History Alive
COIN-OPS , LLC
B eginning about 1890 , coin-operated gambling machines appeared in saloons , hotel lobbies , cigar stores and gambling establishments all across America . Hundreds of small companies built thousands of machines . Some were poker machines in which rewards for winning hands were paid in cigars by the establishment . Others followed the lead of Charles Fey ’ s 1899 Liberty Bell ( example at rght ), the model on which subsequent machines with three spinning reels were based . These different styles of machines had only one idea in mind — to capture a customer ’ s money one nickel at a time . At the time , they were called “ nickel-in-the-slot machines .” Eventually , it was shortened to the term still used today .
Everything changed in 1910 with the introduction of a heavy , cast-iron table model machine featuring three graphic reels that were engineered to stop , one right after the other . This remarkable device had a cast iron handle to activate the spin , and automatically paid out to winning combinations of fruit symbols .
Slot-machine players today always appreciate novelty , and the history of the slot machine is a subject to which they are drawn easily . For this reason , collector Ira Warren has made his remarkable stock of antique slot machines and amusement devices available to casinos .
Tapping into Warren ’ s collection can lead to a unique and intriguing attraction for any casino , whether they be placed in an entryway , as accents around a casino floor , or in a special exhibit room that would provide a new revenue stream from admission charges .
Among the machines available for display right now are :
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1 . A cast-iron , table-model poker machine on a swivel base ( circa 1893 )
2 . A flip-card-style poker machine ( small metal cards were arranged in deck configurations which “ flipped ” on a spool ) forged in cast iron ( circa 1897 )
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3 . A large wood-cabinet , table-model poker machine ( circa 1897 )
4 . A cast-iron floor model poker machine ( circa 1905 )
Other models are displayed on the advertisement featured on the back cover of this magazine .
For more information , contact Ira Warren , president , Coin-Ops , LLC , at coinop99 @ aol . com .
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58 CASINO DESIGN 2015