Charles Fey invented the first slot machine in 1895. Then in 1907, with the help of Mills Novelty Company the manufacturer of the “Mills Liberty Bell”, he was able to improve his invention. The Liberty Bell featured a cast iron case with cast iron feet with toes. Later, the toes were replaced with ornately decorated feet. Initially the machine’s reel strips displayed playing cards – the king, queen, and jack. A bell rang when you hit a winning combination. But all that changed. Today there is a certain form of a ringing indicator on the hit of a jackpot.
In 1910, the Mills Novelty Company modified the Liberty Bell, naming it the Operator Bell. The cast iron slots were heavy, weighing over 100 pounds and more than 30,000 machines were made. It had a gooseneck coin entry and had famous fruit symbols which are very popular even today.
This “Liberty Bell” forms the basis to all modern American slot machines. Its original design continues to be used in most mechanical gaming devices today. The simple mechanical devices with three old-style reels holding 20 symbols have advanced to microprocessor-controlled devices with up to five spinning reels holding hundreds of symbols.
In 1915 Mills replaced the cast iron machines with less expensive wood cabinets with attractive colors and designs. In the early 1930s, the Mills Novelty Company revolutionized the industry by making several changes to its line of slot machines. The machines now were much quieter and thus acquired the name “Silent Bell”. Then a double jackpot was introduced assuring players that he could win quickly and twice over. In 1931, the first such machine was called the Lion Head, then later versions were known as the War Eagle and the Roman Head, and in 1933, it was the Castle Front.