Slots
History
The
first mechanical gambling devices were developed
in an America that was inventing new products
seemingly daily in the waning years of the
19th century. Machines that simulated roulette,
dice, and poker were first invented and
manufactured in New York in the 1890's.
The first primitive 'nickel-in-the-slot'
chance devices also appeared at this time.
The
technology had been developed in the East,
but it was in Northern California, San Francisco
in particular, where the market for gambling
and gambling machines first appeared. California,
at this time, was a hotbed of gambling.
People would seemingly gamble on anything;
horse races, bear fights, card games, poker,
and other games of chance. San Francisco
with a corrupt city government, thousands
of bars and cigar stores, and an easy attitude
towards human vices, was a natural locus
for gambling. The advent of the 'nickel-in-the-slots'
machines in San Francisco was a natural
occurrence.
A
trio of inventive San Francisco entrepreneurs;
Charles Fey, Gustav Schultze, and Theodore
Holtz worked in the electrical manufacturing
business. Noticing the profits generated
by the new 'slots machines' and seeing how
their fellow citizens were clamoring for
more machines, they got involved in the
manufacture and placement of slots. In 1899
Charles Fey invented the "Liberty Bell"
slots. This machine had three reels with
various symbols, a coin tray at the bottom,
a handle on the right hand side, and a pay
board. It was sturdily made of sheet metal
on a brass frame. The machine was so advanced
that it would be instantly recognizable
to a modern slots player.
Between
1892 and 1906 over a dozen slots machine
manufacturers opened their doors in San
Francisco. By 1909 there were 3,200 licensed
slots machines operating in San Francisco
alone. The many saloons, cigar stores and
other small retail establishments also housed
many unlicensed machines. As the city matured,
however, the forces of 'reform' reared their
head. In April, 1909, slots were effectively
banned in California and the slots machine
business went underground. With the local
market gone, the manufacture of slots machines
soon shifted east to Chicago, Detroit and
Newark.
Prohibition
and the roaring twenties presented a perfect
environment for slots machines, even though
there was no 'legal' casino gambling. The
thousands of speakeasies that sprang up
nationwide were a natural venue for slots
machines. The speakeasies were selling alcohol
illegally anyway. It was a small step to
installing a few slots for the entertainment
of the patrons. There were no liquor inspectors
to interfere and bribes kept the authorities
at bay. Virtually every speakeasy in America
had several slots machines.
As
prohibition ended and the depression began,
'reform' politicians rode the slots machine
to political glory. Starting in New York
and San Francisco, these 'reformers' set
out to save people from themselves by eliminating
the evil slots and the criminal elements
behind them. Politicians soon discovered
the power of the photo op, using slots machines
and a sledgehammer as props. The mayor of
New York, Fiorella Laguardia, had a famous
picture taken as he slayed the evil slots
machines. Legislation soon followed outlawing
slots in the state of New York. Other states
soon followed.
The
war dealt more serious blows to the industry.
Obsolete slots were collected for scrap.
Manufacturers turned to weapons production.
Demand declined in the face of wartime shortages.
In 1950, federal legislation prohibited
shipment of slots machines to states where
their use was illegal. This left only Nevada
and part of Idaho and Maryland as markets.
The reformers and anti-gambling factions
were riding high in the 50's. When Idaho
outlawed slots in 1953 it seemed as if gambling
would be confined forever to Nevada.
But
the reformers didn't count on the popularity
of the adult Disneyland then being built
in the southern Nevada desert. What was
once a dusty railroad stop was soon to become
the entertainment/gambling center of the
world. With the rise of Las Vegas, and to
a lesser extent Reno, the demand for slots
machines started to soar once again. The
number of slots in Nevada alone went from
a mere 16,000 in 1960 to over 200,000 today.
Add another 100,000 in other states and
the growth of slots in the last forty years
has been nothing short of phenomenal.
The
variety of slots on offer today is equally
amazing. Recent trends have seen a mushrooming
of the variety of slots provided for modern
slots players. The basic three reel slots
machine has evolved into progressive machines,
four reel machines, three line types, and
various kinds of bonus machines.
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