Slot machines have long been one of the most beloved casino games – both online and in land-based casinos alike. But who invented these iconic devices that represent luck and fortune? Their invention is the product of engineering brilliance, mathematical expertise and psychological deceit in equal measures.

Sittman and Pitt of Brooklyn, New York created a predecessor to modern slot machines in 1891. Their machine featured five drums containing 50 card faces on five drums which allowed users to play poker-based slots for just a nickel per play – winning combinations on the reels could result in prizes like free beer or cigars depending on what appeared. Unfortunately, however, its non-direct payout mechanism made operation cumbersome.

Fey grew up as the youngest of 15 older siblings in a large household and was forced to start working early to help support his family. An exceptional mechanical mind, Fey designed and created various instruments before eventually moving to San Francisco and finding work at Electric Works where he started developing what would eventually change gambling forever – an early version of what would eventually become the slot machine that revolutionize gambling forever.

Fey found an ingenious way around San Francisco’s prohibition of gambling by creating machines that offered prizes other than cash – the fruit machine! He created machines which used symbols commonly associated with slots – such as bars, cherries, plums and oranges – instead of traditional card suits to provide chewing gum or sweets in specific flavors.

Early slot machines used mechanical reels that required a handle to spin, with electromechanical sensors introduced by Bally in 1963 through Money Honey – although other machines already exhibited basic elements of electromechanic design. Nowadays, slot machines use electronic sensors instead of mechanical ones and offer many combinations for users to choose from.

Computing advances have led to the creation of advanced slot machines capable of dispensing enormous sums if the correct combination of symbols appear on their reels. Their algorithms combine engineering expertise, mathematics and psychology in order to ensure as realistic an experience as possible for players.

With today’s advanced technologies, it is impossible to fully recreate the original machine from the 1950s with identical technology. But its core principles remain the same – users insert coins or tokens into slots, pull levers or press buttons to activate reels; when activated they stop at random positions to reveal two to five symbols typically including stars, card suits, bars, numbers (including 7 as one favorite number) or pictures of fruits that could potentially form winning combinations that fall into cups or troughs that may hold any amount from one coin up to all available coins within.