Slots: History and Popular Culture

Even people who have never stepped foot in a casino will know about the classics. They have been used in popular culture for years, from James Bond movies to Beyoncé’s recent Texas Hold ’em song. 

Slot machines are the exception, however, with the games themselves being based on elements of popular culture. 

The Humble Beginnings of Slot Machines

It all started in the late 1800s. Back then, people weren’t tapping interactive screens or pushing buttons — they would yank on heavy metal levers that felt more like clunky industrial machinery. 

The first slot machine ever made was called the Liberty Bell, which was invented by Charles Fey way back in 1894. It had three spinning reels and five basic symbols: horseshoes, spades, diamonds, hearts, and, of course, the Liberty Bell itself. 

The game was simple – drop a coin in, pull the heavy lever, and hope for that satisfying clunk of coins hitting the tray if you lined up the right symbols. It was a humble beginning, but over the next century, it would become an icon of the gambling world.

Electronic Slot Machines & RNG Revolution

Things stayed pretty much the same until 1963, when Bally Manufacturing shook up the industry with the first electromechanical slot machine. Called Money Honey, it replaced the purely mechanical slots with electrical components that made the reels spin. All of a sudden, slots weren’t just mechanical boxes — they lit up, made noise, and felt more alive. It added a new layer of excitement that players hadn’t seen before.

The Video Slot Era

The real game-changer came in the late ’70s with the rise of video slots and the introduction of the first Random Number Generators (RNGs) — the technology that still powers online casino games today. These computer algorithms made sure every spin was completely random and fair. RNGs changed the game — literally. Suddenly, every spin could lead to unbelievable combinations, massive jackpots, and new bonus features.

RNG Changed the Game

By the early 2000s, slot machines had jumped from casino floors to online screens. Using all the inventions that came before it, from the early reels stamped with symbols, to the RNG algorithms that offered seemingly endless capabilities, people no longer need to dress up and head to the nearest casino.

Online Slots Today

Online slots in 2025 are a whole different beast compared to the old days. They’re slick, fast, and packed with features that make them feel more like full-blown video games than simple spin-and-win machines. They have cool animated graphics, funny characters, soundtracks, and even basic storylines like those seen in the Age of the Gods or the Reactoonz series, which can be found on PokerStars. And because pretty much everything can be done online now, people can play online slots anywhere their phone can get an internet connection. 

Pop Culture Games & Modern TV Show Slots

Somewhere along the way, slot machines became pop culture sponges. Developers realised that they could make slots even more fun by letting people play games themed around their favourite entertainment media. Maybe Elvis will bring the energy of ‘Viva Las Vegas’, or Bond lend a cool-headed mindset, or maybe even Walter White’s refusal to give up (without them ‘Breaking Bad’, of course). 

Slots and pop culture now feed into each other — what used to be just a casino staple is now part of the entertainment ecosystem. Popular culture might have offshoots of a franchise, but slots will always be the original ‘spin-off’.