A man named Charles Fey developed the first commercially successful slot machine in his San Francisco machine shop around 1896. Made of cast iron with three internal reels, a slot for taking in coins and an external lever for activating the machine, it quickly became a staple of saloons, gambling houses and even many retail stores (where patrons would trade their winnings for goods from the store – hence the term "trade goods").

Today, no casino would be complete without the gleaming rows of the one-armed bandits. Slot Machines have expanded from the original design to today's multiple offerings – multi-line slots, video slots, and poker slots have become the new favorites, making the Slot Machine one of the most popular casino games today.