Interesting facts from the casino world constantly attract the attention of new visitors to land-based and virtual gambling establishments. It is not about any secrets of the professionals, but rather about unusual things that have happened and are happening in the world of gambling.
The first thing we would like to highlight is that every year the number of women playing virtual slots is increasing. Such interest among female players raises a lot of questions because the world has not yet been able to completely overcome the principle of gender inequality in some areas of human life.
Not to mention the fact that the total number of players in online casinos around the world is growing very quickly. But the theory of the accelerated growth of virtual club visitors is incredibly easy to explain. One of the main reasons is that most online casinos, for example, https://slotozen.club/ allow novices to play for free in a demo mode. And who is ready to give up a free and enjoyable pastime in the gaming club? There are many other interesting and informative stories from the field of gambling, which we will share below.
History of slots
Slots history reminds us that it all starts small. The first slot machine was created back in 1891 and was based on the classic poker game. The machine contained 5 drums holding 50 card faces in total. To start playing, it was necessary to insert a coin and wait for the winning combination of cards. But the prizes were far from the cash equivalent. Such slot machines were mostly placed in bars, so players were offered drinks or cigars as rewards for winning.
The next stage in the development of slots was the creation of the ‘one-armed bandits’. The father of these devices was the legendary Charles Fey. His first creation was in 1894, and his improved work was introduced the following year.
The first automated slot machine with a real payout was also created by Charles Fey, but already in 1898. The invention was called “Liberty Bell”. The machine contained 3 spinning reels with five symbols such as diamonds, hearts, horseshoes, spades, and a Liberty Bell. Three bells in a row provided the biggest payoff (ten nickels) to the player. After a while, gambling was forbidden, but Fey received orders for a long time to make slot machines individually.
The image of fruit among slot machine symbols has long been traditional. However, the history of their appearance on the screens of slot machines is quite interesting. At the end of the 19th century, the United States banned all kinds of gambling. At that time, instead of slot machines, “fruit machines” appeared on the streets of American cities, which gave out winnings in gums and candies with fruit flavours. If a combination of cherry images appeared on the screen, the player would receive a cherry gum. This also worked with other fruit and berry symbols.
In 1931, the gambling ban was lifted, and slot machines started to give cash winnings. But the traditional fruit symbols have become an integral part of casino games.
The first electromechanical slot was already manufactured in 1964 and was named “Money Honey”. The familiar video slots came much later, in 1995, when the world was presented with the first online casino that focused on virtual slot machines.
The record for most casinos in a day
The Freeman family set the record for most visits to casinos in a 24-hour period. Father and son were able to physically visit 69 casinos in Las Vegas in less than 20 hours and place a single wager. The relatives played blackjack and bet no more than $5 at each establishment. Perhaps the father and son could have increased the number of gambling clubs visited, but since they were choosing blackjack venues, they had to limit themselves to those clubs that could offer the game. The men’s total winnings were no more than $30. That said, they lost more than $300. Despite the fact that the Freemen had no strategy for the game, they managed to set a record and enter the Guinness Book of World Records.
Las Vegas owes its popularity to nuclear bombs
Most people associate Las Vegas with an incredible amount of casinos and flashy entertainment. However, this was not always the case. In the middle of the 20th century, the relatively young city of Las Vegas had a few gambling houses, and the visitors were predominantly locals.
In 1951, the U.S. Department of Energy began conducting nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site, 100 kilometres away from Las Vegas. By 1963, more than 1,000 warheads had exploded there. At the time, there was no detailed information about the harms of radiation, so the explosions became a popular attraction. People came to see the spectacle in Las Vegas, and that is what made it popular.
Brochures and calendars with test dates and a list of casinos where you could watch the explosions were distributed to tourists. Also, themed parties began to be held in Vegas establishments and “atomic cocktails” were offered to guests in casino bars. One casino even held a ‘Miss Nuclear Energy’ beauty pageant, where girls dressed as nuclear mushrooms competed to win.
Casino in prison
In Carson City, Nevada, there was a casino known as Silver City from 1932 to 1967. Inmates were able to participate in games such as craps, blackjack and poker, as well as betting on sporting events. The casino was authorised and controlled by the prison administration.
Organising such a casino in prison was part of Nevada’s strategy to attract tourists and appeal to the casino industry. It was the time of the Great Depression, and the state was short of funds to maintain prisons and provide facilities for prisoners. The Silver City Casino helped to raise additional funds for the state’s prison system.
However, the prison casino was closed in 1967. Some sources claim that the reason for the closure was that gambling was considered “degradation for prisoners” and was not consistent with the rehabilitation and punishment goals of the prison. There were also concerns that the casino was contributing to crime and disruption within the prison.
It should be noted that the casino at Carson City Prison was a unique phenomenon and not typical for prison systems in the US or elsewhere. It was the result of the special circumstances and strategy of the state of Nevada at the time.
The first casino licence was obtained by a woman
Contrary to the stereotype that in the early days of casinos, only wealthy men owned gambling establishments, the first licence to open a casino was obtained by a woman. Mamie Stoker opened the Southern Club in September 1920, as her husband Harold was a railway worker and didn’t want his name on such papers.
Despite this, both he and their three sons worked for the Southern Club from the start. At the time, gambling was illegal, so the Stockers only offered their customers five legal activities – stadium poker, draw poker, lowball poker, bridge and “500.”
A casino player can get himself blocked
Unfortunately, some players become overly addicted to gambling. Given that this can lead to serious addiction and other unpleasant consequences, many casinos, both physical and online, have the option of self-restriction or self-limitation. It is for those players who recognise a gambling problem and wish to limit or terminate their casino activities altogether.
The process of self-limiting may vary from casino to casino or jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but usually, players are asked to choose a specific period of time for which they wish to block their access. This period can range from a few days to several years. In some cases, players may request an indefinite self-restriction.
Once a player has requested self-restriction, the casino takes measures to prevent them from gambling for the specified period. For example, in a physical casino, a player may be blacklisted and provided with a photograph or description so that security guards can recognise him and prevent him from entering the establishment. In the case of an online casino, the player’s account is blocked, and he is denied access to the games.
“Clean hands” for croupiers
Every casino is sure to install a lot of cameras and keep video surveillance of everything that goes on at all times. And casino croupiers have an obligatory gesture called “clean hands”. They show an open hand to the camera to prevent cheating – hiding cards or stealing chips.
Dealers are required to show “clean hands” quite often during the working process – when they approach or leave the table, when they touch someone else’s hand, when they pass something to each other or the players, and in other cases when it’s theoretically possible to hide something.
