| | Slots past and present, a reflection of society | | | 00:05 AM Sunday November 2nd 2008 | | | | | Remember the hay days of the slots? The one-armed bandit with its happy tinkling of coins and wizzamagoos? Once upon a time, when you entered the casino you would see people feeding coins into the slots and pulling the lever in the hope of a win. Casino assistants used to wander about with coin belts, dispensing change in paper coils in exchange for your money.
Slots were invented in 1895, of the original slots with mechanical reels, there is only one left and it is on display in Reno. Bugsy Siegel, the famous mobster, had slots installed in the Flamingo in Las Vegas. This was ostensibly to keep wives and girlfriends busy while the gamblers are playing at the more profitable table games. Of course very soon it turned out that the slots are actually much more profitable because unlike the table games at which a gambler might actually win due to his skill, slots require luck and chance.
Today very few slots operate with coins, they only take $20 bills or even $100 bills. Handles have been replaced by push buttons. The tinkling of coins has been replaced by techno music and worst of all the casino lady has disappeared. She has been replaced by teller machines. Casinos have become hi-tech and slots have followed suit. Our society too has become very mechanical, human interaction happens at distances via technology, maybe it is time to turn back the clock and reintroduce humanity.
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