The slot machine represents the modern and currently most widespread form of gambling in the world. No image of the gambling metropolis of Las Vegas is complete without it, it plays a supporting role in films such as the Ocean’s Eleven film series and in Germany it can be found in casinos, gambling halls, restaurants and bars. Online casinos, which are now becoming increasingly popular, also offer numerous variants in digital form.
IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE LEVER
The history of slot machines dates back to the end of the 19th century. The probably first slot machine was invented in the USA in 1889 by the Caille brothers. Here, you could start the game with a lever. Ten years later, the German emigrant August Frey optimized this basic principle with the 3-reel game system. This reel system is still widely used in digital gaming systems today. Frey’s toy called “Liberty Bell” quickly became very popular. In the past, slot machines worked according to the roulette principle: you had to bet on a color before turning the lever on the rotating disc, which consisted of alternating red and black fields. In the first few years after the invention of these slot machine models, the unofficial name of the “one-armed bandit” prevailed.
PROHIBITIONS MAKE YOU INVENTIVE
The ban on slot machines in many countries at the turn of the century brought about a major change, the effects of which can still be seen today. Since it was not possible to play for money for a long time, you could only win small prizes. The machines where you could play for sweets in various flavors were very popular in the USA. The fruit symbols used for these have also caught on in Europe and, even after the reintroduction of slot machines, are still part of most slot machines around the world. In Great Britain, slot machines are now also called fruit machines after these symbols. In the USA, the term slot machine has prevailed – named after the earlier coin-operated machine – while in Australia the slot machine is called a poker machine – even though the popular card game was often missing from the machine.
THE BEGINNINGS IN GERMANY
The first slot machines were developed in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. The most well-known device was the Bajazzo finger-slapping machine developed in Leipzig. In the 1920s there were more than 10,000 of these toys in Berlin alone. From the beginning of the 1930s the first legal basis was created and the first testing institute, the Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt, was founded. A short time later, however, the machines could only be used at trade fairs. In the early days of the Federal Republic of Germany, the installation of slot machines was generally permitted again. However, the installation location could only be selected according to youth protection criteria. Accordingly, from the 1950s onwards slot machines could only be found in arcades and suitable restaurants. Over the years, the requirements for installation, operation and use have been heavily regulated. The extensive legal regulations to which slot machines are subject today differ depending on the jurisdiction and the location of the machine.
SLOT MACHINES IN CASINS
While they were introduced in US casinos in the first decades of the 20th century, it took until the 1960s for the first slot machines to be introduced into casinos in Germany. This is one of the reasons why slot machines were referred to as “little games” in German casinos. Classic games of chance such as roulette and blackjack were called “big games”. While slot machines barely contributed to the overall revenue of casinos in the first two decades of their operation, since the end of the 1980s they have been responsible for more than half of the turnover of German casinos. Today, slot machine turnover in German casinos is almost 80 percent. In some locations, slot machines are the only option.
A LARGE BOX WITH HIGH-TECH PU
While the original gaming machines were simple and purely mechanical in their structure and function, they became much more complicated and electromechanical over time. Today’s slot machines are generally highly complex and purely electronic devices that have little in common with their mechanical ancestors, given the computers they contain. In addition to the purpose of gambling, the appearance has also remained the same: both the box-like shape and the colorful and well-lit design have made it possible to recognize a slot machine from a distance since its invention. On the other hand, other gaming machines that do not work with a cash prize function – such as pinball or video slot machines – usually differ significantly in appearance and function from classic slot machines.
THE GAME RANGE – DIVERSE AND CLASSIC
Thanks to the technology, the range of games on modern slot machines can include a variety of complex games of chance – including poker, blackjack and roulette – on a single device. Typically, however, some of the most popular slot machines include types of games that follow the game system that slot machines had as early as the 19th century. The game consists of several reels – initially mechanical, now digital – on which different symbols are placed. The usually three to six reels are set in motion by pressing a button and either stop automatically or can usually be stopped early by pressing them again. There are several lines on which you can bet. The amount of the win depends on how many matches of the same symbols were achieved on the line played and how rare the respective symbol is. In addition, modern slot machines have various bonus games and interactive functions. On many retro machines, the game can still be started with the well-known lever on the right: the so-called “one-armed bandit” simply cannot be killed.
Kommissarunfall in the main role
The often supposedly discovered connections between events or observed regularities by players on slot machines are a fallacy. Regardless of the manufacturer, every slot machine is subject to a computer-determined random principle that is always the same every time a button is pressed. Regardless of whether the spinning process ends prematurely of its own accord, the chance of winning always remains the same. With slot machines – as with any other game of chance – only chance is decisive. Neither tactics nor time of day, neither skilled hands nor prayer help. In the early years of the machines and in the first half of the 20th century, there were still a few models that could be manipulated, but those days are long gone. Today’s slot machines have become illuminated machines with networked high-performance computers inside. How, when and in what combination the symbols appear on the display is completely arbitrary and depends solely on highly complicated algorithms. It is therefore inevitably impossible to predict an outcome.
YOU CAN BE ABUSIVE – IT JUST DOESN’T REACH
The fact that chance alone decides, however, does not stop the beginner or the experienced player from hoping that things could turn out differently. Who has not held a lucky charm in their hand, crossed their fingers or prayed to heaven in the hope of hitting the big jackpot? Of course, such “rituals” can also produce astonishing results: many players only want to play on “their” machine, and those who are on a lucky streak do not want to be spoken to at all, let alone touched or disturbed. Bad luck and good luck are apparently decided by wearing a certain shirt, ironing it too early or too late, or entering the casino on the wrong foot. Finding tactics and strategies for gambling that can ensure you win is practically as old as gambling itself. While you can at least bluff at poker or cheat at private game nights with friends, there is no chance of influencing it in your favor with slot machines. The time between winning and winning again is purely random. Accordingly, there is no strategy in slot machine games that makes winning more likely. However, if it does happen that a ritual or a supposed strategy coincides with a big loss or a big win, then it is still – as always with slot machines – a complete coincidence.
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?
The winning or payout rate can vary significantly for slot machines compared to classic games of chance – such as roulette or blackjack, where the odds remain essentially the same depending on the type of game. The chances of winning on slot machines often vary greatly depending on the type of machine, country or location. In the gambling paradise of Las Vegas, there is no equal opportunity. Even within a casino, the winning rate can vary significantly depending on the location or machine model. There is no uniform regulation in Germany either. A minimum payout rate is usually specified depending on the site, a maximum rate varies greatly. However, it should be remembered that a high rate does not mean that you have a great chance of hitting the jackpot. The payout percentage also affects small wins and bonus games that you receive during the game and makes up the overall payout percentage.
THE BIG JINGLE IS PREPARED
Just a few years ago, slot machines were “fed” with coins. A win was correspondingly loud, and the winning slot would rattle for minutes. Nowadays, people pay with bills and winnings are usually paid out cashlessly on the machine. You can usually have the total balance printed out on a receipt directly at the machine. The ticket can then be redeemed at the casino cash desks or special payout terminals. Alternatively, you can use the ticket at the banknote collection point like a banknote to play on another slot machine. Another payout system on modern machines is the prepaid card format. Here, the game credit can be loaded onto a card the size of a credit card. Otherwise, the function is the same as with the ticket system. The change in payment method took place during the first two decades of the 2000s, so that there is now almost no large casino worldwide that has not switched to the modern deposit and withdrawal system.
A STAR IN THE AUTOMATIC SKY
The most famous slot machine shows how much a win depends on the chance of the slot machine’s algorithm. The jackpot on the Lion’s Share slot machine, which was in the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas until 2014, was only cracked after 21 years with a status of over two million dollars. In the past, many players only drove to the metropolis of Nevada to try their luck on the legendary slot machine. The gaming machine even had its own social media fan accounts. Finally, a couple from New Hampshire took home the jackpot of 2.4 million dollars. You have to be lucky.