In the late 19th century, the American people were introduced to a brand-new form of gambling. The year was 1891, and a company by the name of Sittman and Pitt developed the first ever slot machine. It held 50 different card faces, all based on poker, and five drums.
The machine’s introduction to a bar was a massive success. It often came with certain strings attached, such as free drinks, snacks, etc. It was precisely this success that prompted other businesses to imitate the practice.
Today, the slot machine remains hugely popular. It is the most popular and recognizable game in any casino. There is no gambling establishment in the world that does not feature at least a few dozen machines. Some of the most popular casinos will even feature hundreds, if not thousands of fruit machines.
And of course, in the 21st century, when information technology and computer science reign supreme, online slot machines have become hugely popular. In this article, we would like to go through the most popular slots around the world and share a little bit about their success.
Online Slots
In this first section, we will focus largely on online slots and their massive success. As we mentioned, these games can be played online on one of the numerous online gambling websites. They provide the same experience as their brick-and-mortar counterparts, with the added benefit that you can play them from your own home. One of the most famous examples of an online slot is the Rainbow Riches slot.
Rainbow Riches
For those who want to give it a go, you can play Rainbow Riches at Casumo. The slot is certainly one of the most popular slots and has produced a plethora of sequels as well as imitators. The game was developed by Barcrest, and first released in 2009. Ever since, it has remained one of the most popular and widely recognizable games.
The purple background, decorated with a lovely rainbow creates a fun mood, sure to satisfy any fan of slots, online or land based. And with an RTP of 95%, it is sure to appeal to both long-time players, and newcomers.
Book of Dead
Another hugely popular online slot is Play N Go’s Book of Dead. As the name suggests, the game takes heavy inspiration from Ancient Egyptian mythology, featuring the gods, goddesses, and art of the antique culture. The best part is its adjustable RTP, which means, just like Rainbow Riches, the game will appeal to newbies and seasoned veterans alike.
Land-based Slots
Now that we’ve looked at the online side of things, let us also give some examples of popular land-based slots. After all, it is these machines that started the whole fruit machine boom. And, looking at the numbers and statistics, there is no machine more popular than Megabucks.
Megabucks
First developed in the mid-1980s, this IGT-created slot machine was the first to feature a progressive jackpot. For those who may not know, a progressive jackpot is the kind of jackpot that grows in value the more the game is played. Once the jackpot is paid out, it resets to its original value, begins to grow again.
On top of it being the first, it is also the most generous. You see, Megabucks is responsible for some of the biggest jackpot wins in the history of the game. In fact, just three years after it was first released, Megabucks supposedly paid out a sum exceeding 20 million dollars. There are a ton of similar stories, but we will not be getting into them now. All that is left to say is, Megabucks certainly is one of the most popular slots in the world.
