Slot machines have captured our imagination for over a century, providing entertainment with their flashing lights, energizing sound effects, and the possibility of hitting a jackpot. An essential part of these beloved games is the iconic symbols lined up on the reels. But what is the history and deeper meaning behind these classic slot icons?
Fruit Symbols Reflect Slot Machines’ Candy-Dispensing Past
The most familiar slot symbols are brightly colored fruit images like cherries, lemons, oranges, plums, melons, and grapes. These connect today’s digital slots on such sites as Stake online to their mechanical ancestors from the late 19th century.
Back then, rather than paying out money, slots functioned more like vending machines. Inserting a nickel would get you some flavored chewing gum – fruit symbols told players which flavor they’d get if matching symbols lined up. Symbols would also indicate the quantity of gum won. As slots evolved into gambling devices, fruit remained as legacy icons reminding players of these games’ peculiar origins in selling candy.
| Symbol | Meaning in Historic Fruit Machines |
| Cherries | Cherry-flavored gum |
| Lemons | Lemon-flavored gum |
| Oranges | Orange-flavored gum |
| Plums | Plum-flavored gum |
| Melons | Fruit salad flavor gum |
| Grapes | Grapes-flavored gum |
So next time you see classic fruit symbols spin through modern video slots, keep in mind these pieces of edible nostalgia that date back well over 125 years!
Lucky 7s: Slots’ Most Enduring Icon
No symbol better captures the mystique of slot machines than the Lucky 7. Since the early 20th century, getting three 7s lined up has delivered slot games’ biggest jackpots.
But why are 7s slot machines’ most beloved icons? Significant aspects of numerology explain 7’s magic appeal:
- In religion and folklore, 7 represents a perfect or holy number. This divine nature transfers a special aura to 7s appearing on slots.
- As a prime number, 7 can only be divided by itself, heightening its sense of uniqueness.
- The number 7 recurs through key concepts like 7 days of biblical creation, 7 deadly sins – so it resonates deeply through culture.
Because slot machine reels initially had 10 stops, getting 7s lined up had the highest difficulty and longest odds. This rarity made them extra special psychologically to players and cemented 7s as slots’ premier symbol.
While other iconic symbols like fruits and bells evolved in meaning over generations, 7s retain their mystique across old mechanical slots, 3-reel classics, and modern 5-reel video games. Spinning 7-7-7 remains slots’ definitive jackpot thrill!
Bars & Stars Mirror Slot Machines Military Past
Another ubiquitous slot icon since machines debuted in the late 1800s are simple BAR symbols. Just as fruit symbols reflected slots’ early days dispensing candy, BARs connected to slots’ origins in saloons and military bases.
Back in slots’ frontier days, many games were located in taverns frequented by those in military service. BAR symbols actually came from machines’ “bar” label that tracked a bar’s payout rate. These BAR symbols let players know that matching them would return the bar’s highest payout.
Connecting back to slots’ patriotic patronage, red, white, and blue “Stars and Stripes” symbols also became high-paying icons. So next time you enjoy modern slot spins, remember that those innocent-looking BAR and stars symbols represent over a century of gaming history, from frontier saloons to military bases!
Bells & Horseshoes for Good Luck
Alongside 7s, fruit, and bars, slot machine pioneers also included lucky symbols on those early mechanical reels. Icons like bells and horseshoes have universally signified good fortune for ages, so their presence on slot reels aimed to transmit this luck to players.
In medieval times, horseshoes were thought to ward off evil spirits and bring protection. This led commoners and nobles alike to mount them in homes, while travelers also prized horseshoes for blessing their journeys. By the Renaissance, the horseshoe’s luck powers were firmly established in popular culture, retaining this meaning into the gambling era where horseshoes adorned slot machines.
Similarly, bells have signaled momentous news for centuries, from church bells heralding celebrations to bells marking livestock returning home safely. With loud, attention-grabbing tones announcing life’s highlights, bells grew into natural good luck charms. Their upbeat shape and positive associations made bells a perfect symbol to boost slots players’ spirits!
Of course, slot symbols like horseshoes and bells also deliver practical advantages too. Their simple shapes and small size made them easy to mass produce on early mechanical reels. But paired with their legendary luck properties, horseshoes and bells became indelibly etched into slots history.
So whether you play traditional 3-reel slots or modern video games, watch for those lucky horseshoes and bells to chime in some old-fashioned slot machine magic!
Diamonds & Jewels Sparkle with Riches
Beyond classic icons we’ve covered, even early slot machine makers recognized players also hoped these games brought financial fortune. So alongside symbols based on flavor, patriotism and luck, they also included diamonds and sparkling gems.
As slot games matured into gambling devices instead of candy dispensers, diamonds and jewels gave players tantalizing glimpses into a wealthy lifestyle slots might deliver. Their dazzling aesthetics suggested games’ potential to radically transform players’ lives via hefty jackpots.
And because genuine precious stones like diamonds and rubies remained exclusive to wealthy nobles until modern times, seeing these elite jewels accessible through humble slot machines proved doubly appealing. They symbolized erasing class barriers separating the common laborer from aristocratic riches.
As decades passed and slot games evolved technologically, newer symbols like gold bars, dollar signs, and luxury cars further aligned spinning reels with financial freedom. But the original diamonds and gemstones sparked this lasting connection between slot machine play and life-changing wealth. Their radiance still captures the imaginations of players today hoping slots deliver that elusive breakout win!
Cassia Rowley is the mastermind behind advertising at The Bad Pod. She blends creativity with strategy to make sure ads on our site do more than just show up—they spark interest and make connections. Cassia turns simple ad placements into engaging experiences that mesh seamlessly with our content, truly capturing the attention of our audience.