In 1899, Charles Fey of San Francisco devised the Liberty Bell, the forerunner of modern slot machines. The coin-operated, one-armed bandit, as they became known, had a basic design of three spinning wheels marked with symbols. In 1905, the Mills Novelty Company of Chicago stole a machine and copied the design and, soon afterward, other companies began producing similar products. Chewing gum was incorporated into the earliest version, so that they could be classified as vending machines .The gave was rise to the fruit symbols on the reels, indicating the flavors of the gum and hence the name " fruit machine". The symbol of a bell on the reels derives from the original Liberty Bell machine. Slot machines spread rapidly across the U.S until the 1950s, when federal legislation restricted their use.

Slot machines were originally introduced as an amusement for the wives and girlfriends of high- rolling gamblers, but by the 1980s slot machines were as popular as table games, and by the 1990s the

Before the establishment of casinos, gambling games were conducted on the street, in homes, or in private clubs. (The word " casino " comes from the Italian casa, which means house). The amount that could be won was limited to the funds of the individual players. By the 17th century, however, gambling had become formalized, with special venues that offered

One of the oldest casinos in Europe, at Baden Baden in Germany, was opened in 1748 by Edouard Benazet , who employed Parisian craftsman to design the stylish rooms . Despite several closures in its history, the Baden Baden casinos still operates today. The casino at Spa, a Belgian resort town noted for its mineral baths, was built by the Prince Bishop of the province of Liege in 1763.

In 1857, Prince Charles III of Monaco decided to introduce gambling to his Mediterranean principality to boost its finances. Under the auspices of art lover Francois Blanc and his son, Camille, no expense was spared on the belle époque building which was created by a number of architects, among them Charles Garnier, designer of the Paris Opera House.

In the early 20th century, Monte Carlo Casino quickly became a fashionable destination for the rich and famous of the day, including the director of Ballet Russe in Paris, Sergei Diaghalev, Britains King Edward VII, and the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso.