The original slots design
If you are a casino game enthusiast, you have to know about Charles Fey. A young mechanic based in the USA, Fey was the mastermind behind slot machine design. The original slot machine was called the liberty bell, and it was an instant hit. Thus called as it had the picture of a cracked Liberty Bell as one of the reels, the game was played by pulling the lever and waiting for the reels to spin and then come to a stop. This original slot machine was a precursor of video slots, and their popularity was so great that there was a machine in normal shops that didn’t have anything to do with casinos!
The invention of fruit machines
Basically, the original slots machine design was such that any sort of image could be used on the reels. And since slot machines were basically being used by the casinos, a popular design was where the deck of the playing cards was used for the images. But this led to legal issues according to prevailing gambling rules at that time. This led to people inventing the fruit machines. Fruit slot machines were where a picture of fruit, candy and even gum was used and people could even win gum in case they were lucky. This design of slot machines, with colourful images of fruits and other attractive things like vibrant jewels, etc. is still a trend in this age of video slots and online slot machines. So, if you were ever wondering why people designed slot machines with pictures of fruit and candy it was to avoid problems with the law.
Mechanical slot machines
We have discussed how slots looked on the surface, but if you are interested in how they worked, the original slots were purely mechanical. Firstly the original machine that Fey designed was very simple; it had a lever, reels and a clockwork motor that set the reels into motion which subsequently stopped. Then, the subsequent upgrades were a little more complicated where elements like stops were added to provide people with ways they could influence the final outcome. And then, there came a time when computers and electronic devices become ubiquitous, and thus the concept of automatic slot machines and video slots was born.
Slots got an electronic upgrade
One of the most iconic inventions of our times is the Random Number Generator. Having applications in a number of fields, the Random Number Generator or the RNG is what runs the slots even today. As discussed previously, the subsequent model to mechanical slots was the electronic slots; these machines were hi-tech (for their time) with black-white monitors in the beginning and colour monitors subsequently, called video slots. These video slots basically ran on the RNG thus making the game more random and thus more exciting. The addition of the screens, especially when the colour monitors were available made playing on the slot machines more exciting. The best thing about this model of slot machines is that they are now available online too.
Video slots are now available online
Currently, you no longer have to go to a casino to play slots or any casino games for that matter. The best thing about this age of the internet is that everything is available online, including video slots. Casino websites not only provide online slot games, but they also provide a more entertaining and engaging version of the game. Video slots today are much more exciting compared to their conventional versions. The availability of themed slots based on the latest and popular themes like popular movies and stories or popular creatures or ideas etc. is making the experience even more enjoyable. Did you know that you can play slot machines based on shark themes and City themes? Thus, the current form of video slots is more exciting, more enjoyable, more accessible and more convenient.