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Slot Machines - History

 Ever seen old gambling films? A hotshot gambler giving his (under aged) wife a few dollars to play the slot machines, so he can have a quiet game of serious gambling? Well this scene is not as old as you may think. Up to the late as the mid - seventies slots were not thought of serious games of chance. In those days a "respectable" table player wouldn't be caught playing the slots.

 Slot machines have made a long way. The traditional historic name for slots was "The One Armed Bandit", for clear reasons. But they have grown out of those early Western times, gaining more friendly names, such as "slots" or slot machine.

 The first generations were mechanical devices. People used to try all kinds of ways (quite creative sometimes) to beat the house. Using magnets, drilling a hole through the side of the machines and much more… There was even a legal method discovered by a few that involved a style of pulling the handle that controlled the drop of one or more of the reels. This increased odds greatly, and caused the casino operators some concern until a technique was developed to eliminate this advantage.

 Video killed the radio star, but video games brought slot machines back to life, changing their status forever. The casino operators developed a new line of electronic slot machines, ones that offered brilliant graphics and thrilling sound effects. They also added further improvements such as connecting several machines together and taking a small percentage of every play and adding it to a jackpot total. If no one hits the jackpot for some time it can grow into an enormous amount, and although the odds are small, one lucky player will win big one day. These "jackpots" also helped to increase slot popularity to where it is today.

 Outside manipulating of the machines by cheaters became just a part of slot machine history, since almost all slot machines are electronic and computer controlled.

 Today slots are the most popular form of both land and Web Based Gambling, with up to 40% of casino income.