The traditional slot machine has survived through the ages and has undergone many changes while retaining a form of authenticity! Despite the fact that this type of machine has been introduced over 130 years ago, slots are still a staple in modern venues along with the likes of Casino Chan.
Charles August Fey, founding father of slot machines
Some may not know it, but this type of machine that almost everyone has handled at least once in their lives turns out to be a very old lady, whose story began a long time ago.
It was in 1898, at the dawn of the 20th century, that a certain Charles August Fey invented the first slot machine, named “Card Bell”.
This mechanic, who had always had a passion for automatic casters, improved his prototype the following year and created a second one in metal, which he named “Liberty Bell”.
This machine, known as a “mechanical roller machine”, was then a dazzling success. It consisted of three rollers, around which were displayed the five symbols of the tile, the heart, the spade, the horseshoe, and, of course, the Liberty Bell (to which the name of the machine refers).
This machine will supplant all the old models of automatic roulette, mainly because of its very large combination capacity (about a thousand). Alas for Fey, his stubbornness and refusal to commercialize his concept will lead him to his downfall.
The rise of the Mills and Caille machines
Refusing to register the patent for her machine, Fey had a copy stolen by the Mills company, which in turn built one. A “one-armed bandit” model is very close to the “Liberty Bell”.
The Caille company did the same and real competition was born on the slot machine market.
But despite their success, the industry was quickly threatened in the 1920s with the Prohibition period, during which gambling was banned along with alcohol.
It was then that the Mills company had the brilliant idea of converting its machines into a… candy machine. It is from this period that fruit designs (banana, cherry, or strawberry) appeared on the machines that still exist today.
With the return of gambling and the development of casinos everywhere, the Mills and Caille machines, using the mechanism invented by Fey, will then prosper and dominate the market until the appearance of electromechanical machines in the 60s.
The advent of electronic machines
The arrival of electronic machines in 1963 made the models move towards modernity!
All the machines we handle today in casinos around the world are indeed electronic and come in several models.
First of all, there are the classic roller machines (which offer between 3 and 5 mechanical rollers driven by electronic motors). However, these tend to disappear in favor of video roller machines, which generally have five or even six video rollers on a screen that can be touch-sensitive.
In another register, there are also poker machines which, as their name suggests, offer to play the famous card game. Unlike other slot machines, these do not have reels.
Virtual machines and the development of online casinos
With the development of specialized websites and online guides such as Casinos-FrancaisOnlineTM, new forms of virtual slot machines have appeared.
These are no longer real but work in the same way as their ancestors, still offering the famous reel system that you can now see scrolling online on a screen.
