SLOT MACHINE HISTORY

A slot machine is a casino gambling device - which traditionally - had mechanically spinning reels. However, slot machines have undergone a transformation and are not nearly as "mechanical" as they used to be. The latest slot machine evolution has produced what is called video slots. In the old days, the slot machines were “one-armed bandits” that gobbled up coins. Today, more and more slot machines are losing their coin slots and are featuring paper currency acceptors instead. In fact, the day of the slot machine spitting out coins from its mouth are slowly disappearing, and giving way to the cashier ticket, which newer slot machines print out for the player to cash out. The player takes his or her tickets to the cashier and exchanges it for money.

If you play online slot machines, the thought of carrying around coins and tickets does not even enter your mind. The Internet has revolutionized gambling into an all-electronic financial transaction. It’s quite possible that casino executives are looking at internet gambling for inspiration. The talk among casino executives these days is about smart card technology. Casinos want to allow players to enjoy their stay without worrying about carrying around coins and exchanging money. If smart cards become the status quo, the real brick and mortar casino will become more and more like their virtual counterparts.

While most casino games have basically stayed the same, slots - the most popular casino game in the world - have been completely revamped. The original one-armed spinning bandits of the Old West have given way to video slot machines, which came on the scene in the mid 1990s. Today, video slots account for almost half of the floor space in traditional brick and mortar casinos. They are an even bigger hit online. One of the biggest trendsetters was the Wheel of Fortune by IGT. The popularity of the Wheel of Fortune machine helped spawn an onslaught by casinos to incorporate pop culture into slot machines.

Another popular game that helped spur the video slots boom is Reel ‘Em In, by WMS gaming. The game was such a huge hit that other gaming companies could not help but notice. Reel ‘Em In was full of scatter pays and second screens. Casino slot players absolutely loved it. Since that time, it’s now possible to find slot machines based on everything from The Adam’s Family and Star Wars to Monopoly and DC Comics. There’s no end in sight. 2003 was a big year of technological development for WMS gaming, because they introduced their CPU-NXT gaming platform, which included high-resolution and film-quality animation. Slot machines have never looked back since.

Today, the gaming industry is full of established companies and start-ups looking to cash in on the video slot machine craze. Online casinos understand that video slot machines are in high demand.  They likewise understand how lucrative they can be. While traditional casinos have the upper-hand in name branding, online casinos are able to develop and deploy video slot machines easier and more frequently. They are not limited by space or red tape....Just by their imagination.

 

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