There are lots of names for the good old slot machine. The slot machine has its own past and very rich stories, which have changed since many years. We all know that Charles Fey invented the modern slot machine. Before the slot machine came into existence, there were games, which used to be coin operated. These games were built keeping in mind poker game rules and the problem was that the rules needed were less than the actual poker game in order to pay out for all possible combinations.

Charles Fey knew how difficult the rules were and thus, he simplified the rules and introduced three reels and each reel had ten different signs. Fey’s first machine had very simple signs such as spades, diamonds, hearts and bells and the top prize used to go to those who used to get straight three bells on each reel. The machines existing today are very similar to Fey’s design, as the same thing was with Fey’s machine, a coin to insert in the machine and a handle to operate. At that time copyrights were not into picture thus Fey used to place his machine in bars and other places and used to collect 50% of the earnings as his fees. Fey’s invention was the basic design on which today’s slot machines are based on and this was a hundred years ago. The simplification of the gaming machine done by Fey is still used and the coin and the reels still exist.

Earlier, there were lots of frauds with the slot machines, as the players never used to win the prizes and the major reason for this was the fact that there was no regulator authority to control gambling and verify its rules.

The symbols of the slot machine have some very interesting stories. When gambling was not legalized in some sates the owners of the slot machines used to give chewing gums instead of money and those fruit flavoured gums still have place on the reels of the slot machines, such as the berry, the banana and the melon. The bell sign is from the original design of Charles Fey, the liberty bell that is now also famous. The BAR symbol is still very common in many slot machines and come from the basic idea of the Bell-Fruit Gum Company which, in those days, used to supply the gums that were distributed to the winners.

It is very exciting to know that not much has changed about the slot machine from the earlier days.

In 1963, the first electrical slot machine was introduced in the arena at a place called Bally. This was called Money Honey. Until 1963, whenever someone used to win a prize it was the attendant’s duty to collect and give the prize to the player. This was very time consuming and frustrating for the player, but after the introduction of Money Honey, it became very easy for players to collect the money, as it was all automated and very more thrilling and exciting. Money honey became very popular those day and other casinos wanted to invest in them as the machine could give away 500 coins without attendant help. Soon after that, electronic machines came into existence.