Today, slot machines generate over 70% of all casino revenue worldwide, dominating the floors with massive screens and loud music.

From clunky cast-iron contraptions to highly advanced digital computers, the core appeal of pulling the lever has never changed.

Charles Fey and the Invention of the Slot Machine

Before the Liberty Bell, gambling machines required a bartender to manually hand over a prize, like a free beer or a cigar.

To win the ultimate jackpot of fifty cents, a player simply had to line up three Liberty Bell symbols across the single payline.

• When gambling was temporarily banned, the machines were altered to dispense fruit-flavored chewing gum instead of cash
• This era is exactly why we still use 'fruit symbols' like cherries and melons on modern slot machines today
• The famous 'BAR' symbol originally represented the corporate logo of the Bell-Fruit Gum Company

The Video and Digital Revolution

Instead of physical reels, the Fortune Coin machine used a modified 19-inch Sony television to display digital, computer-generated symbols.

However, the introduction of the Random Number Generator (RNG) microchip proved that the digital games were completely fair and random.

Despite the incredible digital graphics, the core thrill of chasing the jackpot remains exactly the same as it was in 1894.