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7 Interesting Facts About Slot Machines

Slot machines have been entertaining players for decades. Aside from slots’ attention-grabbing music, bright and shiny symbols, and fun animations, they also don’t require expert skills, making them available to anyone, even those with no gambling experience.

If you’re curious and want to learn random facts about these trendy games, Konstantin Terekhin, an online casino expert, has listed them down for you. Feel free to check his other posts here.

Exciting Facts About Slot Games

Every country has its own legislation on gambling, so it’s important to know the laws your country follows to avoid unintentional mistakes that can lead to penalties.

In the United Kingdom, the primary legislation that governs gambling (gaming, betting, and participating in a lottery) is the Gambling Act 2005. A study concludes that 17% of the country’s population gamble online, proving Brits’ penchant for virtual gambling.

If you’re new to virtual gambling, online slot games are the easiest ones to try out first. Here are some fun facts that can get you more invested in slots:

1. The Fascinating History of Slot Machines

Sittman and Pitt developed the first slot machine in 1891 that closely resembled what we have today. The machine contained five printed drums, each with ten cards.

Gamblers have to insert coins and pull the reel. If the player won, they could get a free beer or cigarettes from the bar. The machine became extremely popular across New York, and it became the precursor to what Wilhelm Schultze created in 1893.

In 1894, a mechanic from San Francisco named Charles August Fey invented new features for Wilhelm’s machine and built the first coin-operated gambling machine with three reels. Each reel contained five symbols: a horseshoe, spade, diamond, heart, and a Liberty Bell.

Slots development in the modern-day brought us online video slot games. Slot providers offer online slots that allow players to play without the need to step outside their homes.

2. The Biggest-Ever Slot Jackpot Was $38.7 Million

A 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles won the biggest slot machine payout ever, at $38.7 million. After putting three $1 bills in a slot machine at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino, he won.

Other big jackpots on slot machines offered over the years include:

● $15,491,103.27 in Nevada

● $13.1 million at the Sunset Casino, Henderson

● $34.9 million at the Desert Inn

According to Rick Sorensen, spokesman for International Game Technology (a slot machine maker), the progressive Megabucks jackpot is generally paid out in instalments over 25 years. However, winners can negotiate other payout options.

3. They Are Called by Many Names

In the United Kingdom, slot machines are also called “fruit machines” because machines with fruit themes are the most popular for offline and online slots. In New Zealand and Australia, people call slots “pokies.”

Throughout their history, slot games were also named the “one-armed bandits” because, in some areas, unreliable people tricked people into losing money while gambling.

4. It’s A Game of Chance

There are many ways to win at slot games, but luck will always impact your winnings. Whether you play slots in physical machines or online, there’s no definite strategy to consistently win prizes.

This is because the bet is randomly selected using a computerised random number generator. Although, you can still incorporate a machine’s RTP (Return To Player) and know the slot machine’s payout percentag e to get better chances of winning slots.

5. They Work Even If No One Plays

Symbols on slot machines move even if no one presses the play button. The reason behind this is to ensure random and fair results. The random generator systems work nonstop to guarantee that no one can trick players when playing slots.

6. The Random Number Generators Determine Results

The first slot machines in history worked with the help of mechanical levers and reels. Today, online slots and other modern machines feature a random number generator.

Random number generators simulate arbitrary numbers to provide thousands of sequences every second. This will prevent third parties from interfering with the game. The latest number combination will determine players’ results when they press the spin button.

7. Pro Slot Gamers Exist

Although slot games are based on luck and are labelled games of chance, some professionals specialise in this area for a living. A great way to know how you can increase your chances of winning slots is to check out best online slots reviews to gain information from experts.

Conclusion

There are many reasons to play slots. Whether it’s for the opportunity to win big or to simply have fun, slots can always pique an individual’s interest. If you play slots, just make sure that you do so responsibly.

James Bond’s DB5 – the book that’s licensed to thrill

Daniel Craig and the Aston Martin DB5 in Skyfall

It’s fairly safe to say that this article requires no spoiler alert because all self-respecting Bond fans will have seen No Time to Die by now.

James Bond’s DB5 is the first official in-depth history of 007’s iconic Aston Martin and it was published to coincide with the late 2021 release of the 25th James Bond film, No Time To Die, which features the car prominently.

It’s the first time EON Productions, the makers of the James Bond films, have authorised a book about the DB5, which made its debut in 1964’s Goldfinger and went on to appear in another eight 007 films.

Sean Connery and his Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger

The book has been carefully researched in close collaboration with EON and Aston Martin and draws on both their archives. It includes storyboards, diagrams, design materials, and many rare and beautiful photographs that cover every detail of the car, from the over-riders to the exhaust.

There are also forewords by 007 star Daniel Craig, James Bond producer Michael G. Wilson, and Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman.

The book, which is packed with 320 photographs across 280 pages, covers the entire story, starting with the Bond producers’ initial letters to Aston Martin before detailing the modifications made to the car for the filming of Goldfinger, including EON’s original drawings and rare pictures of the cast and crew on location in Switzerland.

It goes on to explore the fascinating history of the DB5s that went out on tour and covers every subsequent appearance of the model in the Bond movies, including the inside story of how it was seemingly destroyed in Skyfall before returning in triumph for No Time To Die.

In short, this sumptuous coffee table book leaves no stone unturned. Who would have thought the executives at Aston Martin would have needed to be persuaded to loan out a car for the filming? Apparently they even thought it would cost them “more than it was worth” because they suspected that the car would be returned with scratches and dents.

The book is also packed with fascinating facts. For instance, the same DB5 (also bearing the identical BMT 216A number plate as 007’s car in Goldfinger) also appeared in a January 1964 episode of The Saint on ITV (starring the third James Bond, Roger Moore).

James Bond’s DB5 also chronicles in meticulous detail the lengths Production Designer Ken Adam went to in order to create the gadgets, including ejector seat, revolving number plates and machine guns built into the indicator lights, that would propel the car to superstar status.

Who knew the DB5’s retractable wheels blades that could shred tyres were inspired by the famous chariot race in the 1959 Ben-Hur Hollywood epic?

The car returned in the next film, Thunderball, while replica 007 DB5s set off on a world tour to promote the Bond movies. The spy would drive other vehicles, but the DB5 was always the definitive Bond car.

Pierce Brosnan and the Aston Martin DB5 in Goldeneye

After a 30-year absence, the DB5 returned to the screen in 1995’s Goldeneye and has gone on to feature in another five Bond movies, culminating in its appearance in No Time to Die.

It’s amazing to think that the most famous far in the world was only in production for less than two years (1963-5), just 887 were built and barely a handful were converted into Bond movie cars (for filming and publicity).

Which brings us back to the beginning because the book also details the DB5’s starring role in No Time to Die with exclusive behind-the-scenes photographs.

And if that wasn’t enough for Aston Martin fans, later in the film, Daniel Craig retrieves “his” old V8 from a lock-up – the car last seen in The Living Daylights (1987) with Timothy Dalton in the title role.

Dip in or read it from cover to cover, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed with James Bond’s DB5, which is published by Hero Collector Books (RRP £40).

Tow and Go – everything you need to know

Staycations are set to become more popular than ever in 2022, so Toyota has created these top tips for anyone planning to tow a caravan or trailer…

Is your vehicle legally permitted to tow? Your vehicle’s maximum towing capacity can be calculated by deducting the gross vehicle weight (found on the data sticker inside the door frame) from the weight of your caravan or trailer weight. As a guideline, if the weight of the caravan is up to 85 per cent of the kerb weight of the car, it can be towed easily. If it is between 85 and 100 per cent of the kerb weight, it’s recommended the driver has good experience of towing.

Are you legally qualified to tow? It is also vital to know whether you are qualified to tow. This depends on when you passed your driving test, the weight of your car and what you are towing. Find the current UK rules and restrictions here.

Is your trailer or caravan roadworthy? You should carry out regular checks on your caravan or trailer’s brakes, tyres and lights, just as you would check your car. This is particularly important as these vehicles often sit unused for long periods of time. It’s a good idea to make regular short journeys with your trailer to check everything is running smoothly, to prevent brakes from seizing and to ensure the weight of the towed vehicle isn’t placed on the same section of the tyres when parked up.

Nose weight The nose weight is the maximum vertical load that can be exerted on the tow bar by the attached trailer or caravan (it also applies to tow bar-mounted cycle carriers). You can use a nose weight gauge to check the figure for your caravan or trailer, available from most caravan dealers or online websites.

Routine It’s good practice to follow a set routine when hitching and unhitching a trailer or caravan, for example: attach tow bar, connect safety cable, connect electric cable, release trailer hand brake. This reduces the chances of you forgetting a step in the process.

Cable checks Before setting off, check the electric cable and ask another person to stand by the trailer to check the brake lights, indicators and hazard lights are all working properly. The breakaway safety cable should also be checked and re-checked, because in the event of the tow bar becoming unhitched, it will prevent the towed vehicle from potentially rolling and causing an accident.

Additional number plate It is a legal requirement to have a registration plate attached to your trailer that matches the one on the vehicle towing it.

Key documents It is important to know whether your breakdown cover includes any vehicles being towed. Keep the relevant documents to hand when making your journey.

Extended Door mirrors Towing anything behind your vehicle will increase rear-view blind spots. Using extended door mirrors can help improve visibility.

It is not all plain trailing Towing is not a simple driving skill, you need to be able to handle the extra weight and longer length involved, particularly when turning or reversing. If you are new to towing, or want to brush up your skills, seek advice and training from experts.

Just in case Carry spare water, feed and roughage in case of a breakdown or delays. Be careful if you load this in the front of the trailer that you don’t exceed the nose weight.

Keeping your horse safe When on a motorway or a major A road, don’t unload your horse unless the police or agencies have granted permission. If you’re towing trailers with live animals, such as horses, here are few tips from the British Horse Society (BHS).

Loading If you are travelling with one horse, load it on the right-hand side of the trailer; with two horses, the heavier one should be on the right.

Stay safe over the 12 days of Christmas

We’ve teamed up with road safety and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist to offer a selection of safer driving tips for the 12 days of Christmas.

The pressures of the festive season mean it’s often easy to let good habits slip, so now is an ideal time to remember the importance of staying safe on our holiday journeys.

Brushing up on these 12 sensible reminders for safer driving could make the difference between a wonderful Christmas and a not-so-happy ending….

1) Think ahead and book a taxi home. If you’re going to be out celebrating this Christmas, there is one simple rule to remember – drink OR drive. Don’t drive if you’re drinking, and don’t drink if you’re driving.

2) Always wear your seatbelt. Wearing your seatbelt, as a driver or passenger, is the single most effective way to save your life or reduce your injuries if you’re involved in a crash. So, no matter how far you’re driving, always belt up.

3) Keep excited children safe. It’s really important to ensure children are visible if they’re walking by dark roads. And if you’re all in the car, make sure everyone’s seatbelt (and restraint) are correctly fitted… even the older children who you would usually trust to do so themselves.

4) Driving home for Christmas? Plan your journeys in advance. Nobody wants to get caught out in traffic or bad weather, so a little advance planning goes a long way. If the weather’s bad, postpone a trip if possible. Listen to weather forecasts to avoid getting caught out by sudden changes in the conditions.

5) Slow down this Christmas. At this time of year, we often find ourselves rushing from one place to another. But when it comes to driving, rushing can do more harm than good. No one else can tell you how fast to drive – it’s your responsibility. So stay safe, give yourself plenty of time and space to stop if you need to.

6) Don’t drive tired. Think about how you’re feeling before you hit the road. Maybe you’ve been out celebrating or up until the early hours wrapping gifts – whatever the reason, if you’re tired then please don’t drive. Fatigued drivers take longer to react to hazards. Reduce festive fatigue by building in time for breaks on journeys. Also, share the driving if possible.

7) Taking medication? Be ready to stay out of the driving seat if you’re using medicines that could make you drowsy, as these can impair your ability to react to hazards. It’s worth noting that you don’t have to be on illegal drugs to be unfit to drive. Always check the label for warnings, and if unsure please arrange for somebody else to take the wheel.

8) Check your tyres before setting off. Every safety system on your car depends on your tyres working effectively in an emergency. Well-maintained tyres can save your life, so take no risks and check them before you set off, particularly on long journeys.

9) Steer away from e-scooter gifts. They may look fun and fast, but privately-owned e-scooters can only be used on private land – not on public roads, cycle lanes or pavements… something to consider carefully if you’re thinking about buying one as a gift this Christmas.

10) Banish festive family distractions. Long car journeys can be tedious and often require a bit of effort to keep everyone entertained. As driver, reduce the risk of distractions by encouraging passengers – especially children – to let you focus on the driving. In return, give them the chance to let off steam during a break or at journey’s end.

11) Watch out for kids on new bikes. A new bike is a popular gift at Christmas and what child can resist a spin on a smart new set of wheels? As a driver, expect to think – and act – for others who are less aware of risk.

12) New mobile phone for Christmas? Lucky you! But please remember not to use it when you’re driving. Focus solely on the journey and reduce your risks, and save your scrolling until you’re safely parked with the engine off and the key out.

What will be the future of car paints

In a modern world of constant and exponential progress, the future of car paint will surprise us in all its aspects, especially the exterior finish.

We are at the dawn of a new page turning :

While waiting for driverless cars, all-electrics, new batteries or hydrogen fuel cells, innovative automotive paints will take an important part in the progress of tomorrow’s cars, with ambitious and futuristic designs and new materials in the way of concept cars.

What will be the car paints and finishes in 2050?

Perhaps we don’t realize how far we’ve come in this area. Let’s just compare the automotive paints of the 80’s and 90’s with those of the new vehicles fresh off the line :
The paints show a very rich range of hues, great depth and gloss, and high durability and gloss of the topcoat.

It’s unlikely that progress will stop in 2020 and it makes sense that car paints will become more and more exceptional, to the point that it would be hard for us to imagine them.
If someone had told us 20 years ago what car paint would be, we would have laughed ! But hey, let’s give it a try anyway !

What will the car paint of the future be made of ?

It will be more ecological, contain 0% solvents and will be more resistant ! Since the 2000s, we have already made great progress in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions with the European Directive 2004/42/EC.

Paints may be able to capture the energy of sunlight, thanks to the incorporation of pigments based on rare earths, like solar panels. This is already the case with Stardust photoluminescent paints.

With the rapid development of nanotechnologies, it is reasonable to believe that future car paints will use nanoparticles, for example, as is already the case with carbon nanotubes :

to capture the light without letting it out, to create a blacker than black!
By creating ultra-hard and totally scratch-proof body varnishes. This is already the case with ceramic topcoats and self-healing body topcoats.
To conduct electricity through the paint. So we can imagine a car paint color that changes at the touch of a button!
Non-wettable, non-staining body paints.

Other paints (they already exist!) will be able to change colors and show up to 6 colors depending on the angle of view, these are the chameleon or holographic paints, or change color with temperature (thermochromic)!

The three companies that are the most advanced in the field of special effect paints are StardustColors, Alsa and DNA paints.

What will be the trends in car paints?

To do this, let’s look at the interaction of 3 trends that are already emerging, to build a coherent picture of the future of this field in the next 50 years :

1 – The end of paint repair with self-driving cars ?

The future of body painters and car repair seems very dark :

First of all, because electric cars no longer have the countless mechanical parts and systems of combustion engine cars, so they no longer need repair.

But above all, because future self-driving cars, such as the pioneering Tesla S, Google’s Waymo, or General Motors’ Cruise, are able to anticipate accidents.

While 94% of road accidents are caused by human error, some self-driving models have driven more than a billion kilometers for only 3 accidents.

To say that humans drive less well is an understatement…

When you see the paints of the 80’s and 90’s that were fading and whose topcoat was peeling off, this will be a distant memory, with paint finishes that are almost indestructible thanks to the progress made by paint manufacturers.

This is why the body painters of the future will all be out of work and the paints on our cars will no longer need repair.

This means that car manufacturers could afford much more beautiful and expensive paints for their cars right from the design stage.

2 – Between depersonalization and personalization of paints

The trend is already underway with the explosion of on-demand vehicles (Uber), rental between individuals, sharing (Blablacar).

Knowing that we use a car 5% of the time and that the rest of the time, it is parked, we can imagine that our future cars without driver will go for a ride, to transport other passengers, when we are at the office…

We are therefore heading towards a “depersonalization of the personal vehicle”.

However, in the future, with the development and invention of public transport and shared transport, some people will want to keep a “personal” car, which could be a luxury object, reserved for the very rich, completely personalized, with sensational effect paints.

3- The third trend for the future of car paint is futuristic design.

In the past, the main purpose of paint was to protect the bodywork from corrosion.
Today, it is not only a protection, but also an important a esthetic asset.

It is reasonable to think that in the future… the paints will be breathtaking.

1st detail :

It was said that some very expensive chameleon paints (5000USD per kg), used in the security of banknotes for example, would never be commercially viable for painting vehicles!
Today, we are at less than 250$ per kg!

This drop in the price of the technology is the key to the mass marketing of special effect paints, such as opalescent paints.

Secondly,

With the competition for the top of the line cars. To stand out, luxury paints can be used.
What are the other manufacturers doing?

They start to make different vehicles and rely on design to accompany the inevitable technological transition.

And their sales have been widening the gap since 2017 with conventional cars.

In Germany, electric models have seen a sales growth of 30%, while the benchmark brands that like Mercedes or BMW have seen a progression of -13 to 3%.

These electric vehicles will be more likely to be customizable and attractive, as they are produced in smaller industrial scales.

Conclusion

The future of automotive coatings is very promising thanks to chemical innovations. It will accompany the inevitable technological leap forward represented by the revolution of electric cars, self-driving cars and the disappearance of the personal car as we know it.

We suggest you continue this reading by browsing this Wikipedia article on car paints.