SLOT MACHINES – TODAY’S WONDER

A row of "Wheel of Fortune" slot mac... 

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Fast-forward one-hundred twenty-five years from the gun-slinging American Old West and the glittering “Iron Case” slot machines and enter 2011 jaw-dropping theme casino.

Once again, (and maybe we never stopped)…..  We are still awed by this little machine.  We cannot seem to get to them fast enough.  We jet, we drive, and we hustle onto crowded buses.  Note that we are no longer carrying our coin bags, but a wallet full of regular bills, ready to feed our fun.

Little blue-haired, burly men and excited Baby Boomers fight for seats in the casino during crowded time periods.  There is no certain demographic that populates the Slot Arena.

Listening to the bells, whistles, shouts, and clamor, we can barely recognize the jazzy video wonders that have evolved, yet they provide the same thrill.

Now we go deeper into our fantasy as we collect extra “spins”, whoop at our jackpot of “credits” and enter the “bonus world”.  Video bonuses take you into a game, exclusive to the type of slot machine you are playing.  Certain spins land you in this coveted zone, and the fun really starts here.  So do the credits, as they rack up with each choice you make during your bonus round.

We sit in a comfortable chair, feeding in our Player’s Reward Card, and our money, dreaming of Megamillions and the sleek red car spinning on the top of our slot machines.

The Penny Slot is no longer the Penny Slot – Right now it has taken over in the casino to become one of the most popular machines.  It is, of course, electronic, and allows you to play MANY more “lines” than quarter or dollar machines without going broke.  What will the next decade bring us in slots?  Stay tuned…