My eyes glaze over when I hear “Slot Machines” as I remember Las Vegas casinos’ extravagant, trendy themes. It’s like entering another world with all the choices available to you.
First – some history. [1]
Charles Fey, San Francisco, CA, is the one who invented the slot machine. Although his initial vision of the machine was made in 1895, he did not produce his prototype until 1897. The machine has 3 reels. It displayed five symbols: horseshoes (diamonds), spades, hearts, and a Liberty Bell. The payout was determined based on which characters were shown in a row. It was incredibly popular and was copied by many manufacturers. There were many creative names given to this new form of entertainment. It was called a “slot machine” in America, a fruit machine in Britain, and “the slots” or “pokies” in English Australia, New Zealand, and English Canada. Since the original machines were operated by pulling levers on the sides of the machine, “One Armed Bandit,” a common phrase, was used. This relieved the poor get-rich-quick player often of all his hard-earned money.
Many cigar shops, saloons, and brothels had them installed by 1908 for customers’ entertainment.
Now, fast forward to the 1980s.
The slot machine’s inner workings became computer programs. Once these programs were enriched with all the bells and whistles, the modern machine was born. The original engines had 10,000 winning and losing combinations. This number has increased to 16 million.
The video slot machine revolutionized the industry when it stopped using moving parts (reels). The video slot machine was, in essence, a computer game. The possibilities were limitless when it came to how the game was presented. There was no limit to the interaction between the player, machine, and bonus spin-off games.
The developers of the machines and the entrepreneurs who installed the slot machines in their establishments quickly realized the value and importance of the “near miss.” The engines were programmed to draw attention and indicate the big “win.” Discovery Magazine’s Luke Clark describes the appeal of the “near miss.” [2]
Luke Clark, a researcher, stated that gambling has “essentially hijacked” the natural reward system ….. He also said that people who gamble are not the only ones who need to be concerned about their brains being tricked. Importantly, the study’s participants were not a problem or regular gamblers trusted online casino Singapore. These findings suggest that their brains may respond naturally to near misses in such a way.
There are safe alternatives [I mean safe choices with the stipulation one only plays on Pogo.com and no betting] that include computer gaming sites like Pogo.com, which have some of the most creative themes for their slot machine games. You can have hours of entertainment without ruining your lifestyle or life.
If you want entertainment,
Play games online at places like Pogo.com. It’s always a great laugh, and you can even enjoy it when it’s raining. This is how I started. It’s great.
