Mills Liberty Bell

With video slots now on the rise along with multiple paylines and bonus rounds, a wide array of fun choices are now available and people can keep finding new favorites each time. While modern favorites like Microgaming's Big Kahuna shine, the roots trace back to classics like the Mills Liberty Bell slot machine.

Some Historical Facts

• The very first slot machine was a 1895 invention by Charles Fey.
• Demand for it grew quickly, so Fey partnered with Mills Novelty Company. By 1907, the famous Liberty Bell of Mills was released. The machine had a cast iron case and a cast of the liberty bell. Originally, it even had cast iron feet, later changed to feet with beautiful scrolls.
• On the three reels, there were classic card symbols (clubs, hearts, spades, and diamonds). A jackpot triggered a ringing bell sound, a feature now revived in modern slots!
• Mills Novelty introduced an improved version in 1910: Operator Bells, featuring fruit symbols and gooseneck coin slots. The classic Liberty Bell and successors weighed at least 100 pounds, with over 30,000 made.
• By 1915, Mills made machines in wooden cabinets, with improvements continuing.
• Noisy mechanics led to quieter Silent Bells by 1930, with innovative payouts like double jackpots. Early 1930s brought themed cabinets: War Eagle, Lion Head, Castle Front, Roman Head. Goosenecks were dropped; coins visible in rows for verification instead of slugs.
• Slot machines entered hotels after Bugsy Siegel installed some in his Las Vegas hotel in 1940, originally to entertain ladies.
• Slot revenue soon matched table games, overtaking them by 1990 to become casinos' primary revenue source.