Having a slot machine in your home gives you a reliable conversation piece. Players can drop in as many coins as they want and never have to worry about going broke. For some, that lack of risk will take away the joy that comes with facing financial doom. But those who play for the love of the game will be thrilled. If you build your own slot machine, you can personalize it with a custom theme. 

Cardboard Slot Machine

You don’t need a lot of technology to build a cool slot machine. Delta Hack glues together cardboard, toilet paper rolls and wood sticks into a cool toy machine that takes real coins. This is a great project for a teen (or anyone) who likes a challenge and has a talent for models. Detailed instructions for the cardboard slot machine can be found at Instructables.

Arduino Slot Machine Bank

The souvenir toy banks slot machines you can buy in Las Vegas are pretty cute. Max 3D Design takes that concept to the next level with a combination of 3D printed parts and an Arduino-programmed LED display. You’ll need the source code (found here), a 3D printer, an Arduino computer, the right plastic material and a lot of patience to sand and paint the parts and make sure everything works. But the kid who receives this toy is going to be impressed for quite a long time.

Upcycled Fruit Machine

In case you didn’t know, slots are referred to as fruit machines in the United Kingdom. Surprisingly, this SEGA gaming-themed machine doesn’t have any computer chips in it, but was fabricated from an assortment of scrap materials such as bicycle spokes, window blinds, wood, paint cans and plenty more. You won’t find directions to make one, but it’s very inspiring to anyone who loves to refashion new things out of leftovers.

Computer Programmed Slot Machine

These days, most casino slot machines are made out of more computer chips than mechanical parts. Ricky’s tutorial demonstrates the programming that goes into making the readout on a one-armed bandits and how you can develop a simple one (using C# code) in about 15 minutes. You’ll need a lot more to finish the machine, but this project is a great way to get you thinking about the possibilities.

Custom Built Video Slot Machine Housing

How do you turn those computer programmed vide screens from a realistic slot machine? That will require some wood, leftover parts found on eBay and a bit of keyboard programming. Jonathan Thompson shows how used pre-programmed software as the basis for his home game. Of course if you good at programming and building you can make a completely custom machine.