Slot machines are one of the most recognisable types of game on the planet these days, whether it be the thousands lining casino floors in Las Vegas or the online slots that millions of us play each day.

But how have they become the phenomenon they are today, and were the beginnings a little more humble?

The answer is of course yes and here at Moon Bingo we’ve charted the long history of slot machines across the world.

The Beginnings of Slot Machines

The journey of the slot machine to the present day begins in the USA, and a term we are all familiar with – the one armed bandit.

It’s believed that the first online slot machine dates back to 1895, when Charles Fey created a simple design with three reels and a system that allowed for automatic payouts.

The game itself was named The Liberty Bell and, exactly as we play today, players had to line up the symbols across the reels to create a winning line. It proved to be an instant hit and it wasn’t long before more manufacturers were beginning to make such machines on a mass scale.

The first fruit machine arrived in 1907, and was known as The Operator Bell, although they were yet to begin to pay out the big money we associate with them today.

Electronic Fruit Machine

It took almost half a century for slots to become a big hit on a worldwide scale and that was largely down to the arrival of new technology.

Bally took the first step in 1964, launching Money Honey which saw the game entirely operated electronically. Over the next decade they began to become more and more popular, with them taking over the Las Vegas Strip and many more casinos worldwide.

The video slot landed in the mid-1970s which took slot machine gaming to new heights. That continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and by this point they were responsible for around 70% of a casino’s income.

The Emergence of Online Slots

It was the arrival of online slots however that really took gaming to the next level though. The turn of the millennium saw a number of online casinos start to arrive, continuing throughout the 2010s to the point we are at today where the industry is worth over £60billion worldwide.

They are continuing to develop, with new technology continuing to feed the growth of online slots, with more extravagant bonus rounds and bigger jackpots than ever before.

Here at Moon Bingo we have a huge range of slot games available now, with all manner of themes. It’s a far cry from the original Liberty Bell and is ensuring the history of slots continues to expand both online and in casinos around the world.

Their simplicity transcends time and they continue to provide the thrills and spills few other casino games can. With the advent of virtual and augmented reality, the history of slots is only going to continue to diversify and things are only going to get even more exciting for the industry from hereon in.