Whilst gambling has been happening for centuries, online slots have only been around for a fraction of that time. It’s only with the revolution of technology that casinos have made their ways into our homes. Looking back at the history of online slots, it’s impressive to see how far they’ve come. Today, a multitude of casinos exist with thousands of slot games to play in an instant. There’s so much choice that players are having to claim online casino free spins to try out the slot catalogue before even depositing.
The World’s First Ever Slot Game
The first slot machine was a technological innovation in itself as gambling started to become mechanicalized, adding a whole different dimension to the activity. The Liberty Bell is the first fruit machine slot game to be invented all the way back in 1891 in Brooklyn, New York. Slot machines began to spike during the Great Depression and Nevada was the first state to legalise gambling, sowing seeds for what would become the fabulous Las Vegas.
The slot machine became an instant success as a way for women to join their husbands in the casino. Whilst the husbands played poker and roulette with their friends, the wives entertained themselves by gambling on the slot machines. Not too long after that, they started to expand everywhere due to their success.
Expansion of Technology
Technology has brought almost everything to the forefront of the internet. Nowadays, we can do anything online that extends far beyond the reach of online casinos. As technology continued to improve in the late 20th century and early 21st century, the casino experience changed completely.
The First Ever Video Slot
The first ever video slot was invented in the home of casinos itself in Las Vegas. This new computerised device started taking bets in 1976. People were astonished by the glamorous and flashy colour-display that they were interacting with while trying to win the jackpot. It became an instant success and video slots then made their way to casinos, pubs and bars all across the world.
Movement To The Internet
It’s now been less than 24 years since the first slot game made its way to the internet in 1996. InterCasino became the first online casino with a small offering of 18 games. Little did people know that this would boom into an entire industry. InterCasino is still around today but now operates in a much more saturated market.
Gambling Software Is Born
As the online casino industry continued to gain momentum, gambling software started to develop. Microgaming is a huge name in the gambling industry, offering some of the largest titles on casinos online. As the first developer to formulate sophisticated gambling software, it opened the door to many other gaming developers that create hundreds of titles every single year. Today, all the game developers compete with each other to release award-winning online slots with seamless graphics that will totally immerse you into the game.
The Future of Online Slots
The online casino industry has not made the land-based premises redundant. Players still enjoy travelling the world to visit luxurious casino resorts. However, gambling has become easier as you can now play all the popular slot games at home. Online slots continue to evolve as our screens become smaller too. Technology has made it possible for people to play the latest slot games on their mobile phones
The future of online slots will certainly be exciting as technology continues to evolve. It won’t be long before we can start enjoying a truly breath-taking casino experience with the aid of Virtual Reality. Online slots have come a long way, but there’s still so much more to look forward to.