Anything associated with gambling is often controversial, whether it is a sport like horse racing or casino games like free spins no deposit slots, controversy is never far away. Video slots have always proved problematic because they are linked with issues such as gambling addiction and very high staking. They are also a fast form of gambling at it is easy to lose a lot of money in a short space of time.
These games are a lot of fun to play despite all this, and this is what makes them extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. New laws are constantly being introduced to try to curb developing problems that keep arising and if Virtual Reality slots become the next big thing, then even bigger problems will need to be addressed. Therefore, controversy and video slot gaming look set to be partners for the foreseeable future.
The History of Slots
It is not just the modern online video slot that is surrounded by controversy, throughout history slots have hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. When they were first created, they were considered a marvel of engineering.
The very first slot machine was developed by San Francisco-based mechanic Charles Fey. He developed the first coin-operated slot machine in 1894. It was so successful that he quit his job to concentrate on inventing more slots such as the Card Bell and the Liberty Bell.
The Liberty Bell was the most successful of all his creations and he went on to build 100 of them. Unfortunately, only 4 survived the great earthquake of 1906. Fey did not copyright his idea and competitors took his design as the basis to invent their machines. This caused a flood of slots to hit San Francisco.
Gambling Bans and Slots
This eventually led to there being over 3000 slot machines in the city and inevitably the authorities acted by slapping an outright ban on all gambling in San Francisco. This situation was controversial enough, but the next move by slot inventors only added fuel to the flames.
To circumvent the ban, slot machines were altered to resemble family-friendly sweet and gum dispensing vending machines. Gone were all symbols associated with gambling such as playing card faces and in their place were brightly coloured fruits that usually resembled the flavours of the sweets and gum that were dispensed.
The Mills Novelty Company added a chewing gum pack symbol to the reels, and this is where the Bar symbol came from.
The Birth of Fruit Machines
Once the outright gambling ban was lifted, the fruit symbols remained on the reels as part of gambling games, and this gave birth to the Fruit Machine. This was highly controversial then and it still is now.
Because these so-called child-friendly symbols have become a major element of slots and it is feared that these brightly coloured fruits can still attract children to gambling sites today. Even if this is the case, fruits are will continue to be part of the controversial past and present of slots.
Final Thoughts
The history of gambling is highly controversial, and it comes as no surprise to find slots embroiled in the controversy as well. All the focus today is on slots because they are the most popular form of gambling out there and if this continues to be the case, then new controversies will soon arise.
