The global gambling industry is slowly but surely shifting toward online casinos. There’s a horde of casinos operating out there, trying to attract the most crowd among all the competitors with promotional offers, exclusive services, and innovative and interesting new games. But one game stays at the top of the league as always—slots.
The popularity of slot games is surely standing the test of time, and there are good reasons behind it. Slots are easy to play, easy to kill time on without getting too involved, and there’s even the chance to hit that jackpot! And now that playing slots online has become a matter of a click, it’s becoming all the more attractive for casino gamers.
In today’s article, we’ll take a look at five interesting facts about slots that may take you by surprise. Some of these facts can put you on a trip down memory lane, and some may even blow your mind and make you think, “How did I not know that before?”. Let’s go.
Liberty Bell: The First Slot Machine
The first slot machine was invented in 1895, by a San Francisco, California man— Charles Fey. He called it the Liberty Bell. This machine had three reels, and each reel had five symbols painted around it.
The symbols were diamonds, spades, hearts, horseshoes, and the famous Liberty Bell. Fey’s invention was an instant hit. The modern-day slot machines we know and love today work pretty much the same way the Liberty Bell did, which makes it the grandfather of all slot machines.
That Jackpot may be Shiny, but It’s Rare Too!
Though slot machines may offer you huge jackpots to win, the odds of actually hitting them are quite low. In fact, the odds are typically in the range of 1 in several million. However, that doesn’t stop people from playing slots, hoping to strike it rich.
It’s Not Random at All
Most people make this mistake, thinking the symbols appearing on the screen are random. They’re not, and they’re not meant to be either!
Slots are programmed to pay out a certain percentage of the money that is wagered. This is called RTP (return-to-player, which means the machine’s payout percentage), and it varies from machine to machine (typically 85% to 98%).
The Biggest Jackpot of All Time
For this mind-blowing fact about slots, we are back on the west coast again—California, the birthplace of slots. Alexander Degenhardt was a software engineer from Los Angeles. In 2003, he visited the Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas and hit the jackpot on a slot machine.
The jackpot was a mind-boggling $39,710,826.36, which still holds the record for the largest slot machine jackpot in history, and it made Degenhardt an instant millionaire.
Slots Came a Long Way
The first video slot machine can be traced back to 1976. This machine used a Sony TV for the display and came with more complex gameplay and larger payouts. Fast forward to 1996, when the first online slot was introduced—the world of slots changed once again.
Online slots have become exceptionally popular over the years, especially after the pandemic hit the world. People started leaning toward online casinos for entertainment, and that only made slots more popular. Players can enjoy a vast array of slots from a comfy corner or on the go.
Slots are Addictive!
We had to end today with this important fact about slots—they are addictive! So, set a budget before you start spinning. Spin responsibly!
