Liberty Bell is the first slot machine that was invented in 1885 by Charles Fey, a machinist from San Francisco. This machine was named as “Liberty Bell” because the grand prize reel of the game resembles the liberty bell.
Landmarks & Historical Buildings in San Francisco, CA.
It was known to be first 3-reel slot machine ever invented. The slot machine of Charles Fey introduced the idea of 3-reel slot machine to the future slot machine manufacturers. The idea of slot machine actually belongs to Charles Fey machine (Liberty Bell).
Before the invention of slots machine, coin machines were used for the gaming purpose; these devices were actually copy of poker gaming and did not introduce a brand new game with totally new idea. That was why these contraptions were known as poker machines. So it is right to say that the video poker machines came in to being before the invention of slot machines. Winner of the poker machine players used to get prizes like drinks, cigarettes and gum.
Liberty Bell Difference
Whereas the Liberty Bell offered money instead of above mentioned prizes and got quick popularity as a main gambling machine in San Francisco. To fulfill the demand of this classic gambling machine, he made a workshop; additionally he also introduced slot machines with new added features. At same time, his machines also faced a local controversy, that is, anti-gambling activists were not in favor of coins offer instead of gums. According to them, it was totally against the bones of the gambling.
The law of San Francisco and California declared the machines of Charles Fey illegal, but even then he did not stopped producing new slot machine and continued his efforts of making new types of machines on regular basis. The last breathing year of Charles Fey was 1944. New Las Vegas casinos put their main focus on the Slot machines and kept them in the gaming ground. The Liberty Bell machine was written in the history book of Slot machines as an ancestor of all slot machines.
The Symbols
Liberty Bell machines contain diamonds, liberty bells, hearts, horseshoes and hearts symbols with three reels. All reel symbols take different reel positions as the reels were turned. If pay line fortunately holds the desired three symbols the player was declared as winner and got coins. As the time passed this invention got many changes and new machines came with new concepts but main concept remained the same.
New concepts include linked slots network, random number generator and progressive jackpots. But these machines even having new concepts couldn’t be able to reduce the players’ love and attraction for Liberty Bell.
Take a look at any online slots site, and you’ll find a stunning variety of games. From classic three-reel fruit machines to epic video slots with in-game bonus features and levels, slot machines have come a long way since their creation.
Liberty Bell Slot Machine San Francisco Orpheum
I decided to take a trip into slot machine history to find out who invented slot machines and how they developed over time. This post is a summary of what I found out. Slot machine fans, this post is for you.
The First Slot Machines
Have you ever wondered how slot machines got their name? It’s actually a shorthand way to say nickel-in-the-slot machine, a testament to the old days when you slipped a nickel into the slot of a simple fruit machine.
By this definition, slots gaming pioneers invented the first machines in the 1880s. Bars and saloons in the Old West offered them. It involved punters dropping a coin in the slot to witness two toy horses racing or something similar. Punters wouldn’t win anything for these games, but they would often bet with each other.
There were a few different iterations of slot machines, such as the machines developed by New York-based Sittman and Pitt. This game cost a nickel to play and had five drums which would show up. They awarded payouts for making poker hands with these cards.
In 1894, on the other side of the United States, a San Francisco-based inventor named Charles August Fey invented the first version of what we’d recognize as a classic slot machine.
Shortly after this, he built the 4-11-44, which was so successful that he quit his job to build them full time.
By 1898, Fey had created the first three-reel slot machine. These had automatic payouts built-in, with the coins falling out of the machine and into the tray below. He then built the Liberty Bell slot in 1899, which had bells, horseshoes, and other symbols of luck on the reels.
Slot Machines History and Evolution
Based on the history of early slot machines outlined above, we can say that Charles August Fey invented the first slot machine proper. However, I wanted to go deeper and learn more about how slot machines evolved and became what they are today. The following is a brief history of slot machines.
- By 1909, Fey’s slot machines, and those created by his competitors has become such a success that they were banned. Moral forces such as the church petitioned for them to be banned, and in this year, the government of San Francisco capitulated to their demands. This caused slots production to shift to Chicago.
- During the Great Depression in the 1930s, the popularity of slot machines continued to grow. They spread far and wide across the United States.
- By 1951, slot machines were almost completely banned all across the United States. The exception was Nevada, with the boom-town of Las Vegas continuing to service gamblers from across the world. However, it was a well-known secret that slots still existed in private clubs all over the country.
- In the midst of financial need after World War II, governments across the world embraced slot machines. Why the sudden change in tune? You guessed it, tax revenue. With a newfound optimism and liberal attitude, and a need for taxes to rebuild from the rubble, the slots industry boomed like never before.
- Like most booms, this one produced a hyper-competitive environment in which developers created all sorts of new slot machines. Technology had advanced since the ban, and developers created new electronic slot machines with more complicated payout schemes.
- Video slot machines started to pop up in 1975, but surprisingly, they didn’t succeed at first. It turns out that land-based slots players preferred to pull the handle and watch the reels spin in front of them.
- The first progressive jackpot slots came online in the mid-eighties. This was a watershed moment in the history of slot machines. Since then, jackpots have grown exponentially. In Las Vegas today, slots like Megabucks can pay tens of millions.
- In 1988, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act became law. This recognized tribal sovereignty and made it more difficult for states to enforce gambling bans on tribal lands. This led to the rapid expansion of the Native American gambling industry.
- In the early days of the 21st century, casinos came under pressure from the rapid rise of online casinos. This, some would say uncoincidentally, led to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.
- Today, online slots are still illegal in the USA, but land-based machines are alive and well. Despite being illegal in America, lots of players from around the world play online slots at a rapidly growing number of online casinos.
Liberty Bell Slot Machine San Francisco 49ers
5 Interesting Slot Machine Facts
- Did you know that slot machines and other electronic gaming machines produce roughly 70% of profits for most casinos?
- The largest slot machine payout in history occurred in 2003. A software engineer from Los Angeles won $39.7 million while playing the Megabucks slot in Las Vegas. The wager cost him $100.
- A World War II veteran named Elmer Sherwin won two multimillion-dollar jackpots in his life. The first was a $4.6 million win in the Mirage on opening night, and the second was a $21 million win which occurred 16 years later.
- A Chicago-based operator named Herbert Mills introduced the first slots with fruit symbols in 1907. Those symbols can still be found in lots of slot machines today. Any cultural meme created today would do extremely well if it lasted that long.
- When the catastrophic San Francisco earthquake hit in 1906, most of the original Liberty Bell slot machines were destroyed. Only four survived, and today, any remaining antique slots are worth quite a bit more than a nickel!
Summary
Slot machines have come a heck of a long way since Charles Fey tinkered with the first Liberty Bell machines in his basement. He probably couldn’t have even imagined how big his invention would become. The number of slot machines in existence today is innumerable. Tens of millions of machines are available in casinos, pubs, bars, cafes, and gaming halls across the world.
Slot machines will continue to evolve and change, and they won’t escape the VR revolution.
Will we someday see a billion-dollar progressive jackpot? Right now, it’s unthinkable, but I’ll bet you that had you told Charles Fey that someone would win $39.7 million on a Vegas slot, he would have laughed in your face.
Liberty Bell Slot Machine San Francisco Seating Chart
This has been the history of slot machines to date. Where we go from here is anyone’s guess!