History of Mills Slot Machines

Slot machines were originally used for automatic vending machines and as gambling devices. It was only in the 20th century that slot machines were restricted only for use as a gambling device.

The slot machines that Charles Fey invented were so successful, that he found it difficult to meet its product demand from his small shop. Taking this advantage, many larger gambling supply manufacturers had tried to buy the manufacturing and distribution rights of the slot machine. However Fey refused these offers.

In 1907, Charles Fey became partners with Herbert Stephen Mills, who was a Chicago manufacturer of machines used in arcades, began to produce a line of new slot machines; the first was the Mills Liberty Bell. In 1910, the Mills Company created the very first fruit-symbol machine, which it named the "Operator Bell." Early machines were made of cast iron; making them difficult to carry from casino to casino, so in 1915 the first wood-cabinet Slots were seen. The lighter material made it easier for Fey and the Mills firm to deliver the machines to various locations.

The Mills firm soon branched out and, using both mechanical and marketing genius, created more interesting Slot machines for intrigued players. In the 1930s, it worked on different designs for different machines, creating a whole range of "themed" Slots. These colorful, eye-catching, even slightly wacky machines attracted entirely new legions of players, and the 1930s and 1940s slot machine history witnessed a veritable slot machine boom throughout the United States. Back To Mills