Slot machines wiki. From the “one-armed bandit” to online games: the history of the appearance of slots The first slot machines to appear play

Devices are an incredibly popular type today gambling. Despite the fact that they have a relatively short history, they have managed to fall in love with users. On the Internet resource http://sloty-for-fun.com/ you will find a large selection of slot machines. Not only are they distinguished by their variety, but they can also take you to an exciting new world of gambling.

About slots

The history of gambling is quite interesting and ancient. It is unknown exactly when they appeared, but traces of them are already found among the ancient Greeks, Romans and Chinese. Gambling games were constantly evolving, finding more and more new forms. According to many gaming machines, the most interesting and exciting type of gambling is the slot machine.


Slot machines first appeared at the beginning of the last century. At the beginning of their journey, they were not very popular, and casinos did not want to buy them. This was due to the fact that the bets on them were very small. In those days, only rich people came to the casino, and for them, making small bets was a sign of bad manners. But for the ordinary population, small bets on slot machines became a real discovery. Although not immediately, more and more ordinary workers began to come to the casino. We can say that slot machines have made a kind of revolution in the field of gambling. For the first time since antiquity, the common people could gamble on an equal footing with the rich.


With the advent of the Internet, online casinos began to actively appear. Today there are more than 700 of them. Initially, they were not very popular in the CIS. This was due to the fact that not every home had a computer, the Internet, and the smartphone had not yet been invented. Over time, such goods increasingly began to appear in every home and today are not a luxury item. Slot machines on the Internet today are even more popular than real ones. This is due to the fact that there are much more of them in online casinos and they are more vibrant and interesting. In addition, in such an establishment you can play for money and for free, and a special application for a smartphone allows you to play at any time and place convenient for you.

Thus, the online casino has a large number of advantages over a real establishment and even other types of entertainment. With their help, you can not only increase your income, but also have fun.

Nowadays, slot machines can be seen not only in special establishments, but also on the Internet. The concept of “slot machine simulators” is becoming popular (as, for example, here kazino-club-vulkan.com/simulyatori-igrovyh-avtomatov). But not everyone knows where and how the first slot machines originated.

Slot machines are American in origin. Their story began back in 1887. The first mechanical machine was nicknamed the “freedom bell.” It received this name from auto mechanic Charles Fay, who was also the inventor of this miracle - an automatic machine. He assembled them by hand in his garage and rented them out for money. At that time, he, unfortunately, could not legalize his unique invention due to the strict ban on slot machines in America. Over time, he will open a whole factory for their production.

Essentially, the machine had three reels and had symbols such as hearts, spades, diamonds, horseshoes and a bell. In order to play, it was necessary to have a small change coin, which was inserted into a special hole. If a person won from a machine (the maximum winning amount was 50 cents), then the money won was paid by the owner of the gambling establishment, since the machine did not have a payment mechanism. Soon such a “machine” was nicknamed the “one-armed bandit” due to the player’s quick loss. In states where there was a complete ban on gaming slots, they began to be combined with machines selling sweets and chewing gum; accordingly, winnings were compensated by sweets, which is where the “fruit symbolism” of modern gaming slots came from.

In 1891, the first poker slot appeared, which featured playing cards on the reels. Tossing a coin, the player watched a rotating drum on which combinations fell out and if one of them turned out to be winning, he received money for it. Then this poker machine became the harbinger of today's poker machines. Gambling experts believed that slot machines were quite profitable. They began to ask Fay to sell them a license to manufacture machine guns, but he refused their offer. And already in 1907, Chicago businessman Herbert Stiefer Bell launched the production of “twins” of the Liberty Bell. In 1910, the slot machines became very famous and were in great demand among players.

A little later, machines began to appear throughout Europe. The Novelty company simply stole one machine gun from Fay. And in Las Vegas, the first slot machine was seen in 1949 at the famous Flamingo Hilton hotel and was initially intended to entertain the ladies accompanying the players, but soon the slots were very much loved by the players themselves and became the main game.

Over time, the machines were improved and improved. In 1964, an electromechanical slot appeared, then it amazed everyone with its lighting design and electric motors. 1975 - the appearance of a slot machine with a TV screen, through which players could see the game.

Now slot machines all over the world are enjoying stunning success. Slots located in casinos bring millions of dollars in income to such establishments. Well, as you know, to win, you need to have money, and, of course, luck.

slot machines in Las Vegas

Slot machine(American English), famous differently How fruit machine(British English), Puggy(Scottish English) slots(Canadian and American English), poker machine / Pokies(Australian English and New Zealand English), or simply slot(British English and American English), is a casino slot machine with three or more reels that spin when a button is pressed. Slot machines are also known as one armed bandits because they were originally controlled by a single lever on the side of the machine, as opposed to a button on the front, and because of their ability to leave the player impoverished or in debt, with bandit, as a synonym for "thief". Many modern machines still feature the legacy lever in addition to the button.

Slot machines include a currency detector that checks the money inserted to play. The machine is paid off by the patterns of symbols visible on the front of the machine when it stops. Modern computer technology has led to changes in the concept of a slot machine. Slot machines are the most popular way to gamble in casinos and account for about 70 percent of the average U.S. casino revenue.

Etymology

The term "slot machine" comes from the slots on the machine for inserting and removing coins. The "slot machine" comes from the traditional fruit symbols on the spinning reels, such as lemons and cherries.

story

1899 Liberty Bell machine made by Charles Fey.

The goal of the game is to win money from the machine. The game typically features matching symbols, either on mechanical reels that spin and stop to reveal one or more symbols, or on simulated reels shown on a video screen. The symbols are usually bright and easily recognizable, such as images of fruits, numbers or letters, and simple shapes such as bells, diamonds, or hearts; new video slot machines use animated cartoon characters and images of popular actors or singers (in the case of themed slot machines, as described below).

Most games have a different winning combination of symbols, often located on the front of the machine (or available on another screen, accessible by touching a button on the main touch screen on video machines). If the player matches the combination according to the rules of the game, the slot machine credits the player with cash or some other value, such as free spins or additional games. Free spins are a common feature in modern slot machines, allowing the user to spin the printer feature reels for free. Many online casinos advertise their free spin rewards and highlight this feature.

There are many various types gambling slot machines in places such as Las Vegas (as well as casinos modeled after those in Las Vegas, including operated Indian reservations). Some of the most popular video poker machines are machines in which players hope to get a set of symbols that match a winning poker hand. Depending on the machine, players can play one, 100 or more hands at one time. Another popular type of machine internationally are video lotto machines, where the player can play Latin style lotto or American style lotto. Depending on the machine, players may play one bingo card or more at a time.

Multi-channel slot machines have become increasingly popular since the 1990s. These machines have more than one payline, meaning that visible symbols that are not aligned on the main line can be considered for winning combinations. Traditional 3 reel slot machines usually have three or five pay lines, while video slot machines can have 9, 15, 25, or as many as 1024 different pay lines. Most video slot machines have themed games, some of which have graphics and music based on popular artists, movies or television programs ( The Addams Family , I dream of Ginny , Happy Days, etc.) with a bonus round. Most accept a variable number of credits to play, with 1 to 15 credits per line typical. The higher the bet amount, the higher the winnings will be if the player wins.

There are also standard 3 to 5 drum electromechanical machines of various types. These are typical “one-armed bandits.” Since about 2005, hybrid machines have been introduced, which combine elements of both video machines and traditional electromechanical machines.

One of the main differences between video slot machines and reel machines is in the way payouts are calculated. With a reel machine, the only way to win the maximum jackpot is to play the maximum number of coins (usually 3, sometimes 4 or even 5 coins per spin). With video machines, the fixed payout values ​​are multiplied by the number of coins per line that is being bet. In other words: on a reel machine, the odds are less unfavorable if the player plays with the maximum number of coins available.

As an example, on Wheel of fortune drum machine (based on popular wheels of fortune game TV show created by Merv Griffin), the player must play 3 coins per spin to be eligible to trigger the bonus round and possibly win the jackpot. On Wheel of Fortune video machines, the odds of triggering a bonus round or winning the maximum jackpot are exactly the same, regardless of the number of coins bet on each line.

Larger casinos offer slot machines with titles ranging from 1 cent ("penny slots") all the way up to $100.00 or more per credit. Large denomination slot machines are typically walled off from the rest of the casino in a "High Limit" area, often with a separate team of staff to cater to the needs of those playing there.

In the last few years new multi-religious slot machines were introduced. With these slot machines, the player can choose the value of each credit (bet count) from the list of options. Based on the player's selection, the slot machine automatically calculates the number of credits the player receives in exchange for the cash inserted and displays the number of available credits to the player.

terminology

Bonus is a feature of a specific game theme that is activated when certain symbols appear in a winning combination. Bonuses vary depending on the game. Some bonus rounds are a special session of free spins (the number of which is often based on the winning combination that triggers the bonus), often with a different or modified set of winning combinations from the base game, and often with winning credit values ​​increased a specific multiplier, which is prominently displayed as part of the bonus graphics and/or animation (which in many cases is a slightly different design or color scheme from the main game). In other bonus rounds, the player is presented with several items on the screen from which to choose. As the player selects items, the number of credits are revealed and awarded. Some bonuses use mechanical devices, such as a spinning wheel, that work in conjunction with the bonus to display the winning amount. (Some machines have two or more of these bonus styles within the same game.)

Candle is the light on the top of the slot machine. It flashes to alert the operator that changes are needed, hand-pay is being requested, or a potential problem with the machine. It can be illuminated by the player by clicking on the "service" or "help" button.

Carousel refers to a grouping of slot machines, usually in a circle or oval formation.

Coin bin is a container where coins that are directly available for payment are held. The hopper is a mechanical device that rotates coins into the coin tray when the player collects credits/coins (pressing the "Cash Out" button). When a certain preset coin capacity is reached, the coin switch automatically redirects, or "drops," the excess coins into a "drop bucket" or "drop box." (Unused coin bins can still be found even on games that exclusively use Ticket-In Ticket-Out technology as a relic.)

Credit meter visual LED display of the amount of money or the number of credits on the machine. On roll-to-roll video machines, this is either a simulated LED display, or presented in different fonts altogether, based on the design of the game graphics.

Drop bucket or drop box is a container located in the base of the slot machine, where excess coins are removed from the hopper. Typically, a drop bucket is used for low denomination slot machines and a drop box is used for high denomination slot machines. A drop box contains a hinged lid with one or more locks, whereas a bucket drop does not contain a lid. The contents of the bucket drops and box drops are collected and counted by the casino on a planned basis.

EGM used as an abbreviation for "Electronic Gaming Machine".

Free Spin is a term used in slot games and online slot games to indicate that a spin will be completed without a charge or on the same bet. Free spins can be triggered by a number of things, each game uses a different method. Typically, landing a number of special symbols on the reels is required to trigger the free games bonus round. In general, scatter symbols are preferred for this activation, although wild symbols (or an entirely different symbol dedicated to this feature) can be used as well. In most slot machines, landing at least three special symbols on the reels is mandatory to trigger the feature. Once the free spins of the bonus round are triggered, a number of spins are awarded at no cost to the player. The number of free spins varies from game to game. If it is possible to retrigger free spins during a free spin bonus there is no theoretical limit to the number of free spins received. The spins are automatically used in the game and the player keeps some profit after the spins are full. One free spin is sometimes called a Respin.

Indian casinos

  • Player (known in the industry as professional player) can be provided by the opportunity conduct one or more reels before spinning, meaning that the reel will not spin on the next game, but will instead retain its setting on the previous spin. Sometimes this can increase the chances of winning, especially if two or more reels are played.
  • The player may also be given a number nudges following spin (or, in some machines, resulting in sub-game). A push is a one-step spin of the player's choice reel (although the machine may not allow the entire Reel to be pushed for a particular game).
  • Codes may also be available online or through newsletters at e-mail for subscribers. These scammers give the player the impression of an advantage, while in reality the payout percentage remains exactly the same. The most widely used trickster is known as hold after the push and increases the likelihood that a player will win after a bad push. Cheats give the player an incentive to play the latest games. In fact, while cars since the early 1990s have not advertised the concept hold after the push When this feature was first introduced, it became so well known among players and widespread among new machine releases that it is now heavily advertised on the machine during gameplay. This is characterized by messages on the display such as DO NOT borrow anything or LET "EM SPIN and is a developed feature of the machine, and not a cheat at all.

It is known for machines to pay for multiple jackpots, one after another (this is known as band or rave), but each jackpot requires new game in order to play in such a way as not to violate the law on the maximum payout per game. Typically, this involves the player only pressing the Start button, for which one credit is taken, regardless of whether it triggers a reel spin or not. The minimum payout percentage is 70%, with pubs often setting the payout at around 78%.

Player's error.

Despite the many varieties of Pachislot machines, there are certain rules and regulations put forward by the Electronics and Communications Technology Association (保安電子通信技術協会 ) , a branch of the National Police Agency. For example, there should be three reels. All reels must be accompanied by buttons that allow players to manually stop them, reels cannot spin faster than 80 rpm, and reels must stop within 0.19 seconds of pressing a button. In practice, this means that the machines cannot allow the Reels to slip more than 4 symbols. Other rules include payout cap of 15 coins, 50 credit cap on machines, maximum bet in 3 coins, and other such rules.

Although the 15 coin payout may seem quite low, the rules allow for "Big Bonus" (c. 400-711 coins) and "Regular Bonus" modes (c. 110 coins), where the 15 coin payout occurs almost continuously until the bonus mode is completed When the machine is in bonus mode, the player is entertained by special winning scenes on the LCD display, and exciting music is heard, payout after payout.

Three other unique features of Pachisuro machines are "shares", "renchan", and tenjō(天井 ) . On many machines, when there is enough money to afford a bonus the bonus is not immediately awarded. Typically, the game will simply stop making the reels slide off the bonus symbols for a few games. If the player does not get the bonus into these “games” in standby mode, it is added to the “stock” for later collection. Many modern games, after the end of the bonus round, set the probability of releasing additional shares (received from previous players failing to receive the bonus in last time, when the machine stops making sliding reels for the beat) is very high during the first few games. As a result, a lucky player can get to play several bonus rounds in a row (with "renchan"), making payouts of 5,000 or even 10,000 coins possible. The temptation of a "stock" awaits in the machine, as well as the opportunity for a "renchan" to tease the gambler to continue feeding the machine. To tease them further, there is tenjō(ceiling), the maximum limit on the number of games between “promotions” release. For example, if tenjō is 1500, and the number of games since the last bonus is 1490, the player is guaranteed to release the bonus within just 10 games.

Because of "share", "renchan" and tenjō systems, you can make money simply by playing slot machines on which someone has just lost a huge amount of money. This is called being a "hyena". They are easily recognizable, wandering the aisles for "Camo" ("sucker" on English language) to leave your car.

In short, the rules allowing "share", "renchan", and tenjō Pachisuro has transformed from a low stakes form of entertainment just a few years ago into hardcore gambling. Many people may gamble more than they can afford, and large payouts also lure unattractive "hyena" types into gambling halls.

To solve these social problems, new rules (version 5.0) were adopted in 2006, which caps the maximum amount of "stock" the machine can hold, costing around 2000-3000 coins for bonus games. In addition, the entire pachisuro machine must be reviewed for regulatory compliance every three years. Version 4.0 came out in 2004, so that means all of these machines with up to 10,000 coin payouts will be removed from the service by 2007.

The problem of gambling and slot machines

Natasha Dow Schull, assistant professor of media, culture and communication at New York University, uses the term "machine zone" to describe the state of immersion that slot machine users experience while gambling, in which they lose all sense of time, space, and bodily awareness. , but in monetary terms.

Mike Dixon, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, studies the relationship between gamblers and slot machines. Slot players have been observed to experience increased arousal from the sensory stimulus coming from the machine. They "sought to show that this 'loss of disguised victories' (LDWS) would be as exciting as victories, and more exciting than ordinary losses."

Psychologists Robert Breen and Mark Zimmerman found that video slot machine players reach debilitating levels of gambling participation three times faster than those who play traditional casino games, even if they have regularly played other types of gambling in the past without problems.

2011 60 minutes The report, “Slot Machines: Big Gamble,” focuses on the connection between slot machines and gambling addiction.

Mills Novelty Co. Horse Head Bonus antique slot machine

Stopping skill

Skill stop buttons predate the Bally electromechanical slot machines of the 1960s and 70s. They appeared on mechanical slot machines manufactured by Mills Novelty Co. back in the mid-1920s. These machines were modified with arm-stop reels, allowing them to be released from the timing bar earlier than in a normal game by simply pressing buttons on the front of the machine located between each reel.

"Skill stop" buttons were added to some slot machines by Zachary Anthony in the early 1970s. This allowed the player to stop each reel, allowing a degree of "skill" in order to satisfy the New Jersey gaming laws of the day and which required players to be able to control the game in some way. The original conversion was applied to approximately 50 late model Bally slot machines. Since a typical machine automatically stops the reels in less than 10 seconds, mechanical timers have been added to extend the automatic stopping of the reels. By that time, the New Jersey Alcoholic Beverages Commission (ABC) had approved the conversion for use in New Jersey arcades of the word, and every distributor began adding a stop skill. Cars was a huge hit on ISBN

The first prototype of a slot machine was invented in 1887 in England. In 1905, the famous Liberty Bell was created in the USA, and since that time the level of accessibility of the game has increased, which immediately affects the increase in the number of players around the world. Slot machines are beginning to be installed not only in casinos, but also in saloons and bars. From this moment on, the global gambling business begins a new life.

Types of slot machines

Practice is divided into the following types

Slot machines

Mechanical slots

As such, they existed in the Russian Federation until 2005 until the adoption of a law regulating the minimum return percentage of 90%, after which individual models were taken out of circulation. However, some rooms remained blocked as exhibits.

The very first had a lever to start, later models were started by a button (the lever remained as a tradition)

  • Easy customization - you need to re-stick the necessary symbols and make a winning table
  • More complete demo mode - capable (unlike video) of running in random and endless rotation modes
  • The buttons/lever are made with resistance, which limits the minimum age of the player
  • Increased vulnerability, due to which it is necessary to install a shock sensor (when triggered, it blocks the mechanisms)
  • On some machines, only half of the cells contain prize symbols, which caused doubts among players
  • Large size (due to the presence of a hopper - a device for processing coins/tokens)

Video slots

The current level of development of electronics makes it possible to produce an almost unlimited number of new varieties of slot machines. As a rule, they are equipped with five parallel disks, on the rim of which various images are applied. These are virtual reels spinning on a video monitor screen. Such machines have from 1 to 40 or more (rarely up to 100) winning lines; payouts occur on combinations on all lines. Certain combinations of numbers bring winnings to the player. Slot machines differ from each other in terms of playing conditions - the opportunity to further increase the amount won; bonus systems, jackpots, and the design of cases and gaming programs - the number of symbols and pictures that replaced the traditional “cherries” is incalculable. The following games were very widespread: SupeJump (KSI), SwampLand (KSI), LuckyDrink (Belatra), CrazyMonkey (Igrosoft) and many others. From foreign slot machines: slot machines from Atronic, Bally, IGT, WMS, Novomatic... Today on the Internet a large number of slot machines are available in demo versions for review.

Video poker

A slot machine with a processor unit, a bill and coin acceptor, and a video monitor. Unlike automatic machines, slots contain a program that simulates a poker game. As a rule, they are equipped with touch screens. Models: IGT Game King, Bally GameMaker, etc.

Columns

First generation: a machine with a coin acceptor that functions as a button, equipped with seven-segment indicators that display winning combinations. The retail price was initially 100,000 rubles, with fixed rates of 5 rubles, which with a 75% return gave the owner 1 ruble 25 kopecks from each game) which, coupled with the small costs of starting a business, even led to the expulsion of other tenants from small premises for gambling. The KSI company used a PC to control the “columns”. Company SIGMAS - board based on a microcontroller. There were a large number of options for both circuit design and external design of the columns. A special case of a “column” was the so-called “daisy” - a street structure made of a metal frame and wall panels, on the sides of which blocks were installed - modules of columns and sometimes video slots.

Later versions were actually a variation of a regular video slot with a reduced number of buttons (the “Paytable” and “Payout” buttons were eliminated, each choice (lines/bet) was made exclusively with one button) and a CRT monitor. At the same time, the operator located inside the structure did not see the player before demanding payment at the banknote machine (or exchange at the coin machine), but observation by the non-player was actually free, which formed a negative public opinion. Some hex-like and circular structures were later repurposed as kiosks.

Includes horse racing simulators, electronic roulettes and roulettes with a real wheel and pneumatic ball injection, as well as machines of mixed designs.

Principle of operation

Slot machines are one of the most profitable methods of doing business. The owner earns from the so-called. “return percentage”, that is, the system administrator sets in advance the percentage of funds invested in the machine by the player that is returned to the players in the form of winnings. This percentage varies between 80 and 95, but on average it is 85-92. Most machines do not allow you to set a percentage less than 80 (but not lower than required by law), since the manufacturer believes that in this case the maintenance of the machine will be unprofitable. It is completely wrong to assume that if a slot machine with a return percentage of 80 “eats” 100 rubles, then it should immediately give back the 80 rubles due to the player. A winning combination appears just as randomly as a losing one, so the machine can “eat” 1 or 10 thousand rubles and give nothing back, but the next moment, give back 80% (of the arbitrary amount) allotted to the player. In any case, if we take the statistics of the machine for a more or less long period (1 week/1 month), it will still turn out that the machine gave the player no more than 80% of the funds invested in it. The player can only win if he lands on random recoil moment 80 percent of random amounts. When the player starts the game, symbols appear randomly on the screen using a generator pseudo random numbers, naturally observing the conditions of the established “return percentage” - if certain conditions are met, then the combination on the screen will be winning. Thus, all the images on the screen, or doubling the winnings (red/black, big/small) are by and large unimportant - after the reels start, the player will absolutely not be able to influence the course of the game, no matter what button the player presses, even before the reels stop already “knows” in advance whether to show a winning combination or not. In this sense, a modern slot machine is no different from the so-called. street “Stolbikov” - common primitive slot machines that don’t even have a screen. A screen is not needed, the screen only displays a sequence of pseudo-random numbers in graphical form. The screen is needed so that the player does not lose interest in the game and stays at the machine longer.
Colorful images of the game's heroes, the ability to select any symbols, doubling the winnings, sound, the design of the machine itself - all this is only needed for the psychological aspect of the game - the player seems to be playing some kind of quest, he feels his involvement with the heroes of the game, a thought is imposed on him that it is he who controls them, but this is all false - the processor of the machine, even before the first second, already “knows” what to do, and only then gives the command to the graphics card to light up this or that picture on the screen.

There are several options for how the generator works (for slot machines)

  • Virtual offset: another random number is added to a random number (in the range 0-1) defining the reel sector, 1 is subtracted if necessary, and the new position is shown accordingly
  • Infinite offset: the coprocessor calculates the entire operating time, while producing only the result generated when betting
  • From winnings: Random number determines the winnings and the type (credits and additional games), and then the machine “draws” a combination for it.

History of gambling business in Russia

This section is missing references to information sources.

First stage

The history of the gambling business in Russia dates back to 1989, when in the USSR [ specify] the Finnish company Casino Amherst opened a casino in the Moscow Savoy Hotel. Until the end of 1990, the basis of the gambling business was mainly casinos, positioned on the market as expensive “elite” establishments. Very detailed history and exclusive interviews You can find out about the development and liquidation of the gambling business in Russia here.

Second phase

A powerful impetus to the development of the gaming hall industry was given by the Federal Law “On Tax on Gambling Business” adopted in 1998, which established a system of imputed taxation. With the adoption of this law, business gained the opportunity to develop openly.

Third stage

With the entry into force of part two Tax Code a tax rate on income (winnings) was set at 35%, and the practice extended to the amount of money taken by the player. However, the practice was quickly challenged and the rule was canceled earlier.

A real boom in the development of slot machines occurred in 2002, when the Russian Government refused to license the gambling business by regions of the Russian Federation and the procedure for obtaining a license was simplified as much as possible.

According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, gaming machines belong to the category “Measuring equipment” with the corresponding requirements for metrological control. [ source not specified 988 days]

Fourth stage

After the explosion at the Rizhskaya station (at that time there was a gaming room in two pavilions)

In July 2005, amendments to the Federal Law “On Licensing of Certain Types of Activities” came into force, which introduced a system of separate licensing of casino activities and gaming halls, and also, for the first time, introduced a licensing system for the production and sale of gaming equipment.

The first slot machines were significantly different from today's slot machines. Only the idea of ​​the game itself has remained unchanged - to win, the player needs to collect a winning combination of symbols. Simple rules of the game and on its own exciting process made slot machines one of the most popular entertainment in casinos.

Poker slot machines

The first gaming devices using coins were invented in 1880. These slot machines were based on the card game of poker and had five reels and fifty playing cards. The player put a coin into the machine, pulled the handle and watched the reels spin. The “payout” system was non-standard: in case of victory, the player approached the bartender and took a mug of beer or a cigar as a prize.

One-armed bandits

The next stage in the development of slot machines is one-armed bandits. These are the inventions of Charles Fey, the “father of slots.” History says that Fey invented the first slot machine in 1894. The second slot, invented in 1895, was called 4-11-44. These slot machines became known as “one-armed bandits” because of the lever used to spin the reels.

Liberty Bell

Already in 1898, Fey invented the first slot machine with automatic system payments - “Liberty Bell”. Landing three Liberty Bell symbols awarded the player a jackpot of 10 nickels. The novelty was so popular that even after slot machines were banned, Fey had many orders for their production.

Fruit machines

The next stage in the history of slots was the invention of “fruit” machines. The card symbols on the reels have been replaced with fruit designs: cherries, oranges, watermelons, apples and bar symbols. At first, the payouts on these machines were fruit-flavored chewing gum. This was done not only for fun, but also to avoid anti-gambling laws that were introduced in many states.

Electromechanical slots

The first electromechanical slot machine was invented in 1964 and was called Money Honey. Thanks to advanced electromechanical technology, the slot paid out winnings automatically and could accept up to 500 coins without technical support.

And in 1996, the first video slot appeared, which had a Reel’Em bonus game on the second screen.

History of modern slots

Today, players have a wide choice of slot machines that they can play in both classic and online casinos. Slot machines may have a different number of reels and paylines, bonuses and symbols. Most slots are themed, but some still use classic symbols. Among the slot machines, the most common are: classic 3-reel, 5-reel video slots, progressive, bonus, etc.

Online slots

The history of online slots dates back to 1994, when the state of Antigua and Barbuda signed the Caribbean Free Trade Agreement. This document allowed companies from all over the world to legally open online casinos. In 1995, the first online casino Gaming Club was opened.

To protect and support online players, the famous Kahnawake Gaming Commission (Canada) was founded in 1996. Many players preferred to play on the Internet, but in 1996 the United States passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which prohibited online gambling. However, according to statistics, now about 70% of the income of any online casino comes from slot machines.

Nowadays, slot machines can be seen not only in special establishments, but also on the Internet. The concept of “slot machine simulators” is becoming popular (as, for example, here kazino-club-vulkan.com/simulyatori-igrovyh-avtomatov). But not everyone knows where and how the first slot machines originated.

Slot machines are American in origin. Their story began back in 1887. The first mechanical machine was nicknamed the “freedom bell.” It received this name from auto mechanic Charles Faye, who was also the inventor of this miracle machine. He assembled them by hand in his garage and rented them out for money. At that time, he, unfortunately, could not legalize his unique invention due to the strict ban on slot machines in America. Over time, he will open a whole factory for their production.

Essentially, the machine had three reels and had symbols such as hearts, spades, diamonds, horseshoes and a bell. In order to play, it was necessary to have a small change coin, which was inserted into a special hole. If a person won from a machine (the maximum winning amount was 50 cents), then the money won was paid by the owner of the gambling establishment, since the machine did not have a payment mechanism. Soon such a “machine” was nicknamed the “one-armed bandit” due to the player’s quick loss. In states where there was a complete ban on gaming slots, they began to be combined with machines selling sweets and chewing gum; accordingly, winnings were compensated by sweets, which is where the “fruit symbolism” of modern gaming slots came from.

In 1891, the first poker slot appeared, which featured playing cards on the reels. Tossing a coin, the player watched a rotating drum on which combinations fell out and if one of them turned out to be winning, he received money for it. Then this poker machine became the harbinger of today's poker machines. Gambling experts believed that slot machines were quite profitable. They began to ask Fay to sell them a license to manufacture machine guns, but he refused their offer. And already in 1907, Chicago businessman Herbert Stiefer Bell launched the production of “twins” of the Liberty Bell. In 1910, the slot machines became very famous and were in great demand among players.

A little later, machines began to appear throughout Europe. The Novelty company simply stole one machine gun from Fay. And in Las Vegas, the first slot machine was seen in 1949 at the famous Flamingo Hilton hotel and was initially intended to entertain the ladies accompanying the players, but soon the slots were very much loved by the players themselves and became the main game.

Over time, the machines were improved and improved. In 1964, an electromechanical slot appeared, then it amazed everyone with its lighting design and electric motors. 1975 - the appearance of a slot machine with a TV screen, through which players could see the game.

Now slot machines all over the world are enjoying stunning success. Slots located in casinos bring millions of dollars in income to such establishments. Well, as you know, to win, you need to have money, and, of course, luck.

Types of slot machines

Practice is divided into the following types

Mechanical slots

Video slots

The current level of development of electronics makes it possible to produce an almost unlimited number of new varieties of slot machines. As a rule, they are equipped with five parallel disks, on the rim of which various images are applied. These are virtual reels spinning on a video monitor screen. Such machines have from 1 to 40 or more lines (rarely - up to 100). Winning lines, payouts occur on combinations on all lines. Certain combinations of numbers bring winnings to the player. Slot machines differ from each other in terms of playing conditions - the opportunity to further increase the amount won; bonus systems, jackpots, and the design of cases and gaming programs - the number of symbols and pictures that replaced the traditional “cherries” is incalculable.

Video poker

Columns

First generation: machine with a coin acceptor that functions as a button

Others

Principle of operation

Slot machines are one of the most profitable methods of doing business. The owner earns from the so-called. “percentage of return”, i.e. The system administrator sets in advance the percentage of funds invested in the machine by the player that is returned to the players in the form of winnings. This percentage varies between 80 and 95, but on average it is 85-92. Most machines do not allow you to bet a percentage less than 80, because... the manufacturer believes that in this case maintaining the machine will be unprofitable. It is completely wrong to assume that if a slot machine with a return percentage of 80 “eats” 100 rubles, then it should immediately give back the 80 rubles due to the player. A winning combination appears just as randomly as a losing one, so the machine can “eat” 1 or 10 thousand rubles and not give anything back, but the next moment, give back 80% (for an arbitrary period) allotted to the player. In any case, if we take the statistics of the machine for a more or less long period (1 week/1 month), it will still turn out that the machine gave the player no more than 80% of the funds invested in it. The player can only win if he lands on random recoil moment 80 percent of random amounts. When the player starts the game, symbols appear on the screen randomly, using a generator pseudo random numbers, naturally observing the conditions of the established “return percentage” - if certain conditions are met, then the combination on the screen will be winning. Thus, all the images on the screen, or doubling the winnings (red/black, big/small) are by and large unimportant - after the reels start, the player will absolutely not be able to influence the course of the game, no matter what button the player presses, even before the reels stop already “knows” in advance whether to show a winning combination or not. Colorful images of the game's heroes, the ability to select any symbols, doubling the winnings, sound, the design of the machine itself - all this is only needed for the psychological aspect of the game - the player seems to be playing some kind of quest, he feels his involvement with the heroes of the game, it is imposed on him the idea that it is he who controls them, but this is all false - the processor of the machine, even before the first second, already “knows” what to do, and only then gives the command to the graphics card to light up this or that picture on the screen.

There are several options for generator operation

  • Virtual offset: another random number is added to a random number (in the range 0-1) defining the reel sector, 1 is subtracted if necessary, and the new position is shown accordingly
  • Infinite offset: the coprocessor calculates the entire operating time, while producing only the result generated when betting
  • From winning: A random number determines the winning and type (credits and additional games), and then the machine “draws” a combination for it.

History of gambling business in Russia

First stage

Second phase

A powerful impetus to the development of the gaming hall industry was given by the Federal Law “On Tax on the Gambling Business” adopted in 2017, which established a system of imputed taxation. With the adoption of this law, business gained the opportunity to develop openly.

Third stage

With the entry into force of part two of the Tax Code, the tax rate on income (winnings) was established at 35%, and the practice extended to the amount of money taken by the player. However, the practice was quickly challenged and the rule was repealed earlier.

A real boom in the development of slot machines occurred in the year when the Russian Government refused to license the gambling business by regions of the Russian Federation and the procedure for obtaining a license was simplified as much as possible.

According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, gaming machines belong to the category “Measuring equipment” with the corresponding requirements for metrological control.

Fourth stage

After the explosion at the Rizhskaya station (at that time there was a gaming room in two pavilions)

Notes

see also

Links

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2010.

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