Top 20 most interesting facts about gaming machines

№1. History of Las Vegas

In the middle of the twentieth century, the world’s casino capital attracted tourists with nuclear weapons testing. There were only a few casinos, but it was possible to see the mushroom cloud from their windows because the testing area was only 70 miles away from the city. Then the administrators of the gaming business dwelled on the topic, began to produce brochures, booklets and calendars with the image of the explosion, and themed cocktails appeared in bars, etc. A large influx of tourists wishing to see the terrible and exciting explosion attracted attention to the gambling business. Thus, the popularity of slot machines began to grow.

№2. The first slot machine has nothing to do with the casino

According to one of the theories of the appearance of the gaming machine, an auto mechanic from San Francisco came up with this device to entertain customers who are waiting for the service. The customers liked this idea, and people started coming to the shop just for the game. After visiting this car shop, one of the casino owners decided to buy a batch of slot machines for his business.

№3. European restrictions

When the slot machines were brought to Europe, the citizens of the countries fell in love with them very quickly. The authorities noticed an overabundance of dangerous game excitement and introduced restrictions on various slots. For example, in Germany, one cannot lose more than 80 euros for 1 hour of play. Belgium introduced restrictions on the working hours of the gaming halls per day. Everything was done so that the players would lose less money. Also, in Germany, the machines can only be placed so that the distance between them is not less than a metre. This reduces the chance of winning for those who like to play on a few slot machines at once.

№4. Fruits

Everyone familiar with slot machines can immediately imagine a game screen with a selection of fruits. When the US authorities banned machines on which the customers were playing for money, entrepreneurs created fruit machines where it was possible to win a chewing gum. When a row of fruits appeared on the screen, a chewing game of that fruit flavour fell out. After the gaming machines ban was lifted, the tradition with fruit has been preserved to this day since everyone has gotten used to it already.

№5. Self-inflicted ban

In the USA, a player who feels an excessive craving for slot machines can walk up to the casino administrator and make an application for a ban. He will be blacklisted, after which the player will not be able to get into this casino.

№6. The bigger, the more exciting

The largest slot machine was made in the USA and is 250 cm in height and 200 cm in width. The device is equipped with eight reels, each of which is equipped with 20 symbols.

№7. Who plays the most?

Most people think about the UAS when they hear the word “casino”. It is true, there are 750 thousand slot machines in the states. And there are 4.6 million of them in Japan. This is one machine for every 28 residents of the country.

№8. Can you win a lot of money?

The most significant recorded win is 39.8 million dollars. It happened in 2003. A young man inserted a 100 banknote in the Excalibur casino. The first entry turned out to be the most successful for the guy. The waitress of one of the Las Vegas casinos threw a coin, which she received as a tip, into the machine. As a result, she won 22.5 million dollars. It was her last shift as a waitress.

№9. The first jackpot

In the first slot machines, to win the maximum sum of money, it was required to get three plums on the screen. The jackpot amount at that time was 50 cents. When converted into modern cash, it is almost 20 dollars.

№10. Content of the machine

Many players believe that the machines gradually “accumulate” winnings. And it is better not to play on it after a big win since you won’t be able to get anything substantial anymore. But in reality, this is not the case, as there is a random number generator in each machine. And the sum of the jackpot will not fit into the machine. The employees of the gambling house issue it.

№11. There were not always slot machines on the Internet

Online casinos have come into being relatively recently. The ban on gambling houses became an impetus for developing this practice. Many casinos started to create websites with slot machines and other games to keep their customers. Playing on the Internet has a lot of advantages – there is no need to spend money on the commute, stand in queues, pass security, etc. The online casino offers a massive variety of slot machines. You can play 24 hours a day from any place with access to the Internet.

№12. Machines for everyone

Some manufacturers created types of slot machines that allow blind players to play. Each button has a Braille print, and the game’s result is voiced through the speakers of the device.

№13. Defect and deception

Modern slot machines cannot be deceived; they work on a random number generator. The algorithms automatically reset after each game. In the 1950s, though, one gang found a regular pattern in the operating gaming machines: they had to pull the lever at a specific time interval. This gang made the owners of almost all the slot machines in the city go bankrupt in one month.

№14. False rules and legends

The keenest players tried to find the patterns of the machines and came up with various legends. Some said that you need to heat the coins before casting them into the slot for a big win. Others recommended using coins that were minted very recently. Some thought that it was necessary to use older coins because they are heavier, and the machine will fill up faster. The invented rules have nothing to do with the logic or the operation of the devices.

№15. Equal chance for the game outcome

Modern machines, including in online casinos, work on a random number generator principle. The chances are equal for winning or losing.

№16. The design of the machines affects the excitement

Back in the mid-20th century, gambling business owners noticed that bright colours in the interior excite the players. At first, they used red carpets and bright lighting. Then they began to produce slot machines with a colourful design. The same goes for online casinos. You will not be able to find slots that will be made using a dull or gloomy colour palette.

№17. Competition of manufacturers

When the slot machines first began to appear, the competition was not only between casinos. Machine manufacturers tried to trick each other. For example, in 1905, ill-wishers stole the gaming device from a bar in San Francisco. This allowed them to produce similar machines for sale on the black market.

№18. How to attract visitors?

Lemmy Kilmister, the lead singer of the band Motorhead, liked to throw big parties, which cost a lot of money. So he decided to create a gambling hall equipped with the one-armed bandits at home. This decision made it possible to take some of the money spent on organising parties back.

№19. There used to be a lever before the button

There was a reason slot machines were called “one-armed bandits”. You had to pull the lever to play. Not so long ago, the manufacturers abandoned this decision at the request of the casino. The practice has shown that pressing the button significantly reduces the game time. And the more games there are per day, the higher the casino’s income will be.

№20. Rookie’s luck?

Some think that rookies are always lucky. In fact, this is not the case. Everyone has an equal chance of winning. The opinion is so widespread because the first victory is always remembered better due to the emotions involved.