Slots and pokies are some of the oldest gambling games in the modern world. They saw their beginnings at the start of the 20th century, and have attracted a vast audience ever since. Here is an overview of slot machine history and how they have developed over the years. The first ever version of the slot machine was seen in 1891. Pittman and Sachs created a machine with five drums, each showing poker hand symbols. When players would win at these games, the machine would not pay out; rather, the bar housing them would provide players with drinks.
It would be four more years before Charles Fey would create the version of the slot machine with which we are most acquainted today. The machine provided players with cash payouts when it revealed matching symbols. The popularity of these games caught on very quickly, until anti-gambling groups enacted a ban on slot machines in the early slot online 20th century. The ban only lasted a few years, and it wasn’t long before slots became popular again in casinos. It was during the 1950s that slot machines started to become popular around the world. In 1953, Australian gaming company Aristocrat took note of the new trend and decided to manufacture its own brand of electronic gaming machines called pokies. The company’s first machine was called the ‘Clubman’.
Although it would be quite some time before we would see online slots, casinos in Las vegas started making electronic slot machines, moving away from the typical, mechanical slot games that had become popular over the years. These machines were more secure than mechanical slots and made it more difficult for individuals to cheat casinos. During this time, electronic slots also saw the invention of the random number generator which made playing slots even more unpredictable.
Over the next few decades, slots would remain the same. It wouldn’t be until the turn of the Century that we begin seeing the advent of online slots. The first online slots games were seen around 2001, when the first internet casinos went live. Companies like Microgaming got on the ground floor, creating some of the first online slot machines available to the public.
For the past ten years, slots have become some of the most popular games at online casinos, in addition to making up over 80% of land-based casino revenue. In the online world, players can find hundreds of different online slots games, many of which feature fun and inventive themes. Players are also able to find a wide range of branded and themed slots games, featuring innovative gaming technology.
There are literally thousands of online slots available in the online casino world, each with unique gaming features that present players with engaging gaming experiences. Over the years, online slots have developed and advanced to become innovative gaming devices, the likes of which have become incredibly popular. Some slots have emerged as the best, however, gaining a wider range of fans than most other games.
Themed slots are making a big splash in the online gambling world. They promise to transport players to another place and time, all while offer them the chance to win generous cash prizes. One of the most popular themed slots out there today is Cleopatra and its sequel Cleopatra II. Both games have gained a wide audience over the years. The original Cleopatra was launched at land-based casinos by IGT, an Australian-based gambling operator. The game became so popular that soon casinos all over the world started offering the game. It wasn’t long before the game was launched in the online universe.
Another popular online slots game is Tomb Raider, which is one of the first-ever branded games to be released in the online world. Designed by Microgaming, the game is based on the console video game starring Lara Croft, taking players along on her dangerous adventures. The game features graphics pulled straight from the video game and offers up a unique bonus round for players to take part in. This slots title became so popular that it spawned several sequels and inspired other designers to create video-based games such as Call of Duty Slots and Hitman Slots.
In recent years, branded online slot machines have taken off tremendously. Marvel slot games are some of the most successful in this genre, attracting a wide range of players – from online slots players to movie buffs to comic book fans. The group of games, developed by Playtech include the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and X-Men slots. Each game offers players the chance to become immersed in a fictional world, either basing their design on recent Marvel movies or the original comic books. The games also offer players the unique chance to play skill-based bonus rounds.
Interactive slots are making a splash in the online slots industry. These games immerse the players in the gaming experience by telling a story or allowing them to assume the role of characters. Rival’s I-Slots are known for this and, as such, have become incredibly popular. Party Gaming has also released an interactive role-playing slot game called Circus, which takes interactive slots games to new heights. While relatively new, these types of games are become increasingly popular among slots players.
From a strictly empirical approach, you might be surprised to learn that the Las vegas State Gaming Control Board reported the state’s casino win percentage for slots at 6 percent in 2010 vs. 11 percent for Black Jack and Craps! This means that casinos do better against people playing table games. However, when you factor in the popularity of slots and the sheer number of people who play them, it’s also not surprising that the greatest percentage of overall revenues for every casino comes from slots. Again, this is not because slot players have worse odds. In fact the odds of winning at slots compares favorably to table games in general, but even so, the odds are always against you in any casino game.
It’s no secret that slots are by far the most common games played by the majority of casino-goers and this is why casinos offer the best comps to slots players. Table game players seldom get rated as well as slot players and they often can’t figure out why, but it’s simple. Rating slot players well helps draw more players and helps keep them at the slots machines longer, which is important for every casino’s No. 1 source of revenue.
From aesthetic standpoint, slots appeal to our senses like no other games. The lights and sounds and graphics titillate the mind. You can play much longer for your money and you have hundreds of gaming options. What’s more-win or lose-playing slots can actually be a great stress reliever, assuming you are playing for fun and not for huge amounts of money (unless you have huge amounts of disposable income) and not betting above your means.
Some casino players who criticize slots often point to the lack of strategy in slots. And yet, the lack of strategy can often be one of the greatest appeals of slots. Sure some table games employ more strategy, but it’s all still luck when you boil it down, and so many slot players enjoy the simple, mindless nature of slots. Slot machines are a relaxing escape for them.
And finally, with the rise in online casino gambling, slot machines are the most common partly because of the relaxing lie-on-your-couch and push a button nature of them, but mainly they boast the greatest payouts on the internet. From jackpots to regular win percentages and payouts even on non-progressives, no other games come close. And nowadays there are so many intriguing 3d games and beautiful and fun interfaces and bonuses and games within games that slots are actually surpassing table games in terms of fun and overall thrill and rush-the things that were previously the primary areas where table games supposedly had the upper hand.