Slot Machines have always been one of the main and essential components to any successful traditional land based casino; and the same is holds true for the online casino business. It is the norm for any reputable and established online casino to have literally hundreds of online slot machines available.
The origins of the slot machine can be found in the late 19th Century; but it is recognised that it was a Bavarian car mechanic Charles Augustus Fey, who migrated to the USA, invented the first ever slots machine in 1894. This was the first machine to allow automatic payouts, made up of three reels which displayed the following symbols: hearts, diamonds, spades, horseshoes and a liberty bell. As fate would have it, the slot machine was very popular; but Fey never managed to patent his design, and as a result, it allowed other manufacturers to copy the concept.
In 1964 the world saw the first fully electro-mechanical slot titled Money Honey, which was released by Bally. But is was in 1976 that the industry saw the first complete video slot machine, as Walt Fraley produced the Fortune Coin. It was IGT that then purchased the patent for Fortune Coin and this gaming development company then took on the mantle of improving every aspect of the slot machine.
Fast forward to the 1980’s and with the advances in technology and the development of the microchip; allowed for the emergence of the online gaming world and inevitably the online slot machine. The technology made it possible to link multiple machines in multiple sites, and gave birth to progressive jackpots in 1986 by IGT. The exponential growth of the internet and computer technology led to online slots games with bonus features by the 1990s; and ultimately to what we have all come to expect today.
Nowadays, the online gaming industry has continued to create innovative online slots games that keep players enthralled and mesmerised. As a consequence, there several types of slot machines like the Classic three reels games, that usually have one payline, but would have free spins and bonuses incorporated into the game play.
There are five reel video slot machines, which come with multiple paylines. This then enables the player to bet on several paylines which then increase the chances of winning on every single spin. The value of any wager per spin would depend on the value of the bet placed on each payline. This type of slot machine has the capacity to use any theme that one can think of; so that slot games can now be based on anything like an event, a period in time, a historical character, superhero, TV series such as Game of Thrones, film or fairytale.
The quality of the actual elements that make up a slot machine is continuously improving, so players now enjoy 3D video quality, surround sound clear audio, state of the art animation and even video clips. Furthermore, game play and bonus features have become more compelling, and adapted to fit in perfectly with the actual theme of the slot game. Players can now enjoy multiple levels of game play, multiple jackpots, and even multiple stage bonus features; all of which can be interactive or totally random.
The evolution of the online slot game and design is never ending process that is essential to the prosperity and survival of the online gaming industry. Thankfully, with today’s technology there is literally no limit to what can be done with any online slot machine, so don’t stop spinning those reels!
