Ever wonder why cherries, lemons, and bars dominate slot reels even in modern video games? It’s not random design choice. The symbols staring back at you trace back to the late 1800s, evolving from chewing gum flavors and poker hands into the digital icons we see today. Understanding the history of these symbols isn't just trivia—it explains why we still shout 'Jackpot!' and why a Bell symbol pays more than a Plum.
The story starts in 1895 with a San Francisco mechanic named Charles Fey. Before his invention, gambling machines were complex, multi-reel contraptions based on poker hands, requiring a payout attendant because they couldn't automate cash prizes. Fey simplified the mechanism down to three reels and five symbols: Diamonds, Spades, Hearts, Horseshoes, and the Liberty Bell.
The Liberty Bell symbol became the star of the show. Landing three of them netted the top prize of 50 cents—ten nickels. This machine, the Liberty Bell, set the standard for everything that followed. But there’s a catch: the Diamond, Spade, Heart, and Liberty Bell were symbols of chance. The fruit symbols we associate with 'one-armed bandits' today were actually born from a legal loophole.
In the early 20th century, anti-gambling laws swept across the United States. To skirt these restrictions, manufacturers like Herbert Mills rebranded their machines as 'trade stimulators' or gum dispensers. The Mills Novelty Company released the 'Operator Bell' in 1907, which dispensed fruit-flavored chewing gum. The symbols changed to represent the flavors: Cherries, Lemons, Oranges, and Plums. The 'Bar' symbol actually represented a stick of gum. This history lesson matters because it explains the genetic makeup of every classic slot you play online right now.
Before Fey streamlined the reels, the earliest gambling machines in the 1890s used actual playing cards. Sittman and Pitt of Brooklyn developed a gambling machine in 1891 that was a direct precursor to the modern slot. It had five drums holding a total of 50 card faces.
Players would insert a nickel and pull a lever to spin the drums, hoping for a good poker hand. Because there were literally thousands of possible winning combinations (and no direct payout mechanism), prizes were usually drinks or cigars at the bar where the machine sat. This is why many classic slots still use Royal Flush or simple high-card rankings as high-paying symbols—they are paying homage to the machine's poker ancestry. While the specific card faces aren't the 'oldest' purely slot-specific symbols, they are the ancestors of the genre.
If you walk into a casino in Atlantic City or load up a game like Starburst or Break Da Bank, you’ll see the number 7 and the Bell everywhere. The '7' became synonymous with gambling luck and the ultimate payout. It wasn't on Fey's original Liberty Bell machine, but it appeared shortly after on the 'High Hand' poker machines and eventually took over as the symbol of the jackpot.
The Bell, however, is the true original. It is arguably the oldest specific slot machine symbol designed solely for gambling payout purposes. Modern game developers keep these symbols alive because they trigger instant nostalgia and player recognition. A red '7' or a cracked Liberty Bell requires zero explanation—players intuitively know these are the ones to chase. In the US market, where land-based casino culture is deeply ingrained, these symbols bridge the gap between the casino floor and online lobbies at sites like DraftKings Casino or BetMGM.
Fast forward to the digital age, and the symbols have split into two distinct categories: classics and thematic icons. Classic slots (often called 'fruit machines' in the UK or simply '3-reelers' in the US) stubbornly stick to the tradition. You will find Bars, Bells, and Fruit on titles like Triple Diamond or Blazing 7s. These games appeal to purists who want a fast-paced, high-variance experience without complex bonus rounds.
On the other hand, video slots have exploded the symbol library. You’ll find expanding wilds, scatter pays, and multipliers represented by thematic items—anything from ancient Egyptian artifacts in Cleopatra to space gems. However, even these modern marvels rely on the mathematical principles established by those early mechanical symbols. A 'Scatter' symbol is functionally just a modern evolution of the 'Bell'—a symbol that triggers a special event regardless of paylines. While the visuals have changed, the psychology remains the same: distinct shapes that trigger a dopamine rush when they align.
| Symbol | Origin Era | Original Meaning/Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty Bell | 1895 | Top Jackpot (50 cents) |
| Horseshoe | 1895 | Good Luck / High Payout |
| Cherry | 1907 | Cherry-flavored Gum |
| Lemon & Orange | 1907 | Citrus-flavored Gum |
| Bar | 1907 | Stick of Chewing Gum |
| Red 7 | Early 1900s | Jackpot / Maximum Win |