The slot machine is undeniably the most iconic and profitable symbol of the modern global casino industry.

Tracing the technological evolution of the slot machine reveals how the gambling industry continually adapts to human psychology.

The Mechanical Era of Gambling

Before Fey's invention, machines required a bartender to manually hand the winner a prize, usually a free drink or a cigar.

If a player was lucky enough to line up three Liberty Bells on the single payline, the machine dispensed the grand prize: exactly fifty cents.

• Because gambling was frequently outlawed, later machines were disguised as chewing gum dispensers to avoid police raids
• The classic 'Fruit Symbols' (cherries, lemons, plums) were introduced to represent the different flavors of gum the machines dispensed
• Fey notoriously refused to sell or license his patent, prompting massive competitors to simply reverse-engineer and copy his perfect design

From Bally's Money Honey to Video Slots

The first massive technological leap occurred in 1963 when Bally Manufacturing released 'Money Honey', the first fully electromechanical slot machine.

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