It was right at the end of the 1800s that a savvy Californian mechanical engineer turned entrepreneur first invented a gambling device that would change the entire face of global casino entertainment. In fact, it is a fallacy to say he invented it from scratch, but it was Charles D. Fey who made some crucial alterations that would end up being his famous Liberty Bell slot machine. Really, without this Californian’s work right at the beginning, the slot industry arguably wouldn’t exist, so we all owe him a hell of a lot of gratitude. By the early 1900s one could find slot machines in array of bars and saloons across the United States, however it wasn’t until the mid 20th Century that the craze could really kick off, mainly due to various legal issues.
In fact, slot machines were largely illegal across the world for at least the first few decades of their existence, something that led to their main homes in dodgy bars and saloons. However, the US government was quick to realise the money making potential that slot machines represented, and it wasn’t long after WWII that gambling was legalised once again. This was fantastic news for the few slot machine developers around at the time, and they very quickly ended up making a huge amount of money from their creations. Gamblers just couldn’t get enough of slot machines – the novel approach to gambling really capturing their imaginations. Fast forward several decades and online slots were just beginning to find their feet in the early 21st Century, as you can imagine this is a significant difference within the industry, because people could now gamble from the comfort of their own homes. There are so many reasons why Wizard Slots have become so popular over the last century or so, read ahead for 5 simple reasons.
Fairly simple ease of use
Over the last few hundred years there have been a fair few new gambling games invented and subsequently adored by millions of gamblers around the world, however pretty much all of these new games have one thing in common: they are generally all rather easy to learn how to play. Think about it: in the 19th Century we had the all conquering Roulette wheel, and the 20th Century belonged to slot machines wholeheartedly. Both of these games are a lot easier to pick up than something like Poker, for example, and this is a very simple reason as to why slots have got so popular.
Obviously there are a few essential things you have to know about slot machines before you play, but the vast majority of it is simply pulling a lever or pressing a button, and watching those reels spin in front of you. This ease of use is certainly one of the main reasons why Charles D. Fey’s Liberty Bell slot machine took off during the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. Not all gamblers are chin stroking card counters, in fact most of them just want an easy game to play.
Online slots and the practicality factor
Following from the simple ease of us with slot machines is the fact that, especially in the 21st Century – they are just so much more practical. Going back to Charles D. Fey’s time this is true, because for the first time the general public were able to gamble without any other human interaction being needed: you don’t need a dealer whilst playing slots after all. Forward-wind just over a century and the development of online slots has made the practicality factor skyrocket even further, and just you wait until we hit mobile slots.
This is another huge reason why slot gambling has become so popular over the last decade or so, because you can literally spin those reels from wherever you happen to find yourself.
In fact, most slot gamblers these days have never even sat down at a classic slot machine before, and why would they? The online slot world has got to an outrageous size these days, with well over a thousand games to choose from. You can even spin the reels from your mobile device these days – no wonder these gambling games are so popular!
The alluring promise of a big win
What is the number one reason why people gamble? To win as much money as possible of course! Whilst there are plenty of other reasons why people love gambling, you cannot really overlook this one, and luckily enough slot machines have proved to be delightfully good at paying out big over the years. Don’t believe us? Well, just consider the iconic Las Vegas Megabucks machines, a network of slot machines that regularly pay out well over a million dollars.
These Megabucks slots are progressive jackpot slot machines, meaning that the monetary prize increases after every losing spin of the reels. As you can imagine, this means that the prizes can get rather large indeed.
Online slot bonus features
Unfortunately physical slot machines had a fair few limitations, meaning that developers were restricted in doing some of the things they really wanted to do in the 20th Century. However, as soon as online slots became a viable alternative these developers have wasted absolutely no time in adding some tantalizing bonus features to their games that can really make all the difference.
For example, online slots such as Inspired Gaming’s classic Centurion feature various bonus features that end up playing out like the mini-games you would find in proper console games. Moreover, they are incredibly lucrative too!
A personal gambling activity
Slot gambling is one of the most personal gambling activities you can take part in, because you really don’t need anyone else to enjoy it other than yourself. For this reason it can take on a distinctly meditative quality, and many people use it in order to wind down these days. Yet another reason for slots and their outrageous popularity levels!
