Why are slot machines termed "one-armed bandits'?

[Julio88]

Slot machines are called one-armed bandits because of the large mechanical levers affixed to the sides of early machines. The term "bandit" alludes to the machine's ability to empty players' pockets and wallets as thieves would, and "one-armed" refers to the lever that players would pull to set the reels in motion. This one-armed lever has been largely replaced by buttons and touchscreens in modern machines, but the term remains in use.

 

[Baniro]

The term "one-armed bandit" is a nickname for a slot machine. It originated from the early days of mechanical slot machines, which typically had a lever or arm on the side that players had to pull to set the reels in motion.

The term "one-armed" refers to the fact that the machine had a single lever that resembled an arm. Players would pull down on this lever to spin the reels and play the game. The lever was typically located on the right side of the machine, hence the term "one-armed."

The term "bandit" refers to the perception that slot machines were devices designed to take people's money. The odds of winning on a slot machine are typically less than the odds of losing, which led to the perception that the machines were "bandits" or thieves that would take people's money without giving much back in return.

 

[James108]

The term "one-armed bandit" is often used to refer to slot machines because of their history. When slot machines first became popular in the early 1900s, they were often referred to as "one-armed bandits" because of the arm-like lever on the side of the machine that players would pull to start the game.