High Rollers

By Adel Awwad

In the early days of slot machines, the alias they went by was “One Armed Bandit”. This moniker was put on these early machines since there was a lever on the side of each machine that the player pulled to play the wager that had been deposited. The wheels in the machine whirled and if the player was lucky, three cherries line up or some other payoff and the winnings were dropped in a tray at the base of the machine. The actual date of the first slot is about 1891. The five-wheel machine displayed possible poker hands elements and if they lined up the player collected from the machine owner. This antique was built by a New York firm called Pitt and Sittman. The next slot was the Fey machine built by Charles Fey. The Liberty Bell as his machine was called was a monstrosity of cast iron, which weighed in at over 100 lbs. This was a true slot as the player deposited coins and if the pull produced a winner, paid the huge sum of fifty cents. The wheels in this machine had stars, horseshoes and playing card suits like spades or hearts. The Liberty Bell Saloon in Reno, owned by grandchildren of Fey, has the first Liberty Bell on display.