The Evolution of Slot Machines: Then and now

Innovation is a fact of life in today’s slot machine industry. It’s a competitive business, and a game maker who didn’t constantly search for new ways to engage players would languish behind the ever-changing bonus play, sound effects, graphics, jackpot triggers and sometimes even skill-based gameplay offered by others. Slot innovations started with San Francisco mechanic Charles Fey’s Liberty Bell in 1895 and have never stopped.

Let’s take a look at some of the most important slot machines that have led us to the modern era.

(more…)

Top Slot Makers: Inventors of Innovation

Competition can drive innovation, and we see both in the slot machine industry year in and year out. Competitive pressure contributed to the rise of video slots, the adoption of pop culture themes on slot games and the diversity of bonusing with wheel spins, pick’em events, free spins and more.

Many manufacturers contribute to a creative, innovative atmosphere simply by trying to produce games that will attract players and earn space on slot floors. Let’s take a look at the slot giants, the leading gamemakers with a big presence on U.S. slot floors and the companies that are the inventors of the innovations putting the magic into the machines.

(more…)

10 Ways to Maximize Your Slot Play

When we sit down to play a slot machine, our task is simple: Make a bet, spin the reels and the machine takes care of the rest. Except in rare instances, there are no strategies to learn or skills to master. The flip side is that while we can’t affect the outcome in any predictable way, nor tell from the outside which games are the highest-paying, there are things we do know about slots and the casinos that operate them to get the most out of a day on the machines. Here are 10 things every slot player should know.

 

(more…)