[ Home ]

[ Slots News ]

All Slots the Same, Regardless of Name

What do a “one-armed bandit”, a “fruit machine,” and a “pokey” have in common? They are all nicknames for slot machines! If you are in a casino (either online or land-based) playing a gambling device that features three or more reels that spin when a mechanical lever is pulled or a button is pushed, you are probably playing a slot game. Slots are often the star features of casinos, accounting for the most floor space and largest amounts of money raked in. Slots are also perennially popular diversions, because they require no talent to play and provide a repetitive, consistent form of entertainment.

Brits call slot machines “fruit games” for a simple reason. The earliest slot games featured symbols of fruit on the reels, which one would endeavor to match up in order to score a payout. Slots with fruit motifs are still among the most popular at land casinos and online slot machine sites alike.

In Australia, “pokey” is short for “poker machine,” or slot machine. Aussie slot games started out like games of poker, with players hoping to match up winning combination of reels featuring the same symbols found on playing cards. Many online slots still feature these classic kinds of slot titles, which require that you match up suits or colors to win a jackpot.

The nickname “one-armed bandit” is also pretty obvious. Nowadays, most slot machines have players press a button to start the reels spinning, but still feature the old-fashioned “arm” that was pulled. Slots have the potential to leave a player positively penniless, hence the “bandit” moniker.

Back to September 2008 Archive.