The first slot machine was invented by Charles Fey. He began
manufacturing in his San Francisco workshop in 1895. In 1907 he
teamed up with the Mills Novelty Company to manufacture the
"Mills Liberty Bell", a three-reel, bell slot machine considered to be
the forerunner of all modern American slot machines. The three
reels held a total of 20 symbols. Over the years, this simple concept
has evolved into the microprocessor-controlled devices of today
which have up to five spinning reels that hold hundreds of symbols.
In the 1930's, slot machines began to proliferate across the U.S.
In the late 1940's, casino visionary Bugsy Siegel added slot
machines to his new Flamingo Hilton hotel. Originally installed as
a way to entertain the wives and girlfriends of high rollers, the
revenue from these "one-armed bandits" began to rival that of the
casino's gaming tables. In the mid 1980's, the popularity of slot
machines and gaming tables were on par with each other. By the
1990's, slot machines took over and now account for over two-thirds
of all U.S. casino revenue.
