History of the Slot Machine
Find out about the history of the slot machine here, with Casino US. The slot machine has become a staple of gambling, whether in land-based casinos around the world or its digital online slot brethren. It has become the most popular and widespread form of gambling in the world. However, there was a point in history when the world had never heard of the slot machine.
We thought we’d take you on a trip back in slot machine history to the birth of the slot machine and walk you forward, so you can see how it became the worldwide casino game phenomenon it is today. Sign up at one of our recommended online casinos US below to enjoy modern slot games.
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Updated: 02nd November, 2025
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The Early Slot Machines
Before the slot burst onto the scene, gamblers had to play the standard table games and enjoy sports betting. However, in the late 19th century, all of this changed, and the world was amazed by a new invention.
Everything related to slots can probably be traced back to 1891, when two people in New York, Sittman and Pitt, invented the poker machine. It was operated by pulling a lever, and the goal was to create a five-card poker hand.
However, a few years later, a man named Charles Fey, a mechanic in San Francisco, simplified this. He made his machine with three reels and only five different symbols that needed to be matched to win. One of the symbols used was the Liberty Bell, which became the name of the world’s first slot machine.
The fact that this game had a limited number of winning combinations meant that it actually had an automatic payout system, which was absent from the more complicated poker machine a few years earlier. The Liberty Bell became massively popular, and as a result, Charles Fey is generally credited as the man who invented the slot machine!
Slow Slot Advances
While the Liberty Bell took the world by storm and other slot machines were created, progress was slow. There was only so much people could do with the mechanical slot machines. They could only be so complex. However, things took a revolutionary turn in the 1960s when the Bally Company developed the first electro-mechanical slot machine.
This would become the blueprint for all slot machines going forward and allowed engineers to start making more complex machines with more reels, more symbols, and more game modes. By the time fully digital slot machines appeared, developers were able to give them diverse themes, symbols, and bonus game mode features.
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The Modern Slot Machine
Today, slot machines are entirely digital, whether you’re playing at casinos online or your local gambling establishment. While some players miss the mechanical feel of older slots, these new slot machines have given developers far more flexibility when it comes to designing their games.
They’re able to be far more complex with much better visuals and sounds. Not to mention all the new gameplay features and bonus rounds that can be included.
If you’re a player who enjoys playing slots, this is truly a fascinating time to enjoy the industry. We wonder what Charles Fey would think if he could see what his humble little slot machine evolved into.
