How many concerts did Elvis play in Vegas? Why aren’t residents of Monaco allowed to play in their own casino, and what does all this have to do with chewing gum?
Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose – that’s how it is with gaming. But with these five facts, you’ll definitely be on the winning side.
The first slot wasn’t placed in a casino. The German-American mechanic and inventor Charles Fey wanted to entertain his customers while they waited for their cars in his workshop. His machine, the “Liberty Bell” – named after the famous American Liberty Bell – was a huge success at the time thanks to its game mechanics with three reels and a mechanical payout.
Source:
In 2003, a 25-year-old software engineer hit the jackpot at the Excalibur in Las Vegas, winning 39.7 million dollars – the largest payout ever made by a slot machine. He struck the jackpot on the Megabucks slot machine after playing for just a few minutes.
Source:
Elvis Presley performed over 800 concerts in Las Vegas. On 31 July 1969, he gave his first concert there, saving his career and at the same time changing the then-faded image of the desert city itself. The golden 1950s with Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra were long gone, and shady businessmen had taken control of the gambling metropolis. The performance on 31 July, in front of an audience of more than 2,000 people, became a huge success and helped shift Las Vegas’s image towards being more family-friendly.
Source:
The residents of Monaco are not allowed to gamble in the Monte Carlo Casino . In the mid-19th century, Princess Caroline introduced a law that is still in force today. Its purpose was to prevent the citizens of the principality from losing their money at the casino. Princess Caroline wanted the revenue to come from foreign guests.
This does nothing to diminish the allure of the picturesque Casino de Monte-Carlo. Here, the rich and famous come together to enjoy first-class gaming entertainment.
Source:
Slot machines originally dispensed chewing gum. This was due to strict gambling regulations, which prohibited gaming machines from being installed. Since the machines paid out chewing gum instead of money, they were classified as amusement machines and were therefore allowed to be operated.
Paul Gauselmann, too, didn’t start out with slot machines but with jukeboxes. Want to learn more? Then why not visit the German Vending Machine Museum .
Source:
Haven’t had enough of exciting facts about gaming yet?
Then check out our 5 facts about MERKUR !