Slot Machine History

In 1895, the first slot machine was created by inventor Charles Fey.A decade or so later, Fey and the Mills Novelty Company came together to create the famous machine, the Mills Novelty Bell (the basic version of today’s slot machines).

The Mills Novelty Bell was equipped with a cast iron case and a classic Liberty Bell which rung when someone hit a winning combination (as modern machines do today). The machines reel strips portrayed the jack, queen and king of a typical set of playing cards. A few years later, in 1910, the Mills Novelty Co. introduced a newer version of the Liberty Bell called the Operator Bell. This particular machine featured the famous fruit symbols on its reel.

These cast iron machines were very heavy at over 100 pounds each, so Mills introduced a lighter weight model, made with cheaper wood cabinets, in 1915.

And in 1930 Mills Co. made some more revolutionary changes to the original machine. First, they made the machine much quieter (The 30’s machine is now referred to as the Silent Bell) and they added a double jackpot feature. The double jackpot allowed people to win twice in a swift series of play.

A series of different designs were introduced to decorate the wood cabinets. This made the games more enticing to individual players. A revolutionary idea, as today all slot machines are decorated with designs and bright colors to grab the attention of potential players.

The original designs each had there own theme and were very colorful and remarkable. Some of these themes were, a lion head, a castle and a war eagle. All themes that are used today.

Of course this is just a brief history. If you are interested in learning more about the evolution of this popular game, there are many books out there that will satisfy your desires.