Most people assume that after Charles Fey created the first slot machine in the last decade of the 1800s, the development of these machines followed a natural course in the United States. In fact, what many don’t know is that the modern slot machine was invented in Australia. In the 1950s, it was a company Down Under that pushed to produce machines with innovative new designs. Aristocrat Leisure’s first poker machine, the Clubman, changed the face of modern slot machines with the introduction of brand new features.
Before we look at how Aristocrat Leisure contributed to modern day pokies, we need to head back around 130 years. In the late 19th century, somewhere between 1887 and 1895, a Bavarian immigrant to the United States invented the first slot machine.
Features of Charles Augustus Fey’s Liberty Bell:
Australia started importing slot machines based on Fey’s model as early as the late 1890s. Although they were illegal in theory, they became an instant hit with players. For the next fifty or so years, Aussies couldn’t get enough of these US-supplied slot machines. The country soon became the world’s second largest slot machine market.
All this came to a head in 1951 when the US passed the Johnson Act of 1951. Suddenly, casino gambling was restricted to Nevada and the effect was felt immediately. Most of the major slot machine manufacturers saw their businesses collapse. The effects were felt in Australia where the supply of slot machines from the US had already experienced trouble keeping up with the demand. Less suppliers meant even less poker machines for Aussie players.
In the early 50s, Leonard Ainsworth, realized that the company his father had started in Sydney could take an entirely new direction. Until then, Ainsworth Consolidated Industries was producing large-scale floor model-type equipment. It dawned on Ainsworth, however that some of the machinery in use could easily be converted into the production of poker machines.
With such a high demand for pokies, exacerbated by the passing of the new laws in the United States, Ainsworth stepped in to save the day.
Leonard Ainsworth could easily have continued building slot machines based on the classic Liberty Bell. However, he was not content to use existing designs. As such, the modern slot machine was born thanks to the innovation and creativity of the Australian company. In 1956, Ainsworth launched its first poker machine. Known as the Clubman, this machine brought with it many industry firsts, including multiline and scatter payouts. It was succeeded a little while later by the Clubmaster machine.
Ainsworth’s timing couldn’t have been better. In 1956, with the launch of Clubman, New South Wales decided to legalize poker machines. Literally overnight, the Australian public lapped up Ainsworth’s new slot machines. The company grabbed a significant part of the NSW games market and then went on to supply most of Australia’s slot market.
Ainsworth went on to conquer the world market. In 1960, only four short years after its first slot machine went live, the company entered the European market.
In 1963, the words ‘Money Honey’ would change the world of pokies forever. This was the name of the first fully electronic slot machine brought out by Bally. Money Honey took the world by storm, bringing the first ever bottomless hopper to slot machines.
Ainsworth soon latched on to this idea, releasing their own electronic slot entitled ‘Moon Money’ in 1965. Tis was lapped up by the Aussie market and soon, Ainsworth began churning out electronic machines like clockwork.
Another game changer in this line was the first ever video pokie to be created; Fortune Coin. Created by Fortune Coin co. this video slot was released in 1976. However, it wasn’t until 1980 that the first video slots made their ways to the shores of Australia. Keeping up with the times, Ainsworth again proved its excellence in innovation with the release of its DACOM 5000 system in 1982. This system allowed electronic accounting and player tracking.
Even in recent years, the Australian company has continued to bring new and innovative features to the slots market. In 1996, after going public on the Australian stock exchange, it officially changed its name to Aristocrat Leisure Ltd.
Aristocrat innovations in the 90s include:
Throughout the years, Aussies have developed a taste for various pokie machines. We will take a look at the top three choices for you and what spoils each holds:
The King Of The Nile pokie was released by Australian gaming legend, Aristocrat Gaming. This pokie offers you 5 reels and 20 paylines. There are a total of 8 bonus features to enjoy in this riveting game, including wilds and free spins.
The minimum bet is $0.02 per line. The maximum wager you can make is 120 credits per line. Furthermore, this game is only available through the Aristocrat Xcite slot machine range. As the name suggests, the theme of this pokie is featured around ancient Egypt.
The More Chilli pokie is also produced by Aristocrat Gaming. This game brings you the opportunity to win up to $4000 in its bonus round, and can be played both online and in land based casinos.
The minimum wager amount is $2,00 with the max being $65. The game is centred around the rich and vibrant Mexican culture. This is not a progressive jackpot game.
Rainbow Riches is a leprechaun themed pokie with the luck of the Irish in tow! You will be able to enjoy 5 reels, 10 paylines and a total of 18 winning combinations. The maximum winnings you can land per line is 25, 000.
This incredible game can be found in most Aussie casinos and comes to you from creators, Barcrest. Be sure to try it out for yourself and who knows? You could finally land that pot of gold you’ve been hoping to for so long!
for you.There is no doubt that some of the biggest changes seen in the slot machine market originated from Australia, with Ainsworth (now Aristocrat) playing a huge part in it all. The tendency is to believe that the modern day slot machine resulted from simple changes made to Charles Fey’s original invention. The truth is that innovation and Ainsworth’s desire for new slot machine designs led to the birth of the modern day slot machine.
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