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Online casino games |
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Monday, September 8th 2008 |
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Take one guess at the highest-grossing casino game. Blackjack? No. Roulette? Wrong again. Poker, right? Wrong. The title of highest-grossing game the world over belongs to the slot machine. Slot machines account for two-thirds of annual casino profits. The question that comes to mind is “where did the slot machine come from?”
The slot machine, also known as the “one-armed bandit,” was invented in San Francisco by Charles Fey, circa 1894. Fey was a pioneer in coin-operated gaming, and many of his inventions are still commonly used today. Fey invented the original three-reel, bell slot in 1898, which is commonly known as the epitome of the classic slot machine.
The slots of today are operated by microprocessors, however, and can hold literally hundreds of symbols, but the basic idea is still the same. Pull the handle and attempt to line up symbols in a winning combination on the pay line.
The slot machine began to grow in popularity during the 1930’s. They were installed into the Las Vegas Flamingo Hilton Hotel by Bugsy Siegel in the late 40’s as a form of entertainment for the girlfriends and wives of the high rollers. Eventually the profits of the slots began matching that of the table games, and in the 90’s the profits finally exceeded that of their table top counterparts.
Slots have a definite appeal, especially for those that are not professional players. The games require essentially no skill to play; they move at that pace of the player and since they are played privately, alleviate some of the nervousness and stress that some people feel at the tables.
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