Asking the question why people still play fruit slot machines in 2021 runs parallel to asking why anyone does anything. There’s no single answer, but simultaneously, there are countless answers.
Firstly, and perhaps most obviously, fruit machines still provide entertainment for many people. Maybe it’s a surprising fact in this digital age that so many people still turn to fruit machines for recreation when technological advances have taken us to the outer reaches of our solar system, and where seemingly anything can be accessed at the click of a button. With so much available, what’s the attraction of the humble fruit machine? Let’s take a look.
Familiarity and simplicity
Fruit machines are very simple to use. They haven’t changed that much since the Liberty Bell became the first ever fruit machine in 1887. When people are enjoying a relaxing drink in their local pub, the familiarity and simplicity of the fruit machine in the corner provides a tempting opportunity to win some money. Likewise, they’re one of the most popular draws in casinos too.
What’s more, you don’t need to bankrupt yourself to have a go. Just a few pounds in the slot and you’re off.
Providing entertainment for over 130 years
You can’t argue that they don’t have staying power. Since the Liberty Bell, fruit machines have stuck around in pubs and casinos since the 1880s. The fact that they haven’t changed too much indicates that they’re popular with every generation too.
It hasn’t always been plain sailing either. In the 1990s, fruit machines were in danger of being made extinct by the internet boom, and many people thought they couldn’t survive into the digital age. Fruit machines had the last laugh though. Online casinos are positively thriving and rising still.
The UKGC (UK Gambling Commission) revealed that £14.5 billion was spent on gaming in the UK in 2018, and 38% of that figure can be attributed to online gambling. The amount of money spent by British people in online casinos between October 2017 and September 2018 was £5.6 billion.
It seems that fruit machines will be around for a while yet.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Nostalgia aside, fruit machines remain popular today specifically because of technological advances – the very thing that was supposed to be their downfall.
Despite increasing levels of sophistication in the gaming design industry, astute developers have held onto what kept fruit machines popular for over a century: their simplicity.
Add into the mix the fact that you can play fruit machines remotely, on a mobile device from the comfort of your own home, and it’s easy to see why online casinos and remote casinos all have a bright future.
Simply by maintaining what has made fruit machines so popular for so long, and adding all the availability and convenience of modern technology, fruit machines still thrive online, having seamlessly made the transition into the digital age.
As for fruit machines in traditional casinos? As long as bricks and mortar casinos exist, there’ll be fruit machines inside, but only time will tell whether regular casinos in normal British towns can last the pace of the 21st century. If they can’t, it will be no fault of the fruit machine itself.
