Slot machines, one-armed bandits, fruit machines, pokies – whatever you call them, these fun, bright, and loud games of chance have been a perennial favourite for gamers for decades. From the bright lights of the Vegas casinos to the games in local pubs, we love playing slots.
The earliest slot machine was invented by mechanic Charles Fey in San Francisco in 1894. This sparked a whole generation of games that were based on chance – and offered cash payouts for matching cards on a set of spinning reels. Pull a lever, get the matching cards, and get a payout.
Of course, in the US this was legislated against strongly in the early 20th century – the same morality laws that pushed prohibition also denigrated the gambling. It was after WWII that governments recognised a way to make some revenue and began to relax their views. It wasn’t long before slots became commonplace across the US and the UK, with technology at the forefront of both development and popularity.
In 1963, Bally created the first electromagnetic slot machine, called Money Honey. This was the game that spawned the name ‘one-armed bandit’ because of the way you had to pull the lever. Video slots soon followed in 1975 – but it was the mid-1980s that electronic systems began to change the landscape, creating linked jackpots (a Vegas slot machine in 2003 paid out nearly $40million in a progressive jackpot).
Modern Slot Machines
Any physical casino will have hundreds of slot machines – they generate up to 70% of the total revenue.
What has really made a difference in the slot machine world is the internet – in the mid to late 1990s, slot games came online thanks to InterCasino and Microgaming. Innovation in graphics and sound, in software, and in game mechanics has meant that online slots are as sophisticated as they are fun.
Software and Technology in Slot Machines
RNG
Random Number Generation (RNG) is one of the most important parts of the online slot experience, and it is something that as a player you probably wont even be aware of.
RNG is used in console and PC games, even more than in slot machines – this is the software that ensures the enemies in your favourite shoot-em-ups turn up in different places every time you launch the game, for example.
When it comes to playing online slot games, it is the RNG that ensures the game is provably fair. Using algorithms based on different roots, the likelihood of a winning spin can vary from game to game, and from spin to spin.
One of the main reasons that players love slots is that there isn’t really any skill needed to play – it is all down to ‘luck’ (or at least down to the true random fairness that decides when a win happens.
Graphics and Sound
If you watch any blockbuster movie or play a AAA console game, one of the most important parts of the experience is the graphics. This is the realism that everyone loves, it is the gleam of the water and the dust from the wheels, it’s the wide and expansive backgrounds, and the excellent CGI.
This translates to the slot games we know and love, providing a viewing experience that could challenge even the best PC or console games.
The sound is also important – the auditory experience of hearing the reels spin is one of the most exhilarating parts of playing slots, and modern games take advantage of stereo sound to immerse you in the experience.
Animation
Watching the reels spin means you need smooth, seamless animations – and in some cases, you will also get the benefit of video cut scenes, too.
Animators are responsible for making these games work as beautifully as they do, and with so many moving parts it becomes obvious when the animation is not up to scratch.
RTP Rate
While not necessarily a bit of technology in and of itself, the RTP rate is an important part of the slot game. The RTP rate is built into the RNG and has two important facets. For the player, it demonstrates how often the game will pay out, and it also shows the ‘house edge.’
A game with a 95% RTP (Return To Player) rate claims that for every 100 units deposited, it will pay out 95 of them. The remaining 5% is the profit that the owner of the online slot game will make.
Most players will use the RTP rate to decide whether a game is worth playing.
No matter your tastes, there is an online slot game that is perfect for you – so you might want to choose one based on your favourite hobby, a recent movie franchise, or even just the classic Ancient Egypt or treasure hunter themes. The software and technology involved will make the experience so much more fun.