From the 19th century to today: evolution of free slot machines

Slot machines are the most popular casino games of all. Whether you're playing online or land-based, there are literally thousands of options, and you can even play slots at https://wantedwiin.com/ for free and without registration. But where did they originate? Free slot machines are one of the most popular amusements enjoyed by millions of players worldwide. But do we know so much about their historical background, especially their technological development? Let's start with a look back at free slot machines and their evolution, starting from the very first machine to today's slots.

The humble slot machine, also known as the "fruit machine" or "one-armed bandit", has an interesting history dating back to the 19th century. Slot machines have evolved over the years, leaving behind memorable eras of gambling. Slot machines have inspired many gambling trends and have also been at the forefront of many social movements.

The modern video slot was, until recently, a simple mechanical machine. In the more than 200 years of slot machine evolution, online slots have only been around for a little over 20 years. Interestingly, slot machines have been very adaptable to technology and different avatars have been mastered to suit the needs of players.

The inventors of the very first slot machines

Free slot machines in their original form are the casino slot machines that function as the games of chance. Sittman and Pitt Company, based in New York, USA, invented the very first slot machine in 1891 and its design was based on five reels accompanied by a total of 50 cards. Furthermore, it is impossible not to mention the personality of the infamous Charles Augustus Fey, who invented a slot machine with automatic payout and real metal reels. By including only five symbols in his invention, including spades, hearts, diamonds, horseshoes and, most importantly, the Liberty Bell, Fey's slot machine became known as the Liberty Bell.

The origin of slot machines dates back to the 19th century, when they were first developed by the Sittman and Pitt company in New York. These machines, which were developed in 1891, had features similar to today's video poker games. Nonetheless, they spearheaded the creation of the game of poker. The slot machine looked like a small box consisting of five reels loaded with fifty playing cards from a poker game.

The game awarded winnings when a paying hand was created. Normally, the jack of hearts and the ten of spades were removed from the deck to give the house the upper hand. Without these cards, the chances of getting the highest paying hand (a royal flush) were reduced by half.

These poker machines were popular in bars and each round cost a nickel. Players had to insert a coin, pull a side-mounted lever and wait for a new set of cards to be revealed. The game did not work with a payout mechanism, so players had to collect their winnings at the bar. Usually the bars paid out in the form of free drinks and cigars instead of money.

Electromechanical development

Not much changed for slot machines in the first half of the 20th century, apart from the lifting of the ban on real money payouts in 1908. The games remained purely mechanical with a lever attached to the side to control the action. This lever was attached to a spring inside the machine, which stretched and rolled the reels until they eventually came to a stop and revealed random characters. This mode of operation is the main reason why they were also known as "one-armed bandits".

Bally Technologies initiated the evolution beyond mechanical machines in 1964 with Money Honey, the first slot machine to be powered entirely by electricity. Although the game was electromechanical, it retained the lever on the side to start the game. It was felt that removing this feature would make the game too unfamiliar to players. This game also included automatic payouts of up to 500 coins, which increased its popularity. The lever was eventually removed as more electromechanical pokies were developed.

The arrival of video slots

Fortune Coin led the next big step for pokies in 1976 when it created the first true video slot. The game ran on a nineteen-inch Sony television. The company, which was based in Sin City, made the game available exclusively at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. The device underwent numerous modifications, the most important of which was the

Fortune Coin led the next big step for pokies in 1976 when it created the first real video slot. The game ran on a nineteen-inch Sony television. The company, which was based in Sin City, made the game available exclusively at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. The device went through numerous modifications, most of which were designed to make it fraud-proof, and was eventually approved by the Nevada State Gaming Commission. Mass production began soon after, and it became a fixture in all the gaming halls on the Las Vegas Strip. International Game Technology moved in to acquire Fortune Coin after recognising its potential in the industry.

The online revolution

The invention of the internet in the mid-1990s was the most significant step for slot games since their development. Initially, in 1994, online casinos focussed on providing traditional games such as blackjack and roulette. Soon after, slot machines were introduced and quickly gained popularity and no deposit casino bonuses were introduced.

In 1996, Williams Interactive released the very first slot with a second screen bonus called Reel 'Em. When the feature was activated, players were redirected to another grid where the reward was played out. This laid the foundations for the popular incentives found in modern slots, such as free spins, respins, pick rounds, gamble features and mini-games.

The present

Today, free no download slots are the biggest source of revenue for online casinos, accounting for around 70% of revenue. The games are in high demand from players and are being released by the hundreds to fulfil the ever-growing demand.

It will be no great secret that trends in the development of free to play slots have been on the rise since the 1990s. While 1996 stands out in terms of the release of "Reel 'Em" with its unprecedented bonus rounds by WMS Industries, InterCasino, a first-ever online gambling website, has started its operations. A lot has happened in the free slots space since 1996, from the diversification of software providers to the introduction of VR technologies, outstanding free play versions and thousands of intriguing slot game titles.

Another important event was the launch of the very first instant play games on a variety of websites. These instant play games work differently to their downloadable counterparts as they require the player to have constant access to the internet, which ensures that a Flash or HTML5 slot machine works.