The Liberty Bell and beyond: how slot machines learned to spin

Around 1895, Charles Fey built the Liberty Bell: three spinning reels, five symbols and an automatic payout. The fruit symbols came soon after — early machines paid out fruit-flavoured gum, and the BAR symbol began as a gum company's logo.

The 1960s brought electromechanical slots like Bally's Money Honey; in 1976 the first video slot appeared. The real change was the random number generator — in a modern slot the result is decided the instant you press the button.

Online slots added published RTP figures, volatility ratings and provably-fair systems. Every spin is independent, machines don't run 'hot' or 'cold', and a slot is entertainment with a price — set a budget and keep it fun.