When I hear the term “Riversweeps Machines,” my eyes tend to glaze over as I recall the opulent, fashionable themes of the casinos in Las Vegas. It’s like getting into another world with the selection being yours as there are numerous now.
First – a touch of history. [1] Charles Fey of San Francisco, CA, is credited with the invention of the coin machine. It’s believed that his first envision of the machine was in 1895, but it had been not until 1897 he produced his first prototype. It’s only three reels and that they displayed a mixture of 5 symbols – horseshoes, diamonds, spades, hearts and a Liberty Bell and therefore the payout decided by which symbols were revealed during a row on the machine. The “Liberty Bell” because it was called was enormously popular and therefore copied by a variety of manufacturers.
This new sort of entertainment was given a variety of creative names. It had been mentioned as a “riversweeps machine” in America, a “fruit machine” in Britain, “the slots” in English Canada, and “pokies” in English Australia and New Zealand. The “One-Armed Bandit” was a well-liked phrase also used since the originals machines operated by pulling a lever on the side of the machine and really often relieved the hapless get-rich-quick player of all of his hard-earned money.
By 1908 many cigar stores, saloons, brothels, and barber stores had installed them for his or her customer’s entertainment.
Fast forward to the 1980s. Like most technology, the inner workings of the riversweeps machine became a computer virus, and when embellished with all of the bells and whistles, the fashionable machine took shape. Those machines that were found out with around 10,000 possible winning and losing combinations changed and increased to over 16 million possibilities.
The video riversweeps machine changed the industry again when it dispensed with moving parts (reels) in favor of graphics. Essentially – the video coin machine was a video game. Now the sky was the limit on how the sport was presented; the quantity of interaction between player and machine and bonus bear games were incorporated into the experience.
Those who built the machines and therefore the entrepreneurs who installed riversweeps machines in their establishments quickly discovered the worth of the “near miss” and the machines were programmed to draw attention to the near misses as a sign the large “win” would be forthcoming. Researcher Luke Clark explains the attraction of the “near miss” in Discovery Magazine. [2]
Researcher Luke Clark within the above-mentioned article states: “Gambling has essentially hijacked the natural reward system…. and he adds that it isn’t only gambling addicts who need to worry about being tricked by their own brains. “Importantly, our volunteers during this study weren’t regular or problem gamblers, then these findings suggest that the brain may naturally answer near misses during this way”.
Here’s the thing…if you enjoy riversweeps machines only for the entertainment value, try the fun and games online at places. It’s always an honest laugh, and one can enjoy a rainy afternoon or, if you’re a Canadian and sleep in the good White North, pass the time when it’s -30 with a nasty wind blowing. I say this because that’s how I got started. It’s great fun.