Last Updated on February 24, 2023 by admin
Slots are one of the most popular forms of casino history, either online or in the brick-and-mortar casino. In 2021, they are highly popular, but are we still peaking now or best online slots even more popular back in times of old.
A Brief History of Slot Machines
Slot games have had a long and rich history, starting with the invention of the very first slot machine named The Liberty Bell, invented by the great Charles Fey back in 1899. No payouts were given by this machine, but you may have got a free beer or some food from the casino attendant for your luck and troubles, as gambling laws prevented money from being rewarded so much back then.
Since then, we saw the first ever electromechanical slot machine developed by Bally in 1963 that gave an automatic payout without an attendant’s help for the first time – a true breakthrough in casino history that timed perfectly with the rise in popularity of gambling in Las Vegas at the time.
Another significant point of history, pre-internet times, was the invention of the first video slot by Fortune Coin Co. in 1976. Here, punters could play slots on an electric display, which would have felt like the absolute height of technology at the time, although looking back at the device now, it does look incredibly dated.
Just before we started to play slots on the internet, an Australian company invented a slot game called Three Bags Full which was very significant as it was the first slot to have a bonus round on a second screen – a part of slot games nowadays that appear pretty much everywhere and make for the games to become a lot more exciting. This was achieved in America in 1996 by WMS Industries with their game Reel ‘Em In.
Online Slots and their Popularity
InterCasino is widely accredited as being the first ever online casino site, with a small portfolio of just 18 games, including a couple of basic slots. Since then, with the help of pioneers of slot game development such as Microgaming and NetEnt, online casino has taken off in its level of success.
In 2021, online casino searches hit an all-time high according to new results, which effectively means that slot machines are more popular than ever. Searches for online casino games, the majority of these being slots, have more than doubled since just five years ago.
Between 2004 and 2015, online casino searches basically levelled out, but there has been a huge jump since then. It’s hard to say why, but we’re here for it.
The Foreseeable Future of Online Slots
With the invention of technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality, it is clear to see that online slots will be taking a new step up in years to come. We’ll be playing slots in a new dimension, effectively, which is very exciting. We can’t wait to see what’s round the corner!
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