Talk:Slot machine

Contents

1 History 2 Slot clubs 3 Follow up on history 4 Gaming Machines

History

I expect we might discover that slot machines predate Las Vegas (by a hundred years or so) one day. But, hey!, that might be hoping for a slightly less Americanocentric viewpoint than prevails in these here parts... user:sjc

I'm puzzled as to why the previous author, "sjc", felt compelled to remark about "these parts" being "Americanocentric", without having a source or some other basis on which to claim that slot machines were invented in another country. Sjc, if you have a reference to back up your "expectation" of slot machines being invented in another country, I look forward to reading all about it. Also the article (and numerous other sources) makes no mention of Las Vegas being the origin of slot machines. The article states that San Francisco is where they first became popular. (It's also misleading to speculate about an alternative origin for slot machines other than Las Vegas, when the article states otherwise in the introductory paragraph, and also given that Las Vegas was little more than a water stop in the desert in the late 1800s.)

All of the articles I have read on the history of slot machines state that the first slot machine was indeed called the "Liberty Bell", and later, the "Mills Liberty Bell".

A few moments of googling will yield thousands of online references documenting the Charles Fey/late 1880s/San Francisco origins of slot machines.

The most authoritative and detailed reference concerning the history of slot machines, that I am aware of, is from UNLV (University of Nevada Las Vegas):

http://gaming.unlv.edu/research/subject/slot_history.html

Here are three other references, picked at random from Google - they all agree on the overall history (with various details omitted):

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blslotmachines.htm

http://www.acbutch.com/ACbutch-art-slot-history.html

http://www.slotsmachinesonline.com/history_of_slot_machines.html

There are also books published on this subject, such as:

LEMON, CHERRIES AND BELLFRUITGUM 352 page book, Dick Bueschel, 1995. "A full color history of slot machines from 1885-1995".

SLOT MACHINES: A PICTORIAL HISTORY of the FIRST 100 YEARS, 5th Edition with PRICE GUIDE "This publication by Marshall Fey is one of the best selling books on coin-op machines (over 30,000 copies sold) and is a collectors favorite. National History Award. Covers Slots, and Trade Stimulators from their inception up to todays casino machines, 667 photos, 412 in full color, hb, 256 pg".

Sjc's remarks about an "Americanocentric viewpoint" and some mysterious slot machines "predating Las Vegas by a hundred years or so" are unsubstantiated conjecture and misleading, respectively.

Sjc, if you have some political axe to grind against the historical record of this American invention, please at least find a better example than picking on a Bavarian immigrant who came to America to set up shop and create his inventions. Sources please. I would be eager to read all about it, to help dispel the "Americanocentric" bias you claim lingers "in these here parts".

Thanks. DV 03:56, 29 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Slot clubs

Are slot clubs offered by gaming establishments outside of the United States? I added a subsection to the "United States slot machines" section that describes these clubs, as they are a significant part of gaming in the United States, especially for frequent slot players. DV 05:26, 29 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Follow up on history

This article has now been substantially modified since my original comments were made nearly two years ago. If you look at the article which then existed by going to the history, you will probably immediately discern why I made those comments, and they probably need no more explanation than that. Sjc 09:50, 2 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Thanks for the clarification Sjc. Your original comment didn't have a timestamp, so I didn't realize how much time had elapsed, nor how different the article was when you made your original comment. I'm sorry that I attributed your comment to the later article.

If you do ever find info about slot machines that predate Las Vegas by a hundred years or so, please let me know, as my wife and I enjoy this subject. Thanks for stopping by. --DV 10:06, 2 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I am not even sure timestamps with the four tildes were available when I wrote it :) Sjc 04:37, 3 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Included some extra information regarding UK Stlye machines. [kensplace]

Gaming Machines

The official term for these machines in Australia is 'Gaming Machines'. The term 'pokies' or 'poker machines' is pure local slang.

I'm not sure of the position of other countries but a quick google on 'Gaming Machines' will reveal that the term is at least used in Australia, UK and USA.