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Behind the scenes of online slot machines
Slot machines have been around for generations, with different variations, themes and ways to play, making them iconic games of chance.
From traditional land-based machines to Livescore online Slots UK, there are many ways to try your chance on the spinning reels.
It’s clear to see how the colourful symbols and fast-paced gameplay bought about by slot games have stood the test of time. But this begs the question: how do slot machines really work?
Join us as we look into the behind-the-scenes workings of both online and land-based Slots…
The origins of slot machines
The first game to replicate the concept of the modern Slots we know today was a Poker machine developed in 1891.
This device featured five drums and 50 playing cards, requiring players to insert a nickel and pull a lever in the hopes of lining up a Poker hand. However, with the ten of Spades and Jack of Hearts missing, the chances of achieving a rare hand were significantly reduced.
While the Poker machine laid the groundwork, it was the Liberty Bell, developed by Charles Augustus Fey between 1887 and 1895, that is credited as the first true slot machine. Fey replaced the playing cards with five symbols. These were hearts, diamonds, spades, horseshoes, and the iconic liberty bell.
Unpatented, it was this machine that went on to inspire other slot games in the years following – even making the basis for the retro fruit machines.
The mechanics
In the early days, slot machines relied on a simple yet ingenious mechanism – a lever and spring system. When a player pulled the lever, the spring inside would stretch, setting the reels in motion. As the spring gradually returned to its normal state, the reels would slow and eventually stop, revealing the outcome.
However, in 1964, the first fully electromechanical slot machine, Money Honey, was created by the company Bally. While still operated by pulling a lever for familiarity, this machine was powered electrically, marking a significant step forward in the technological evolution of slot games.
Without the lever and spring keeping gameplay fair, digital games relied on computer software known as a Random Number Generator (RNG) to stay fair and safe. RNGs create random sequences of numbers each second, without any memory or pattern from previous outcomes. These unpredictable number sequences determine the outcomes of each spin, making them as close to true randomness as possible.
Just over a decade later, in 1976, the first video slot machine was developed by the Las Vegas-based company Fortune Coin. A modified 19-inch Sony TV was used for the display, paving the way for the next generation of slot games – online slots.
Introducing online Slots
Between 1994 and 1996, the first online casinos opened their virtual doors, ushering in a new era of digital gaming, thanks to greater bandwidth and better internet speeds.
Today, online casinos offer a variety of slot games, each relying on a RNG to keep them fair and unpredictable.
With this, it’s no wonder these games of chance remain among the most popular at both online and land-based venues.