According to some possibly accurate new poll making the rounds, Nevada’s favorite fruit is apples. Um, shocker: That’s every state’s No. 1 fruit. In Nevada, of course, apples are joined on the favorites list by cherries, watermelons, lemons, and plums — persistent symbols on slot machines.
Why fruit on slots? A cynic might assume it’s because they’re upbeat and nonthreatening — who doesn’t love 🍎🍒🍋🍉? — and thus help distract players from their ongoing losses. That was certainly my assumption.
But the more widely accepted explanation is that the symbols are holdovers from the early era of slots, the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To wit:
“The first fruit machine was called a Trade Stimulator and it awarded prizes in the form of gum, candy, and other noncash items. These machines were favored by stores and saloons, and they were popular in areas that outlawed true gambling machines. The modern vending machine is a direct descendant of Trade Stimulators.”
The fruits lined up on the slot determined the flavor of gum the machine would dispense.
The foregoing no doubt explains why Nevada’s No. 2 fruit in the new poll isn’t widely represented on slots — mangoes weren’t as easy to come by in the olden days.
- Related: Does new technology make gambling too easy? [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]
