This was because at the time, 5 reel slot machines were the big thing in the world of gambling, so it made sense to create entirely digital versions of them for the new and emerging online gambling market. When the first online casinos launched in the mid-90s, a lot of the slots that made their way online had 5 reels. It wasn’t long before 5 reel slot machines were preferred by more players than 3 reel slot machines. Gameplay features, including special symbols, bonus rounds and the way pays were determined, became more complex and drew more players in. These were capable of offering more paylines and features than earlier slots they also had higher payouts. By the 90s, 5 reel slot machines were starting to emerge. Video screen technology enabled slot machines to become much more advanced. Even though a physical gaming machine was still used, the actual slot part was now digital. These were so-called because instead of using a drum with reels and symbols, they had everything displayed on a small video screen. Fast forward to 1976 and the first video slot machines were launched. As time passed, technology became more advanced and so did the slot machines.

Slot machines grew in popularity and found their way to casinos, pubs and entertainment venues in many countries around the world. A lot of the time, the symbols were themed after fruits because the earliest prizes you could win were fruit-flavoured pieces of chewing gum. To make the game even simpler, playing cards were removed from the reels and a smaller number of themed symbols were added instead. Gaming machines weren’t advanced enough to handle the many different combinations you could get from a hand with five cards, so two hands were dropped. In poker, your objective is to form the best hand possible with five cards. They had a single row and if the right combination of symbols appeared on this row, you’d win.īelieve it or not, slot machines were actually derived from poker games. They were large gaming machines that required you to pull a lever on the side to spin the drum, which was made up of three separate reels. The very first slot machines appeared in the late 19th century in New York.

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