Slots and Fruits: Why Fruit in Your Slots
I bet you have always asked yourself the above question, but you were probably too busy to bother finding the answer. Well, for your comfort, know that you are not alone. It’s more of a question that a lot of people ask themselves. We all know that fruit is something that doctors recommend we eat on a daily basis and when you are in a country like Uganda that is filled with so much fruit, your options are endless. Well, if it’s good for your health, having it in your favorite slot will probably make you love it more.
Slots are a completely different breed when it comes to casino games. They add a lot of flavor and color to the scene and are part of the reason why casinos are always so bright and colorful. It’s not that other casino games aren’t interesting, but games like poker and blackjack always seem to be very formal and serious. With slots, you can expect things like loud noise, lots of bingeing and pinging, soundtracks, and of course, the excitement every time a win is made. They are truly a casino game that can be enjoyed playing and watching.
Why fruit?
To understand why you find fruit symbols like mangoes, cherries, bananas, oranges, melons, and pears, among others, in your slots game, we need to travel back to their history. So let’s dig a little into the history of slot machines.
The first slot machine is attributed to Charles Fey of San Francisco, who in 1899 invented the Liberty Bell, a three-reel, coin-pay slot machine. The reels of the machine were made up of six symbols; a horseshoe, space, star, diamond heart and a cracked liberty bell. From that moment and for 75 years, and despite various inventions, the slot machine remained basically the same, with the same mechanism and symbolism.
It wasn’t until the 1900s that Charles Fey partnered with the Mills Novelty Company with the goal of increasing production and that’s when the slot machine began to evolve. It was at this time that the fruit symbols were introduced to replace the previous images on the machine. The symbol change and new vitality of the machine worked so well for many players that at one point it was no longer called a slot but a fruit machine.
When gambling was banned in the 20th century, slot machines were converted to vending machines, offering things like gum and mints. In other words, any winnings would not generate money for the players, since the machines dispensed gum of various flavors. It is also noteworthy that all bets would lead to winning, thus turning the machines into automatic vending machines.
In 1931, gambling was finally legalized in Nevada, and slot machines were introduced to casinos to occupy the wives of the more serious gamblers. However, due to its beautiful images, the machines quickly became popular and generated good income for casino houses. In the 1960’s, slot machines were a favorite in many casino houses and with the advancement of technology that allowed for flashing lights and alluring or enticing noises, slots quickly became a firm favorite. Despite other inventions being made, the fruit seemed to stick and it is not surprising that many manufacturers eventually gave up the search for other slot symbols and instead concentrated on including more reels where more fruit could be accommodated.
slots today
Today the image of slots hasn’t changed, only the way they are played. They’re not as mechanical anymore as they used to be when you had to pull a handle to activate them. Now they are more electric and it is enough to press a button to activate the game.
The internet has also made it possible for you to play online slots and online images have taken slot machines to another level. The vibrancy and availability of a variety of fruit symbols ensures that players will never have a dull moment. Although there are slot games that contain symbols like TV stars and other popular culture, these still can’t beat the traditional classic fruit slots that remain popular even today.