Before the widespread popularity of slots gambling, there was actually a precursor to the modern slots machine developed by Sittman and Pitt out of Brooklyn, New York. This early form of the slots machine was released in 1891, and featured five drums that held a total of 50 card faces. The machine was partly based on poker and proved quite popular with the first gamblers that tried them out. It wasn’t long before many of the bars and saloons in the city had one and sometimes even more of these machines on the premises.
Game play involved the player inserting a nickel and pulling the lever, which would set the drums in motion. The player would then hope for a good poker hand to result. Since there was no direct payout mechanism with these proto slots machines, players could win anything from a free beer to cigars or other drinks, depending on what that particular establishment offered. In addition, cards were often removed from the deck and the drums in these slots machines were sometimes re-arranged in order to reduce players’ chances of winning.
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