If you’ve ever paid close attention to the design of a slot machine, chatted to a friend about slots, or even if you’ve ever seen an advertisement for a casino near you, chances are you have seen the number 7 pop up in some form or another.
It’s virtually impossible these days to see anything associated with slot machines and not see this number appear, however, while it is very commonly associated with slots, when talking about the games themselves many people will put more emphasis on symbols like scatters and wilds, which can make the relevance of the number 7 a little confusing.
Here is all you need to know about the number 7 and why it has held such a close relationship with slot machines for so many years.
Why Is 7 So Special?
The number 7 is considered lucky and appears a lot more often than we might think.
While many people will have their own personal lucky number, 7 is considered lucky in entire cultures and societies throughout history, giving it a personal connection to many groups of people.
Part of the reason 7 is recognized as lucky by so many people around the world is because of how prominent it is in all parts of our lives. Here are just a few examples of where it appears:
- 7 continents in the world
- 7 seas on the planet
- 7 days in the week
- 7 planets in our solar system
- 7 colors in a rainbow
- 7 wonders of the ancient world
There are also many religious connections to the number 7 such as how God is believed to have created the world in 7 days along with the Lotus flower on Buddha’s pedestal having 7 petals.
How Did 7 Become Related To Slots?
The number 7 first became prominent in casinos back in the 1950s when it was a highly anticipated number in blackjack where three 7’s would give the player a count of 21, with there still being a few Blackjack table games today that pay a bonus if you draw 21 with three 7’s.
It wasn’t long after this that the triple lucky 7’s started being used in slot machines.
Because all slots at the time were 3-reels, a player needed to land on three 7’s in the same spin to earn a jackpot which was considered incredibly rare, but it made the number incredibly well-known in casino culture for being the most sought-after symbol on the slots machine.
This is also where the triple 7 term comes from, which nowadays describes someone having extreme luck and good fortune on their side and is in reference to this traditional method of hitting a jackpot.
Ever since then, this number associated with good luck and fortune has been a staple of slot machines and online slots for several decades at this point, and while some slots have changed their jackpot symbols to fit their specific theme, the number 7 is still commonly used in advertisements, logos, and even on casino websites as a sign of good fortune.
Slots Based Around The Number 7
While many slots will still use this lucky number in one way or another, there are some that center their entire theme around it, such as Triple Sapphire 7s which is a retro-styled slot designed for beginners that features the number 7 in blue, green and red across five-reels which can grant the player a maximum prize of 150 credits.
Hot Spot 777 is another well-known machine based around this number that is one of the most popular slots that can be found around every corner in Vegas (see also “Does The Number Of Line On A Slot Machine Matter?“).
With a staggering 10,000 credit jackpot, this machine uses sizzling 7’s, white 7’s, and black 7’s along with an array of recognizable and classic symbols to give off a retro aesthetic.
Finally, there is Tiger 7’s, a colorful jungle-themed slot that features several unique animal symbols along with the classic set of colored 7’s, each representing a different value between 20X and 200X, along with the incredibly rare gold 7’s symbol being the most valuable paying out an astonishing 2000X the stake when landing on three in a row during a single spin.
Similar Popular Slot Symbols
While the lucky number 7 is undoubtedly the most popular and well-known symbol when it comes to slots and even casinos in general, there are a few other symbols that have similarly been used in slots for many years that are also very recognizable.
The cherry is one of these popular symbols that can also score a jackpot if the player catches three in a row.
These symbols actually have a peculiar history with them first being introduced in 1910 when a gum vending machine was attached to a slot machine, with the in-game symbols representing the potential flavor of gum.
The BAR slot symbols are another well-known icon that are common payout symbols that can vary in their function depending on the machine (see also “What Are Scatter Symbols In Slots?“).
Some slots will have multiple iterations of the symbol by having two BAR words that can stack onto each other with other machines even including three BARs that can be stacked into a single symbol.
The bell is also another symbol that can be seen in almost every slot machine and are a reference to ‘the Liberty bell’ known as the first ever slot machine created by car mechanic Charles Fey in the year 1895.
Summary
The number 7, associated with luck and good fortune in many areas and cultures around the world, has a very fascinating relationship with slot machines going back to its original appearance as the symbol needed to line up for a player to hit a jackpot (see also “How To Hit The Jackpot on Slot Machines“).
While this symbol has been replaced in some newer and more modern machines, the number is still the most popular icon associated with casinos and slots to this day, with some slots even basing their entire theme around it.
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