Slot Machines of Charles Fey 

In my next articles I’d like to give our readers a detailed review of the history of the gaming industry. And to start with, I’m going to tell you how slot machines, which were the predecessors of the slot machines, now used both in real and online slot casinos, were invented.

The first ancestor of modern slot machines was created by Pitt and Sittman in NY at the end of the 19th century. The drums of their slot machines had the images of poker hands on them, but they didn’t have any payback mechanism, so the owners of these slot machines had to invent the prizes of their own, free drinks, as a rule.

The next generation of slot machines was invented by Charles Fey, who is considered to be the father of the slot machine, and got the name the Liberty Bell. These heavy, made of thick metal machines, became a hit after they had been put in the Flamingo Hilton hotel, in the heart of Las Vegas – the center of gaming industry.
Charles Fey slot machines didn’t have any fruit pictures, common for modern slots. The symbols of horseshoes, suits from playing cards and stars were used instead.

The percentage of the payouts was rather high and reached 50%, which was quite a lot at that time. The very first Charles Fey slot machines can still be seen in Restaurant in Reno and the Liberty Belle Saloon, belonging to the inventor’s grandchildren.

The Operator Bell Slot machine also appeared due to the genius of the constructor of the Liberty Bell. It had the traditional fruit symbols and became the standard of slot machines for many years. Later the anti-slot company was started; so many slot machines were designed to combine the functions of both the slot machine and the vending one, which later became the reason for vending machines bans.
The mass production of slot machines was started by the Bell-Fruit Gum Company. This company is often accused of haven stolen the idea of the slot machine from Charles Fey. Their slot machines were produced under the mask of vending machines and sold gums.