The slot machines are one of the most popular online games nowadays. A long time has passed between the inventions of the firsts prototypes of slot machines till the triumph of the online versions.

It was as long ago as 1887, when Charles Fei invented the first slot machine in San Francisco. This machine had three spinning reels with five different symbols: horseshoes, spades, diamonds, hearts and Liberty bells, and as nowadays the objective was to get a line with the same symbol.

Afterwards, in 1891, Pitt and Sittman will develop a second model of slot machine in New York. This machine counted with 5 drums showing a total of 50 cards, based on poker. As this model did not count with a payback system, the places who bought the machine could decide the prizes. The game became really popular in no time, and it was common to see how the different establishments were giving the more diverse prizes: beers, cigars and so on.

However, the slot machines soon start to suffer the consequences of many antigambling movements and antigambling laws, which were especially strict with regards this type of machines. But even though there were rough times they survived and kept developing.

The next big change took place in the seventies, with the invention of slot electronic machines by Bally, which made cheating much more difficult. In the following two decades, the inclusion of microchips and random number generators in the slot machines gave past to the games as we know it nowadays.

Nevertheless, the last change regarding the slot machines, wouldn’t take place until a few years ago, with the increase of online gaming and of course, online slot machines, which account for a big percentage of the total money obtained in both land based and online casinos.

As in the land based casino, there are a great number of slot machine models, where the graphic, the sounds, the bonus and jackpots as well as other functionalities can vary. However, the gaming system is always the same; therefore you will be able to play all the different modalities without having to learn new rules. Moreover, if you have never played before, in some of the best online casinos there is the possibility of playing on a fun mode, which does not involved betting with real money. That could be a good way to initiate you in this fun game and, if you like it, you always can try the real money mode and get ready to get a line!

By Johnathan Sin
A professional gambler and content writer. This time writing on slot machines, how it is based on poker, the evolution and their place in online casino this days.