The History of Slots
Charles Fey was a car mechanic who lived in San Francisco in the late 1800s. He invented the first ever slot machine you could play for only a penny in 1895. He even included a bell that would ring when the jackpot was won. He called it the Liberty Bell. The original slot machine can be found at the Liberty Belle Saloon & Restaurant in Reno, Nevada.
He partnered up with Mills Novelty Company and created the first "themed" slot machines. The Novelty company added a double jackpot feature to show players that another jackpot could be won soon after. The basic design of Mr. Fey's slots is used even today.
When Bugsey Siegel opened the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, he placed a few slot machines here and there to keep the girlfriends and wives entertained while their high rollers played table games like blackjack and poker. Revenues from the machines started to surpass that of the tables quickly. Today, casinos generate two-thirds of their revenue from the slot machines. The jackpots in Charles Fey's day were about 50 cents. I am sure that he never dreamed that they would reach over $10 million.
He partnered up with Mills Novelty Company and created the first "themed" slot machines. The Novelty company added a double jackpot feature to show players that another jackpot could be won soon after. The basic design of Mr. Fey's slots is used even today.
When Bugsey Siegel opened the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, he placed a few slot machines here and there to keep the girlfriends and wives entertained while their high rollers played table games like blackjack and poker. Revenues from the machines started to surpass that of the tables quickly. Today, casinos generate two-thirds of their revenue from the slot machines. The jackpots in Charles Fey's day were about 50 cents. I am sure that he never dreamed that they would reach over $10 million.
