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Charles Fey invented the slot machine, but it was not until
the 1940's, when Bugsy Siegel brought them into his Las
Vegas casinos in order to entertain the wives of the high
rollers that slot machines gained world wide fame.
Although they started with a simple idea in his casinos,
that being, keep bells ringing, keep flashing lights, and
the ladies would stay entertained, they developed into machines
that have the ability to change a person's life with one
"pull" of the wheel.
Here is a slot's history that was taken and combined from
many sources across the internet...
HISTORY
Enterprising American, Charles Fey, began inventing and manufacturing
slot machines in 1894 from his workshop in San Francisco.
Fey pioneered many innovations of coin operated gaming
devices, including the original three reel, bell slot machine
in 1898.
This "Liberty Bell" is considered to be the
forerunner of all modern American slot machines as its
basic design continues to be used in mechanical gaming
devices today. The simple mechanical devices with three
old-style reels holding 20 symbols have evolved into microprocessor-controlled
devices with up to five spinning reels holding hundreds of
symbols.
It was during the 1930's that slot machines began to proliferate
across America, and in the late 40's Bugsy Siegel added machines
to his Flamingo Hilton hotel in Las Vegas. Originally installed
as a way to entertain the wives and girlfriends of high rollers,
revenue from the slot machines soon began supplanting that
of the table games. In the mid 1980's the popularity of slot
machines and table games were on par with each other, but
by the 90's slots had taken over and now account for over
two-thirds of casino revenue in the US.
Slot machines gained their universal appeal in casinos because
unlike the other games, they are played at the pace of the
player and don't require the player to have any skill. Commonly
referred to as one-armed bandits, the goal of the game is
to spin the reels so that the symbols on all reels line up
on the payline in a winning combination. When this occurs,
the slot machine pays out according to the payoff table posted
on its front. The payoff table tells players what the winning
combinations of symbols are for that machine and what each
combination pays based on the number of coins put in for
the spin. Players have a much greater chance of hitting any
of the lower-paying combinations.
TYPES OF MACHINES
There are basically two kinds of slot machines: flat tops
or straight slots, and progressives. These slots are essentially
the same, but for one feature: flat tops will pay the winner
a predetermined amount, whereas progressive slots have a
jackpot that grows by a percentage of each coin played. Oftentimes
a number of progressive machines feed into one jackpot where
any machine in the group can win, and the jackpot grows into
an astronomical amount. These groupings can be a number of
machines in one casino, or can be tied to all of the same
machines in a whole state. Progressive machines can be identified
by flashing electronic payoff signs displayed either on top
of the machine or above a grouping.
There are many different types of machines, and whether playing
a progressive or a straight slot, players will be faced with
a number of choices. Machines vary on denomination of coins,
the number of reels, how many coins to play, and single or
multiple paylines.
Since the quarter and dollar machines are most popular, they
can be found in many areas on the casino floor. Nickel machines
can still be found in small pockets, depending on the casino.
For the high-rolling player, casinos have instituted $5,
$25, and $100 machines segregated to special VIP areas. These
machines require the use of custom coin tokens or cash bills.
The most common machines have three reels, but casinos do
offer machines with four or five. When it comes to the odds
of winning what is most important are the number of reels
a machine has, and how many symbols are displayed on each
reel. Essentially, the greater the number of reels and symbols,
the harder it is to hit the jackpot or any other winning
combination. The number of symbols on each reel is programmed
into the computer that operates the slot machine, and the
actual number of symbols depends on the size of the jackpot
that the machine offers. The reason for the programmed symbols
is to make the jackpot rare enough that the machine will
generate enough money to pay for the jackpot and yield a
profit for the casino. Most machines are set to pay out anywhere
from 83 to 98 percent of the coins that are played in the
course of a pay cycle.
On average, machines operate on a two or three coin maximum.
When it comes to multiple coin playing machines, there are
subtle variations. With some machines, the number of coins
played is proportional to the payoff, and with others, the
payoff is more than proportional. Some machines don't even
pay a jackpot on one coin, and the three-coin jackpot often
pays 150% of a two-coin win. In this case it is best to play
the maximum number of coins.
The standard slot machine has one payline, but three paylines
are not that uncommon. For multi-lined paylines, a coin must
be played for a specific payline in order for that payline
to be eligible for a win.
When players hit one of the smaller winning combination they
will be paid automatically by the machine. The larger jackpots
however, will be paid out directly by a casino employee who
is notified by a light on the top of the machine. Each casino's
slot payoffs will vary.
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