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The evolution of slots

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(© Maksym Yemelyanov – stock.adobe.com)

Slots have taken on several forms over the years, including changes to how the game is played. There is no doubt that as technology progresses, this beloved casino game will undergo further changes.

The advancement of technology over the years has brought much success to slots. The game has developed hand in hand with gambling technology. Many experts will agree that this ability to adapt seamlessly with technological trends has helped the slots industry thrive.

From the Liberty Bell to online slots

The history of the slot machine is an interesting one, from simple mechanical machines that paid out candy to online slots that payout life-changing amounts.

  • 1891: Sittman and Pitt company created the earliest form of the slot machine. Their machine used a 50-card poker deck for its symbols. Lining up the poker hands on the five reels would give the player their payout. Cards were removed from the deck to increase the house edge. The payout was usually in the form of drinks and cigars.
  • 1887 – 1895: Augustus Fey is regarded as the father of slots. He created the first slot machine that would issue automatic payouts. He reduced the number of reels to three and changed to symbols from cards. One of the symbols was the Liberty Bell, which the machine was named after.
  • 1902 – 1908: After slots were outlawed in the US, the game had to be modified, and it was done. The Operator Bell machine replaced the Liberty Bell. The symbols were changed again to fruit symbols and paid out candy.
  • 1964: The first electrical slot machine was developed. The previous mechanical version used a lever that stretched a spring, which set the reels in motion. Although new electrical versions of slots had come into play, the lever was still used to start the game.
  • 1976: Fortune Coin creates the first video slot. It made use of a Sony TV for its display. In 1978, IGT acquired Fortune Coin.
  • 1996: The slots bonus round was introduced via the presence of better software.
  • Present-day: Online slots, like slots at Las Atlantis Casino, are popular thanks to the advent of the Internet. Players can access games on their phones as well. Slots have entered the age of “spin,” and the lever has been done away with. The 3-reel slot with 1 row has evolved to the more common 5-reel and 3-row version. There is an immeasurable amount of symbols depending on the theme of the slot being played. But most importantly, payouts for slots have become very generous, to say the least.

Back to the future

It is obvious that as technology evolves, so will slots. We may see the game transform into something bigger, or we may see it fade away as everything does. But to predict how the structure and principle of slots will change, we have to acknowledge how technology itself is changing.

Augmented and virtual reality

For a long time, we have anticipated the boom of virtual reality technology. It has been all over the media, especially movies, for years. Meanwhile, augmented reality has already had its time in popular culture with the success of Pokémon GO.

The internet seems to be moving towards such improvements gradually. When it becomes a reality, the online gaming experience will be considerably different. It will be a more immersive experience, and game developers may do away with the ‘spin’ button as a result.

On a more ‘Ready Player One’ note, the movement of the reels may become three-dimensional. In the augmented or virtual reality gambling, the reels may move from up to down and side to side. If we’re as imaginative as we can be, the reels may also move from the front to the back. But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.

Slots recommendations

Easily finding the slots that you would love to play should be a thing. There are so many slots out there. There’s a slot game for almost any theme you can think of. There are slots with paylines and jackpots that differ greatly from each other. Finding the kind of game you would like to bet on may become the next big thing.

A lot of platforms nowadays give members recommendations based on their history. Whether it’s videos on YouTube or search recommendations on Google, it can come in handy. You can easily get an experience suited to your personality.

This feature could be made popular with online casinos for slots. Because there are so many slots, you could easily find slots with themes, paylines, and jackpot offers that suit you.

However, this could be a problematic development. Customers may end up not exploring options as much as they should. This feature also requires keeping track of customer data, which is not exactly ethical.

Consoles for slots

In the hardware section of the slots industry, people may easily carry the casino home. People can already do this. In fact, they have casinos in their pockets today. But playing real slot machines is something that they still enjoy.

The rise of the video game console has been meteoric. PlayStation and Xbox are the leading names in the gigantic industry. People love to play games at home with the possibility of playing with friends and family.

A slots console of some sort should be the next step for the industry. It could be in the form of augmented reality as well. And companies like IGT have flirted with this idea.

Conclusion

Slot machines have survived everything that technological change has thrown at it. With the future of technology always looking exciting, we can only hope that the leading casino product keeps on thriving as well.

Story by Jesus Williams

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