Slot machines are one of the most popular forms of casino game in the world, ranking third, below Blackjack and Poker as the some of the UK’s all-time favourites. The machines take up roughly 70% of the floor space in a casino, and contribute to over 70% of their income. You can play a variety of slot games on skyvegas.com, or visit your favourite online casino to play different games, with both new and retro mechanics, and see first-hand how the reels evolved.
The first slot machine, the Liberty Bell, was the first of its kind to offer automated payouts. Made in the early 1890s, the machines featured three reels and five symbols – hearts, diamonds, spades, horseshoes and a liberty bell. The highest payout was awarded for three bell symbols, which began the evolution of the Slots and symbols we know today.
Read on to find out more.
Why fruit machines became fruity
In 1902, slot machines with cash payouts were banned, but manufacturers continued to produce the popular machines with a few slight changes. Instead of cash prizes, the payout for many of the machines was changed to fruit-flavored gum and sweets. Another adaptation made was to change the symbols – from the ones originally featured on the Liberty Bell to the now iconic cherries, grapes, oranges, melons and lemons, to correspond to the flavours that could be won, should the player receive three matching flavours on the payline.
Standard symbols
The standard symbols of the slot you’re playing will generally fit with the game’s theme. Nowadays, if you were playing a fishing themed game, the symbols would likely display different types of fish, as well as rods and tackle boxes. But, for the lower-value symbols, you’ll commonly come across regular playing-card symbols, such as an Ace, King, Queen and Jack, or even the suits – hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades, instead. On top of this, many Slots like to incorporate the classic fruit symbols, as well as diamonds, liberty bells, BARs and the number 7, inspired by the original slot machines.
The BAR symbol
The BAR symbol on a slot machine is often adapted to fit the slot’s theme, but classically looked like a packet of gum. It is said to have been inspired by the Bell-Fruit Bar Company logo, who provided a lot of the fruity prizes for the earlier machines. Originally, the BAR symbol would indicate that you had won a piece of gum, but nowadays can help to form winning combinations.
Scatter symbols
The cherry symbol was the first slot machine scatter, and when it appeared in any position on the reels, the player would receive a prize. In modern Slots, however, the cherry might be replaced by a different scatter symbol – often associated with the game’s theme – also helping the player bag some free spins. Now, it’s uncommon to find a slot machine without a scatter symbol that offers a free-spins round, awards higher payouts, or even both! Scatters can offer payouts no matter where they are on the reels, as long as there’s enough of them (generally three or more). Some of a slot machine’s highest payouts are known to have come from the scatter symbols.
Wild symbols
In 1976, the first video slot machine was invented, and with it came some new concepts and the ability to add even more depth to the much-loved games. One of the first adaptations was the introduction of the ‘wild’ symbol – which these days, can come in many different forms, with varying properties. These include:
- Stacked wilds, which can be found stacked across multiple rows on a reel, increasing the chance that they would land on a payline.
- Sticky wilds, which are symbols that don’t always rotate with the reels, but rather stay in place for several spins.
- Expanding wild symbols are another type of wild that would grow to fill the entire wheel if a player landed on it, creating even more ways to win.
In 1996, bonus rounds were introduced, allowing players to unlock additional games on a second screen. In order for bonus rounds to trigger, each game would have unique bonus symbols, including some wilds, that would introduce the bonus round.
Online Slots
As we mentioned earlier, online casinos hit the scene in 1996, and as technology advanced, it wasn’t long before Slots hopped on the bandwagon and were introduced to the digital platform. Because of this, developers found they had a lot more freedom in the games they could produce, creating a variety of new themes and filling the online casinos with slot games galore! Now, slot symbols tend to display whatever the game’s theme is, and developers will explain these in the game’s description so you know what to look out for. Classic symbols still commonly make an appearance though, whether it be online or at a land-based establishment, and with the constant development of the gaming industry, the thrill and joys of Slots – and their fruity symbols – is sure to never go out of style!