The Slot Machine Story
Online pokies are remarkable games. With a single spin you can see amazing sights, win huge jackpots, and experience bonus features that will make you gasp for more. But pokies didn’t get their start online, the games we enjoy today all started as modest slot machines.
Many players in New Zealand cut their teeth on the good, old fashioned machines in land-based venues, and still enjoy the action they offer, and rightfully so. The pokies at JackpotCity have unbeatable quality and convenience on their side, but slots still play an important role in the casino industry, and the history it writes every day. Get to know a little more about one of the world’s most popular games before you spin the reels, and marvel at how far we’ve come!
The History of Slots
The ancestry of slots can be traced back to a gaming machine that did not have a single reel. Launched in 1891 by Sittman and Pitt in Brooklyn USA, the machine was Poker-based and used several drums, to which standard playing cards had been fixed.
San Francisco-based inventor and car mechanic, Charles Fey, evidently thought he could do one better, and after some time in his workshop, he did just that. In the early part of the 20th century, Fey launched a slot machine that was known as the Liberty Bell, and changed casino history. The Liberty Bell had 3 reels, a single payline, and symbols such as diamonds, 7s, and the titular cracked bell. Needless to say, players could not get enough of the machine that paid out cigars and vouchers for drinks, meals, and haircuts.
Every reel spinning game you know today owes its origins to the Liberty Bell, and at JackpotCity, you can enjoy classic 3 reel slots that offer a taste of that proper old school magic.
Reel Innovation
The middle of the 20th century was a time of innovation - even the casino gaming floors experienced this. It was then that slot machines, which were operated by inserting a coin and pulling a lever, were electrified.
Fresher games saw the number of reels grow from 3 to 5, which meant the number of paylines also could increase. Despite this, the games remained quite basic for some time, as computerised technology was slow to advance.
The next stage of slot innovation led to what we now know as video pokies, and occurred in the 1970s when SIRCOMA launched the first machine with a video screen. However modest that game may seem by today’s standards, it led to a whole new genre. You can play the best titles in the category at JackpotCity, and see the reels come to life with animated clips, bonus features such as Free Spins and Mini-games.
A Slot Evolution
Not even slot machines are exempt from the process of evolution, and a fine example was seen in 1986. International Game Technology launched the game that featured the world’s first progressive jackpot in Las Vegas. Never before had players seen a jackpot grow progressively larger while they spun the reels, and they responded accordingly. Initially, players flocked to Sin City for their chance at winning big, but it was not long until other providers launched similar games and jackpot networks of their own.
In 1994, Microgaming, a software pioneer, took the gaming industry by storm. The Internet made its way into the public domain, and Microgaming helped to launch the first casino on the World Wide Web. The provider created its own progressive network, and in the early 2000s, launched Mega Moolah. Arguably one of the most famous progressive slots, it has paid out jackpots that broke and set world records over and over again.
Today, there are thousands of top quality slots available online, and from 2005, a huge portion of games have also been optimised for portable play on mobile. Mobile gaming has become the next frontier, and never before has it been easier to access your favourite slots anytime, anywhere. Reel spinning games have also made an appearance on smartwatches, and in Virtual Reality casinos, so the future really is just as exciting as the past.
Feel the rush of spinning reels today, knowing that you could win the jackpot of a lifetime at any moment. Join the continuous evolution of slot machines at JackpotCity – an online casino New Zealand that you can trust!