Some of the most traditional gambling games still played today include slots and pokies. Since its inception at the turn of the 20th century, they have drawn a sizable following. Here is a timeline outlining the evolution of slot machines over the years.
In 1891, the first ever slot machine appeared on the scene. Five drums, each displaying images of poker hands, were made by Pittman and Sachs. These machines did not pay out when players won; instead, the bar where they were located gave the winners alcohol.
Charles Fey wouldn’t develop the slot machine design that is most familiar to us today for another four years. When it displayed matching symbols, the machine paid players in cash. Before slot machines were outlawed in the early 20th century by anti-gambling organizations, the popularity of these games spread swiftly.

Slot machines quickly gained popularity in casinos again after the brief ban, which only lasted a couple of years. Slot machines began to gain popularity all over the world in the 1950s. Aristocrat, an Australian gambling business, decided to start producing its own line of electronic pokies in 1953 after noticing the emerging trend. The first device made by the business was known as the “Clubman.”
Casinos in Las Vegas began producing electronic slot machines, moving away from the usual, mechanical slot games that had grown in popularity over the years, albeit it would be a while before we would see internet slots. Compared to mechanical slots, these machines were more secure and made it harder for people to defraud casinos. The random number generator was created at this period, which increased the unpredictability of playing computerized slots.
Slots would not change during the ensuing few decades. The emergence of online slots wouldn’t happen until the turn of the century. Around 2001, when the first online casinos went live, the first slots games appeared. Early adopters included businesses like Microgaming, who developed some of the first publicly accessible internet slot machines.
Slot machines now account for more than 80% of revenue in land-based casinos and are among the most played games at online casinos over the past ten years. There are hundreds of different online slots games available to players, many of which have creative and entertaining themes. Additionally, there is a large selection of branded and themed slots games available to players that use cutting-edge gaming technology.
