Today, slot machines generate over 70% of all casino revenue worldwide, dominating the floors with massive screens and loud music.

The evolution of the slot machine is a fascinating journey that mirrors the massive technological leaps of the 20th century.

Charles Fey and the Invention of the Slot Machine

Before the Liberty Bell, gambling machines required a bartender to manually hand over a prize, like a free beer or a cigar.

To win the ultimate jackpot of fifty cents, a player simply had to line up three Liberty Bell symbols across the single payline.

• These early machines were entirely mechanical; pulling the heavy side lever actually stretched a physical spring that spun the reels
• The physical lever is why slot machines earned the famous nickname ‘One-Armed Bandits’
• Fey’s original three-reel design was so perfect that it remained the absolute industry standard for over seventy years

How Technology Changed the Slot Machine Forever

Instead of physical reels, the Fortune Coin machine used a modified 19-inch Sony television to display digital, computer-generated symbols.

However, the introduction of the Random Number Generator (RNG) microchip proved that the digital games were completely fair and random.

Charles Fey’s simple mechanical invention laid the foundation for a multi-billion dollar global entertainment empire.