A slot machine, fruit machine, poker machine or pokies is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers.
Row of digital-based slot machines inside a casino in Las Vegas
1899 "Liberty Bell" machine, manufactured by Charles Fey
A person playing a video slot machine in Las Vegas
A "multi-way" game with several winning lines
Gambling is the wagering of something of value on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three elements to be present: consideration, risk (chance), and a prize. The outcome of the wager is often immediate, such as a single roll of dice, a spin of a roulette wheel, or a horse crossing the finish line, but longer time frames are also common, allowing wagers on the outcome of a future sports contest or even an entire sports season.
Caravaggio, The Cardsharps (c. 1594), depicting card sharps.
Gamblers in the Ship of Fools, 1494
"Players and courtesans under a tent" by Cornelis de Vos
Max Kaur and religious leaders protest against gambling, Tallinn, Estonia.