New Rockford Transcript - Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

One-Armed Bandit

by Alyssa Boge

September 22, 2021 — The slot machine was invented in the late 1800s by Charles Fey, called the "Liberty Bell" for its iconic symbol of the cracked bell. Pulling a lever caused three reels to spin, the lever giving rise to the machine's nickname of the "One-Armed-Bandit."

Efforts to outlaw the machines grew and efforts to outsmart such laws followed. In order t...