Fruit themed slots

It’s safe to say that of all the different themes available in our slot games catalogue, fruits are some of the most popular – and the most common. After all, these games take tons of inspiration from traditional ‘fruit machines as it was fruit-themed slots that helped to kick off slot gaming, full stop!

Therefore, we want to pay tribute to the best of fruit slots by serving up a stack of different twists on the old theme. Some games are a little more advanced than others, but you’ll still find some classic fruit-bar-and-bell games within our catalogue.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the biggest and best fruit slot games LeoVegas has on offer right now. Don’t go popping any fruits until you’ve seen what we have to say about this slot theme!

What are fruit themed slots?

Weirdly enough, fruit themed slots are games that are based around different fruits! These are games that are usually inspired by traditional fruit machines, which you can still play at some physical amusement arcades and casinos to this day.

Fruit slots usually serve up a familiar batch of juicy berries and bananas alongside classic bells and bars. These slot games don’t traditionally have big bonus rounds or multipliers, though some of the biggest slot developers have introduced a few twists and turns on the classic formula to spice things up a bit.

In traditional fruit machine games, you can hold and nudge symbols to influence how the slot will run. These are features that some modern takes on fruit slots have dropped away in recent years, but there are still quite a few that keep the classic rules.

It’s unclear what makes them as popular today as they were over a century ago, but one thing’s for certain: these classics have certainly evolved over time. From the basic three-reel, one-payline fruit machine, we now see developers incorporating fruit into five-reels-and-above, multiple-payline slots with bonus features galore.

Whether you prefer the no-frills games of old or want to have a bonus or two stacking up is entirely down to taste – and here at LeoVegas, we aim to cater to all. A little further on in this guide, we will take you through our favourite slot games in this genre.

History of fruit machine slots

Fruit machines date back well over a century! Did you know that they were first produced as a way around gambling laws – because they used to give away fruit gum instead of money?

Of course, over the decades, things have changed hugely. Fruit machines traditionally use physical reels and buttons, and they have only started popping up as video games online in the last 15 to 20 years or so.

That said, electronic fruit slots have actually been around since the 1960s – they’re older than you think. In the years since then, fruit themed slots have kept their symbols and aesthetics, but have introduced jackpots, extra lines, and even bonus rounds – and you can play these games on video screens at arcades and casinos in real life too!

Many studios produce fruit machine style slots because they’re recognisable and well-loved. As they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Why are slot machines called fruit machines?

To answer this question, we need to go back in time, long before the internet came along and enabled casinos to offer the wide range of colourful slots we see today, filled with weird and wonderful bonus features. Of course, some may say that it’s simply because the reels are filled with fruit symbols, but the true answer lies deeper within.

It all began back in 1895 with the invention of the Liberty Bell, the first slot machine. It had three reels, a slot for coins, and an arm on the side to get the reels spinning – hence the name ‘one-armed bandit’. The Liberty Bell had just five symbols: diamonds, spades, hearts, horseshoes, and the gold Liberty Bell.

The early 1900s saw manufacturer Herbert Mills produce its own three-reel slot, with the introduction of fruit symbols. Later, in 1963, Bally went on to develop the first electromechanical slot called Money Honey, which also featured an abundance of fruit symbols.

It wasn’t until 1975 that the first video slot was released by the Fortune Coin Company. However, before the age of digital video slots, when simplified casino machines still existed, gamblers received their winnings in quite a different format from what we’re used to today.

Used as a loophole to navigate around strict anti-gambling laws in the early 1900s, the machines awarded players with fruit-flavoured candies and chewing gum. When players landed a win, such as three cherries in a row, they could expect cherry-flavoured gum as a prize – hence the name fruit machines!

Retro pub fruit machines

Due to the prohibition of gambling in the early 20th century, game developers in the UK came up with a solution to playing fruit machines in accordance with the law. By introducing the ‘hold’ and ‘nudge’ options, it added a skill-based element to fruit machines, technically making them legal to play.

From the 1950s to the late 1980s, fruit machines were a familiar sight in pubs and casinos, with the format not really evolving during this time. Gaming technology most certainly hadn’t advanced at this time, and you couldn’t walk into a pub without bumping into a fruit machine.

However, the 1990s saw the first American video slot machine that hosted a ‘second screen’ bonus round – Reel ’Em In by developer WMS. The next step saw the emergence of online slots, and the rest – well, that’s history.

Symbols in fruit themed slots

Although the range of juicy fruits has evolved from game to game over the years, it’s pretty safe to say you’ll know the main range of symbols that pop up in these games if you’re a seasoned player.

Fruit slots typically throw out symbols such as lemons, melons, cherries, strawberries, and even bananas – and don’t forget oranges and grapes!

Beyond the fruit basket, there are also classic bar symbols, which give some of the bigger prizes in traditional slot games. You should also look out for the fabled liberty bell, which often awards the top prize in games of this style. Then, there’s the lucky 7 – there really is more than fruit to keep your eyes peeled for!

Features in fruit themed slots

Traditionally, fruit themed slots only had a couple of basic features. As mentioned, these can include the nudge feature, which pushes a reel down by a space so you can potentially create new winning combos.

Then, there’s the hold feature, which can let you keep one or two reels in place while you spin again. It’s another way to create winning combos wherever possible!

In modern slot games based around fruit symbols, of course, you should look out for bonus trails, free spins scatters, and random multipliers. Many fruit slots at LeoVegas also throw in wild symbols, which can replace any of the fruits or other icons on the reels to create combos.

Ultimately, fruit themed slots are split into two types – traditional and modern. Now you know a bit about both ranges, let’s look at some popular examples.

Top fruit themed slots

Let’s close our guide with a deep dive into some of the best fruit themed slots available for you to play at LeoVegas.

To start, check out Realistic Games’ Fruitiplier! This 3x3 game takes the classic fruit machine look and adds an intriguing multiplier twist to change up the gameplay. It looks like a simple enough game, but you can potentially score multipliers worth up to 10x any prize – and winning symbols lock on the reels too!

Then there’s Fruit Shop – one of NetEnt’s most famous games, this long-running game has a simple 5x3 reel setup and a simple free spins trigger. There’s a maximum of 2,000x your bet to win in prizes. NetEnt has done lots more with the Fruit Shop name over the years too – meaning if you like this version, you can explore our catalogue for more fruity action!

To close, make sure to give Fruit Warp a try! This Thunderkick game has a pretty unique grid – and it’s possibly as far away from traditional fruit machines as you can get. There are no reels or even any paylines – match four identical fruits and you can potentially unlock some zero-gravity magic.

Fruit themed slots are some of our personal favourites – which is why we’ve brought together as many different titles and twists as possible in our catalogue. It’s great to see so many studios paying homage to the classics!

What makes fruit slots popular?

With the introduction of online slots, fruit slots have inevitably been developed for online play. Based on the original fruit machine, you can find plenty of these classic three-reel slots with one to three paylines available at several of the top casino sites.

Simplistic gameplay is a natural draw for these classic slots. There are no complex bonus features to grasp or rules to understand – it’s just a straightforward press to spin and line up the symbols to win.

Many veteran players will revisit classic fruit slots for a touch of nostalgia and ‘old school’ gameplay. Of course, with the introduction of modern technology, fruit symbols are also being incorporated into the more complex, faster-gameplay, five-reels-and-above slots.

Common fruit & retro symbols

The most common fruit and retro symbols include grapes, watermelons, plums, oranges, bananas, lemons, cherries, lucky 7s, BARs, golden bells and stars – and occasionally a joker is introduced as a wild for that modern-day twist.

Why may players enjoy retro slot themes such as fruit?

Although we can’t answer for everyone, it seems that players love that touch of nostalgia – revisiting the ‘old days’ when gameplay was a little more simple. There are no complex rules, and any player, new or seasoned, can play. You’re also guaranteed a large number to choose from, flashing lights, sound effects, vibrant colours, and ‘old school’ soundtracks.

Are there any fruit-themed land casinos?

There are no specific fruit-themed land casinos. However, there are plenty of brick-and-mortar sites across the globe that offer a multitude of classic fruit-themed slots. In the UK, you can still find many classic fruit machines in your seaside pier amusement arcades.