First Slot Machine Symbol
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Introduction to Why Slot Machines Say Bar
Why do slot machines say bar on their reels? Well, to understand why this tradition came to be, we’ll have to delve into slot machine history. First of all, these gambling devices weren’t always called slot machines. Slot machines were originally referred to as a one-armed bandit, then later in Great Britain as a fruit machine.
A slot machine gambling device is activated by pulling a handle or pushing a button. This can only be done after coins, tokens, cash, or casino credits has been entered. Consequently, reels with symbols begin to spin. When done spinning, the symbols shown lined up along pay lines are used to determine the payout, if any.
Reel symbols are often traditional, including stars, bars, numbers, and various pictured fruits. Fruits can include cherries, plums, oranges, lemons, and watermelons. The number seven is also very popular. And, finally, then there are bar reel symbols.
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Bar Reel Symbols
Fruit reel symbols were first used in slot machine by the Industry Novelty Company in 1909. This was quickly followed the next year by Mills Novelty Company of Chicago, recently inherited by Herbert Stephen Mills. But, with a slight addition.
Mills added the photograph of a chewing gum pack along with the fruit reel symbols. Soon after, these photographs of a chewing gum pack were replaced with a stylized bar symbol.
Slot machines have a very rich history. Within gaming device circles of the time, it was well known that Charles Augustus Fey of San Francisco refused to sell or lease the design of his first coin-operated slot machine, the Liberty Bell, which he invented around 1887.
So, how did Mills get the design from Fey? There are two theories. First, that Fey cooperated with Mills to spread the use of slot machines. After all, Fey is known as the “Father of Slots” both for his invention of the coin-operated device as well as popularizing its use.
The second theory is Mills somehow “obtained” a Liberty Bell as a result of a San Francisco saloon robbery in 1905. Less than a year later, Mills produced a new version of the Liberty Bell called either the Mills Liberty Bell or Operator Bell.
During my review of the history of early slot machines, there are also suggestions the bar symbol may have another origin story. It is generally accepted that the bar symbol is a stylized image of a chewing gum pack, as well as a company logo.
According to some historical sources, however, the company having that logo may have been the Bell-Gum Fruit company.
A Bit More History
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As mentioned, slot machines have a very rich history, especially in their early days. Besides Why Do Slot Machines Say Bar, there are a few other interesting historical items of interest.
In 1916, another historic slot machine innovation created by the Mills Novelty Company was the jackpot. When a specific combination of reel symbols resulted from a bet, the slot machine would empty its coin hopper of all coins as a prize.
The Mills Novelty would later go on to produce slot machines with wooden cabinets, rather than the original cast iron construction materials.
Photos of early slot machines are online at Cyprus Casino Consultant, Casino Observer, the International Arcade Museum, and elsewhere. I especially enjoy photos of antique slot machines in my copy of Slot Machines: A Pictorial History of the First 100 Years by Marshall Fey, grandson of “the Father of Slot Machines” Charles Fey.
The Cyprus Casino Consultant website shows 4 slot machines on a waist-high counter top. They appear to have wood cabinets and are each perhaps 30 inches high by 18 inches wide. In metric, that’s about 76 centimeters by 46 centimeters.
Each slot machine is of the one-armed bandit variety, meaning they appear to are activated by first inserting a coin and then pulling a large lever on the right side of the machine. Each of these models appears to accept coins at the top, as well as dispense coins for winners at the bottom.
The Casino Observer website also shows 4 slot machines. Two of these machines are some of the first slot machines, from about 1890, while two others are more modern, ~1940s. The two older slot machines receive coins, but only the poker machine appears to not be able to dispense coins. This poker machine has typical card suits as reel symbols and a cast metal-type cabinet.
It appears to be missing its one-armed bandit lever, perhaps due to damage, or it never had a lever. One older slot machine with coin dispenser capability is clearly identified as a “Liberty Bell”. It rests on cast feet located on each corner. The reel symbols show three Liberty Bells, but its “pay table” shows card suits – not fruit or bars.
The International Arcade Museum website shows a single slot machine. It’s a very old slot machine showing the symbol of the Liberty Bell on its front next to three reels showing Liberty Bell, bar, and fruit reel symbols. Gta online casino heist silent and sneaky best entrance.
This is probably a “Liberty Bell” by Charles Fey, but must be a slightly later version due to it having obvious fruit and bar reel symbols. It also has a cast metal-type cabinet and the distinctive “feet” of a Liberty Bell. It also has a small tray for coins, suggesting it has automatic payouts.
Charles Fey manufactured about 100 Liberty Bell slot machines for distribution in and around San Francisco. However, there are few of them remaining in existence. The scarcity of Fey’s Liberty Bell is a direct result of a natural disaster occurring shortly after their manufacture: the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
Summary of Why Slot Machines Say Bar
Starting in 1907, Bell Fruit Gum slot machines were manufactured by Industry Novelty Co. They were followed by the Mills Novelty Company in 1910.
The reels on these slot machines included cherry, melon, orange, apple, and bar symbols with non-cash payouts in the form of fruit-flavored gum, allowing machine owners to avoid prosecution under the anti-gambling laws of that time.
The cherry and bar symbols became traditional to slot machines, and are still commonly used today. The bar symbol was a company logo, originally a photo of a chewing gum pack before being stylized as a bar.
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By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC
Slots are the most popular of all casino games. Whether you play online or in a land-based casino, there are tons of exciting games to choose from. If you enjoy playing slots, have you ever wondered just how slot machines came into existence? Probably not, yet they have a rich history, with the first slot dating back over a hundred years!
Throughout the decades, advances in technology have lead to an evolution of the games. In this article, I’ll take you through the journey of slot machines, from their origins to the exciting games we know today.
Sittman and Pitt – The Predecessor of the Slot Machine
In 1891, the New York based company Sittman and Pitt developed a card machine, which many consider to be a precursor to the first true slot machine. The machine was based on poker, using 50 card faces. The 10 of spades and the jack of hearts were typically removed from the deck, reducing the chances of a royal flush, increasing the house edge. The machine had 5 drums and it cost a nickel for a spin. Players would pull a lever to spin the drums and wins were awarded for lining up various poker hands. The game became hugely popular and could be found in many bars throughout the city. The Sittman and Pitt machine had no direct payout mechanism, and as such, prizes were determined by the establishment where the game was played. Typically prizes included free beers or cigars depending on the winning hand.
Liberty Bell – The First Real Slot Machine
Around 1895, the first true slot machine was created by Charles Fey, a car mechanic from San Francisco. Fey simplified the layout of the machine, reducing it to just 3 drums. The real breakthrough with Fey’s design was the possibility of automatic payouts for winning symbol combinations. The many cards of the Sittman and Pitt machine were replaced with just 5 symbols; diamonds, hearts, spades, horseshoes and a liberty bell. This made it easier to identify wins and make the automatic payouts. A combination of 3 cracked liberty bells provided the highest payout, and consequently gave the slot machine its name.
Operators Bell – The Birth of the Fruit Machine
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Demand for Fey’s slot machine was huge and as such, another developer entered the market with his own take on the popular gaming machine. Herbert Mills, a Chicago based manufacturer released his first slot machine, called the Operators Bell in 1907. This machine saw the introduction of fruit symbols, such as watermelons and cherries, which are still commonly found in classic slot machines. Owing to prohibition and gambling laws, slot machines could no longer pay out cash prizes. As such, many would pay out chewing gumballs and candies, typically relating to the winning fruit symbols. It was during this time that the BAR symbol was also introduced to the reels, which was the logo of the Bell-Fruit gum company.
Money Honey – The First Electromechanical Slot Machine
Slot machines remained popular throughout the years, with many manufacturers creating machines which could be found in bars, tobacconists and casinos. Yet the next major development in the evolution of slot machines can be pinpointed to 1963. It was then that the gaming machine manufacturer Bally released the first fully electromechanical slot machine. The Money Honey had an innovative new feature, a bottomless hopper. This enabled automatic payouts of up to 500 coins. This new type of slot machine did not need a lever to play, and as new electromechanical slots were created, the familiar lever was replaced with buttons.
Fortune Coin – The First Video Slot is Launched
In 1976, the first true video slot was released. It was created by the California based manufacturer, Fortune Coin Co. In a distinct change to the traditional set-up, a modified 19-inch Sony television screen was used for the display and logic boards were used for all the slot machine functions. The Fortune Coin was mounted in a full-sized slot machine cabinet and trialled at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel. The Nevada State Gambling Commission insisted upon numerous modifications of the original game to prevent cheating. It was then rolled out across the infamous Las Vegas strip where it gained huge popularity. In 1978, IGT acquired the Fortune Coin company and its video slot technology.
Online Slots – The New Way to Play
In the mid 1990’s, the boom of the internet led to the launch of the first online casinos. This led to a significant advancement in terms of slot machines. Very soon, slots dominated the game selection at online casinos and became the most popular choice for casino players. Nowadays, you can choose from hundreds of online slot machines. They boast a diverse range of themes and cutting-edge graphical and sound quality. Progressive jackpot slots pool together wagers on selected games across all casinos, providing the potential for life-changing prizes. Technological advancements mean there are many imaginative bonus rounds and innovative features as well as unusual and unconventional configurations. You can see some of the most popular innovative online slots below.
Reel Rush – Up to 3125 Ways to WinNetEnt’s Reel Rush provides up to 3125 ways to win, thanks to its unconventional gameplay, which unlocks more paylines with each consecutive line win you achieve.
Gonzo’s Quest – Cascading SymbolsThe innovative Avalanche feature in Gonzo’s Quest sees symbols fall into place on the reels. Winning symbols explode and new ones cascade down for a chance of more wins.
Bubble CrazeThis unique IGT slot has the feel of an arcade game. Bubble Craze has no reels, rows or paylines. Simply match coloured bubbles to win and pocket payouts.
Jack Hammer – Sticky WinsEach symbol spins independently in the Jack Hammer slot. The Sticky Win feature locks any winning symbols in place whilst the other reels re-spin, for a shot at bigger wins.
Siberian Storm – Unconventional LayoutIGT’s Siberian Storm slot has an unusual configuration, with differing numbers of rows across its 5 reels, producing a hexagonal shaped layout and MultiWay Xtra wins.
Mobile Slots – Gaming on the Go
Given the ever-increasing popularity of mobile gaming, producers of casino games have invested significantly in the development of mobile friendly slots in recent years. Many popular online slots have been optimised for mobile play, for an intuitive and engaging playing experience on the smaller display of a mobile phone or smartphone. By developing slots using HTML5 technology, mobile slots have a responsive design and are compatible with most modern devices running on iOS or Android operating systems. New slots are regularly released by game developers, with the majority simultaneously released for both mobile and desktop gaming.