The Operator Bell & Silent Bell

In 1891, two men in Brooklyn named Sittman and Pitt developed what would form the basis of all the slot machines to ever come in the future. Harnessing the popularity of the game of poker, which had become a rage at that time, these machines gained skyrocketing fame in the city of New York and soon snatched the top spot in the gaming industry. However, the aspect that set these machines apart from modern-day machines was that you were never paid out in money—so the winner would usually be offered some drinks or cigarettes. The odds of winning were tempered by removing certain cards from the deck. Not only this, but the arrangement of the drums could also be changed depending on the owner's choice.

The Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell (Mills Liberty Bell) had the symbol of the Liberty Bell cast in iron on its front. Scrolled feet, which were embellished, substituted the earlier used iron toes. Apart from featuring the bell that would ring if a player achieved a winning combination, there were the Jack, Queen, and King playing cards denoted on the reels of the machine. Apart from just facing his usual losses in profit, Charles Fey’s utter devastation came when an earthquake shattered his factory where slot machines were produced. As Herbert Mills’ company continued to produce slot machines, Fey died in 1944 after his image became obscure.

The Operator Bell

Slot machines were almost everywhere by 1910. The Liberty Bell underwent many modifications and changes, most introduced by the Mills Novelty Company. The hugely famous Operator Bell was one such example. The company’s influence spread to Europe, with as many as 5 models of slot machines based on the Liberty Bell in their product list. 30,000 gambling machines had been sold by the First World War.

The year 1919 brought bad news for the gambling industry with the implementation of the Prohibition Act by the American government, which banned the supplying and consuming of alcohol. Slot machines were now in speakeasies, moved from the bars.

A New Era Begins

Gambling was legalized in 1978 in Atlantic City, and Bally had gained major control over the market. Bally hired a computer programmer to enhance jackpot values without causing losses to the company. This programmer, Inge Telnaus, revolutionized the gambling industry by introducing the random number generator—which spewed random numbers corresponding to the arrangement of symbols on the reels.