Slot machine symbols are the pictures on the reels whose combinations decide what a spin pays. The classic set, made up of cherries, lemons, plums, oranges, bells, bars and the lucky seven, dates back to mechanical machines of the early twentieth century, and many of them began as advertising for chewing gum. Modern video slots keep a few of those icons and add special symbols such as wilds and scatters that trigger features. Knowing what each one does makes any paytable easier to read. This guide is for adults.
Where the classic symbols came from
Bells and card suits
The machine usually credited as the first three-reel slot, built in San Francisco by Charles Fey in the late 1890s, used horseshoes, diamonds, spades, hearts and a cracked Liberty Bell. Three bells paid the top prize, and the machine took its name from that symbol. Bells have stayed on slot reels ever since.
Fruit
In the early 1900s, laws in many American states targeted gambling machines. One response was to make machines look like vending devices that paid out in chewing gum or sweets. The fruits on the reels stood for gum flavours: cherry, lemon, orange and plum. The machines soon paid in coins again where they could, but the fruit stayed, and in Britain the name "fruit machine" is still used for pub and arcade slots.
The bar
The rectangular BAR symbol is commonly traced to the logo of a gum company whose products were dispensed by those early machines, often described as a stylised stick of gum. Later machines stacked it into double and triple bars to create more paying combinations.
The lucky seven
The seven arrived later and owes its place to the number's long association with luck. On many classic games, three sevens on the payline is the top regular prize.
What classic symbols usually pay
Every game sets its own paytable, but classic three-reel machines tend to follow a familiar order. This is a typical pattern, not a rule:
| Symbol | Usual role on a classic paytable |
|---|---|
| Cherry | Lowest regular prize; one or two cherries on the line often pay something small |
| Lemon, orange, plum | Low to middle prizes, usually only for three in a row |
| Bell | Middle to upper prize |
| Single, double and triple bar | Rising prizes, with a smaller "any bar" combination for mixed bars |
| Seven | Top regular prize, sometimes with a separate jackpot for a special seven |
The cherry rule explains why classic machines often feel generous at first: a single cherry turns up frequently and pays back part of the stake. It does not change the overall return, which is fixed by the game's design.
Symbols on modern video slots
Video slots replaced fruit with symbols that match each game's theme, from gods and pharaohs to film characters, a range explored in popular slot themes. Under the artwork, most follow the same structure:
- Low-paying symbols: often the card ranks 9, 10, J, Q, K and A, styled to suit the theme. They land frequently and pay small amounts.
- High-paying symbols: the theme's characters or objects. They land less often and pay more.
- Wild: substitutes for regular symbols to complete wins. Variants expand to cover a reel, stay in place for several spins or move across the grid.
- Scatter: pays or triggers a feature wherever it lands, not only on a payline; usually three or more start free spins.
- Bonus and special symbols: trigger a separate round, carry a cash value or add a multiplier.
How often symbols appear
On mechanical machines, each reel had a fixed number of physical stops, so a symbol's chance was easy to estimate. Modern slots map their random numbers onto virtual reels, where a top symbol may occupy far fewer positions than a cherry or a card rank, even though the visible reel looks balanced. That weighting is how a game can show a seven on every reel strip and still pay three sevens rarely.
A seven landing just above or below the payline is part of the same design. It does not mean a win was close; the next spin is decided independently.
Questions about symbols
What does BAR mean on a slot machine?
It is a symbol rather than an abbreviation, generally linked to an early gum maker's logo. Double and triple bars are higher-paying versions.
Why are cherries on slot machines?
They represented a chewing-gum flavour on early machines designed to look like vending devices, and they stayed as a familiar low-paying symbol.
Is a symbol worth more on a higher bet?
Payouts scale with the stake, so the same combination pays more at a higher bet. The cost of a spin is covered in penny slots and coin values.
Whatever is on the reels, a slot pays back less than it takes over time. Play only as an adult, decide on a budget and a stopping point first, and check whether online slots are permitted where you are.
