Slot machines have captured our imagination for over a century, drawing us in with flashy lights, exciting sounds and the lure of a big payday. An iconic part of casino gaming, slot machines have developed their own unique visual language over the decades. One of the most distinctive parts of that language is the selection of symbols that spin around the reels.
Modern video slots may use more advanced graphics and media to connect to popular culture, but classic slot machine symbols have origins going back to the late 19th-century invention of slot machines themselves. These symbols—fruit, stars, bells, bars, sevens and gems—had significance long before they ever landed on a slot reel. Understanding where they come from gives additional layers of meaning to these icons of chance.
In the early days of slot machine development in the late 1800s by Charles Fey and others, prizes were not money, but rather chewing gum and other small treats. Plum, melon, orange, lemon, cherry and bar symbols represented the various flavors of gum that could be won.
Cherries in particular remain one of the most famous slot symbols, though its meaning has expanded. In addition to representing a fruit flavor, cherries now are “lucky” symbols that can trigger bonus rounds and special payouts. The enduring popularity of fruit symbols connects modern slot machine play on such sites as bCasino with its origins dispensing candy prizes rather than coins.
|
Fruit |
Meaning |
|
Cherry |
Most iconic symbol; represented cherry gum |
|
Melon |
Represented melon fruit/candy gum flavor |
|
Orange |
Mandarin orange fruit/citrus gum flavor |
|
Lemon |
Tangy lemon fruit candy |
|
Plum |
Sweet and tart plum fruit candy gum |
|
Grape |
Sweet grape bubblegum |
The red “7” symbol has become one of the classic slot symbols recognized around the world. The origin of that iconic lucky 7 comes from the card game blackjack. When slot machines began using playing card icons on reels, the seven was a key part of the jackpot payout for lining up 5 sevens on early 3-reel games. The lucky 7 remains integral to slots, especially in “7s Wild” games, where they substitute for other symbols. They usually come with big payout multipliers when appearing, say, 3x or 4x your normal win.
Over the years, lucky 7s have been incorporated into many slot variations like Sevens Wild, lots of Barcrest fruit machines and even in the popular online slot game “7 Oceans” at e-casinos. The next time you see a flashy red 7 appear on screen, you’ll now know it connects all the way back to the earliest slot machines adopting symbols from card games!
Before electronic slots, early 20th-century slot machines were completely mechanical. They required players to physically pull a lever and set reels in motion that gradually slowed to a stop. Gears and other moving parts were integral to the operation. When the reels lined up to make a winning combination, bells would ring to alert the player and bartender. Bells signaled someone won!
That experience remains encoded into the contemporary slot machine design. Today, players press a virtual “Spin” button, but winning combos are still accompanied by some kind of bell sound effect. This audio experience hearkens back to early machines, from the 1920 mechanical “Liberty Bell” through later electro-mechanical slots in the 1960s. Listening closely, one can still hear that legacy of physical gears and levers that once defined slot play.
Many classic slot symbols feature bars – single bars, double bars, triple bars – as well as stars. These symbols have their origins in early 20th-century slot machine manufacturer Herbert Mills. In 1907, he created the “Operator Bell” slot that could automatically pay out up to 50 gum or cigar prizes.
The Mills Novelty Company incorporated a “Mills” logo into many of their coin machines. That logo resembled a globe with stars set inside metal bands stretching horizontally. When adapted to slot machine reels, these symbols eventually turned into more abstract representations – plain stars and single/double bars. Even today, these visual connections to the Mills Novelty Company live on. Players keep spinning bars and stars on contemporary slot games, unaware of the subtle nod.
Part of what makes playing slot machines so enjoyable are the rich visual symbols that have been associated with slots for over 125 years. Fruit, stars, bars, bells, sevens – these classic icons have origins going all the way back to 19th-century trade stimulators and early 20th-century mechanical gambling devices.
Their longevity speaks to how slot developers understand the importance of visual continuity. While the technology keeps evolving, players still respond powerfully to these traditional symbols. Seeing them spin fuels nostalgia for older generations, while sparking curiosity about their history among younger demographics. If you love spinning online slot games, the next time you play, remember that what shows on the screen represents over a century’s worth of history!
