Mechanical coin-operated gaming devices, popularly known as slot machines, have incorporated rotatable drums or circular reels having thereon a plurality of indicia or designs, often in the form of a tape having the designs printed on it and secured to the surface of the reels. The reels are rotated by pulling a handle, and certain combinations of the designs which become aligned horizontally in a viewing window, indicate winning or losing combinations. Such an apparatus is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,380. More recently, the mechanical machines are becoming replaced by electronically operated machines using a video monitor having a video screen on which the indicia or designs are displayed. Such designs are in the form of two dimensional images displayed on the video screen in response to random or programmed signals in the electronic device. Although these newer electronic machines are superior to the older mechnical devices, requiring substantially less maintenance, since there is little mechanical breakdown, customers or users of the apparatus often find the mechanical devices more appealing and desirable to operate.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds