The humble and much-loved slot machine has transformed a lot over the years. The first slot machine paid out only fifty cents, which is a far cry from the machines of today, which can pay out as much as £1 million. After all, who understood that one day you could play slots by connecting your phone to an online casino?
Suppose you think bigger is always better and like the idea of a big payout; taking a turn on a huge slot game might be just what the doctor ordered. Remember to take a picture if you are lucky enough to visit one!
The History of the Slot Machine
The first one-armed bandit was made in 1891. It was made by Sittman and Pitt, who lived in Brooklyn, New York. It was based on the game of poker rather than the reels we know and love today, and people would pay a nickel to make a poker hand. There was no standard for payouts, so the chances of winning differed. In 1985, Charley Fey made a machine with five symbols and three drums. It made it easier to track how much each winning combination was worth. The next big technological step was the electronic slot machine, which came out in 1963. It took a few more years for these machines to become video-based. In 1976, Sony logic boards and a 19-inch color screen were put together to make the first slot machine that was cheaper to make and less likely to be hacked.
SUPER BIG BERTHA
So, it’s no surprise that we start our list of the biggest slot machines ever in Las Vegas. “She” is in Bally’s casino and was named the world’s biggest slot machine in 1950. This monster machine has 20 symbols on each of its eight reels. It means there are a whopping 25.6 billion ways to determine the odds of winning. Even though the odds aren’t in your favor, winning the $1 million jackpot is possible. In 2001, an Ontario, Canada, player won the jackpot, even though the odds said it would take 15 billion spins to get that big of a win (we’re guessing she didn’t do all of them!)
BIG BERTHA
Big Bertha was made before her bigger sister, and like her, she was made at Bally’s Casino in Las Vegas. It wasn’t made to be a very serious slot machine. Instead, it was meant to be more of a novelty. Still, it works perfectly, and a spin of these huge reels will cost you $100. Chain wheels 20 inches wide and electric motors with five horsepower make this place work.
MICROSPIN
Don’t be fooled by the name here! This one-armed bandit is over nine feet tall and was known as the world’s tallest slot machine until the end of the 1990s. This machine was built with the famous Windows 95 operating system and had room for nine players to play simultaneously. The bad thing about this big offer is that it’s just a novelty item that doesn’t pay out any cash, which might be disappointing. It, too, can be found in Las Vegas, this time at Wynn Casino.
THE QUEEN’S MACHINE
This huge slot machine is nine feet wide and ten feet tall, making it another giant in the world. It also lives in Las Vegas. The Four Queens Casino is where you can find it. The jackpot is worth $50,000, and you can play with up to five other people simultaneously. Be careful, though. Because the lever is so big, there have been reports of people getting hurt while pulling it, so be careful if you get to play.
BIG IRISH LUCK
Our last game is also at Barney’s Casino in Las Vegas, and it gives players the luck of the Irish. It has five of the biggest reels anyone has ever seen, along with shamrocks and four-leaf clovers. It’s a great example of a huge slot machine.
Conclusion
We are still determining if we’ll ever see anything like this again. Slots are the most popular online casino game, and everything has moved online. They are full of the newest technology and pay out larger amounts of money than we have ever seen. Augmented reality, virtual reality, and a little artificial intelligence will be the next big thing for the one-armed bandit. They will continue to grow in the online casino industry. The physical machine will likely die out, but the online version of the random number generator has many uses so the idea will live on.
Read more: Lucky Charms for Real-Money Gambling
Contact Us