, introduced by Bob Dylan, came around. So, in essence, Charles Fey did start the legendary trend of slot machines that we have come to love today.
So now you know a little bit more about how the slot machine came to exist. How the first slot machine grew to great horizons that Charles Fey couldn’t keep up with the demand. We’ll have to thank him every time we pull down the lever to take that epic spin.