SLOT MACHINES:

Slot machines are the most popular games in casinos. They are very easy to use and offer the player the possibility to win a lot from a single bet. The most difficult part is to find fair slot machines on which to bet in total peace of mind.

A Century-Long History

Inspired by gambling machines, Charles August Fey invents the first slot machine, ‘Liberty Bell’, in 1898-99 and obtains a patent for it in 1905. They gain success when Bugsy Siegel introduces them in his hotel, the Flamingo Hilton in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is the starting point of a flourishing sector of casino games. In 1964, Bally develops a new machine which soon wins over the market, the first fully electro-mechanical slot machine ‘Money Honey’.

The Different Types of Slot Machines

The family of slot machines counts numerous subcategories, such as:

• Straight or basic slot machines which propose a fixed jackpot which does not vary according to how much users bet. They consequently offer smaller but more frequent winnings.
• Progressive slot machines, on which the jackpot depends on how much players bet. The greater the number of players is, the higher the jackpot is. It can be read at the top of the machine and rises as players bet. Once the jackpot is won, it falls back to a low-level and starts rising again with bets.
• Classical reel machines generally have three to five mechanical reels. They are disappearing and being replaced by video slots.
• Video slots generally have five or six video reels on a screen or a touch-screen.
• Multi-game slot machines allow the player to choose their own game from a selection of video-reels, poker, keno or tactilo games.

Aim of the Game

Whichever type of machine is being played, the general rule is always the same. The player must align symbols in order to win. The winnings, symbols and combinations change from one machine to the next.

How to play

A slot machine is relatively easy to use. It has a slot in which the player puts a coin or a token. Then they push a button or pull a lever to tell the machine to stop the reels. The success or failure is usually determined randomly before the game starts.

Choosing the maximum bet

Relying on chance, slot machines demand no special strategy or ability. Nevertheless, most of them offer a higher jackpot if the player uses the maximum number of coins he can.