Slots are the favorite entertainment of many gamblers. Professional Influencers regularly show them in their videos, and the games themselves often become an occasion for discussion among people distant from the subject – professional game reviews are made on them. But if now we have a huge choice of such entertainment (progressive slots, megaways, etc), then previously people had to limit themselves to a much smaller amount of features.
It’s worth taking a closer look at the history of slot machines, since they’ve come a long way from mechanics to convenient, easily-accessible mobile games. It is noteworthy that almost every online casino in nigeria offers a certain quantity of such games in its catalog – and every time, they are the ones that attract the most attention from players.
The beginning in 1891
First ever slots were created with 5 drums and a basic set of playing cards by an infamous company, based in New-York. Some suits of cards later were removed from the machine in order to cut the odds. People used to go to the bar for playing and receiving their winnings (they were non-monetary, so players got free drinks or cigars), since the machine wasn’t able to payout money.
First modern-sense machines
Invented in 1894, the 4-11-44 machine was coin-operated and had three reels. It also was able to payout cash winnings (or give another form of prizes – chewing gums with fruit flavor, which was considered a signature feature of these automatons) and its design later became mainstream. Even today’s slots have fruit symbols, similar to the Liberty Bell machines – those were inspired by vintage appliances.
Electromechanical devices
In 1964 another type of slot machine was released. It’s called Money Honey and it used to be fully electrically driven, which was a whole innovation by that time, just as its ability to pay out up to 500 coins. Needless to say about bottomless hoppers that surprised people all over.
Video slot creation
The Fortune Coin, released in 1976, was powered by modified TV for the display and some additional improvements against cheating. After these machines were approved by the State Gaming Commission, they could be seen almost everywhere, and people’s interest was quite huge.
Invention of progressive jackpots and bonus games
First ever progressive jackpot slots were officially intended in 1986. The IGT created Megabucks, with never-ending jackpot amounts – no matter how long the player’s weren’t able to hit their win, its quantity was increasing throughout the game.
Ten years later, another machine was set to work. It was called ‘Reel ‘Em’ and offered a bonus round on a separate screen and became the first game to initiate it.
Transition to online gambling
The launching of the first online casino site was set up in 1994. Since that time, many players have found internet alternatives just as entertaining as the real games. Two major developers (Microgaming and Cryptologic) worked together for the first ever gambling platform.
Today’s trends
There’s almost no limits in online gambling these days, since video-slots, metagames and megaways from various developers are available. People are also able to play straight from their mobile phones, which is a classic taken into the modern reality. Although, it’s important to choose licensed platforms only to check out these games. Here’s a couple of popular sites that provide this type of content:
- Bet9ja;
- Betway.
Some game designers are also trying their best to make already famous slot mechanisms even more entertaining with creative plot-twists and dynamic animations.