You’re staring at the reels, watching the symbols blur past. Cherries, 7s, and then that familiar rectangle with the word “BAR” stamped across it. It lines up, the machine dings, and credits hit your balance. But have you ever actually stopped to wonder why that specific symbol exists? It’s not a drink, it’s not a legal obstacle, and it certainly doesn't have anything to do with a courtroom. The story behind the Bar symbol is actually one of the oldest and most interesting tales in gambling history, tracing all the way back to the invention of the slot machine itself.

The Bell-Fruit Gum Connection

To understand the Bar, you have to go back to the early 20th century and a man named Herbert Mills. While Charles Fey is credited with inventing the first proper slot machine (the Liberty Bell), it was Mills who popularized the machine across the United States. At the time, cash payouts for gambling were illegal in many states. To get around this, Mills engineered a workaround: the slot machine became a “vending machine” that dispensed fruit-flavored gum.

The reels were redesigned to display symbols representing the flavors. You had cherries for cherry gum, oranges for orange, and so on. The Bar symbol was originally a stylized representation of a stick of gum—the Bell-Fruit Gum logo to be precise. When you lined up three Bars, you didn't win money directly; you won a specific payout in gum. Over time, as gambling laws relaxed and the machines evolved into pure cash-payout devices, the gum logo stuck around. It became a staple of reel design, eventually shedding its gum-flavor origins and morphing into the generic “Bar” we see today on classic three-reel slots.

How Bar Symbols Function in Modern Games

Walk into any casino in Las Vegas or Atlantic City, or fire up an app like BetMGM or DraftKings Casino, and you’ll still find Bar symbols dominating the classic slots section. But they don't act like they used to. In modern video slots and mechanical reel spinners, the Bar serves as a high-value standard symbol. It bridges the gap between the low-paying card ranks (if present) and the top-tier premium symbols like 7s or Diamonds.

The function is straightforward: landing three or more Bar symbols on a payline usually triggers a significant payout relative to your bet size. However, developers have introduced variations to keep things interesting. You’ll rarely just see a single “Bar” anymore. Games often feature a hierarchy of Bars—Single Bar, Double Bar, and Triple Bar. A Triple Bar pays significantly more than a Single Bar, adding a layer of strategy to what would otherwise be a flat paytable. This tiered system keeps players chasing that top-line combination of Triple Bars, which often pays just shy of the jackpot symbol.

Single, Double, and Triple Bars: Payout Variations

Not all Bars are created equal. If you’re playing a classic-style slot like those found in the “Retro” or “Classic” categories on FanDuel Casino or Caesars Palace Online, you need to pay attention to the paytable. The distinction between Single, Double, and Triple Bars isn't just cosmetic; it fundamentally changes the volatility of the game.

Symbol Type Typical Payout Range (for 3 symbols) Game Impact
Single Bar 5x – 10x your bet Low volatility, frequent small hits
Double Bar 20x – 40x your bet Medium value, sustains the bankroll
Triple Bar 50x – 100x your bet High value, primary target before Jackpot

Some games mix and match these. You might see a payout for a combination of any three Bars, followed by higher payouts for matching three identical ones. This “any Bar” feature is a staple of classic slots, offering a safety net that keeps the game moving even when you don’t land the perfect alignment. It reduces variance slightly, giving you just enough back to keep spinning for those Triple Bar wins or the elusive Red 7s.

The Black Sheep: Black Sheep Bars

There’s a specific variation of the Bar symbol that confuses new players more than any other: the Black Sheep. Popularized by the legendary Bar Bar Black Sheep slot, this symbol turns the standard mechanic on its head. In this context, the Bar symbol is part of a specific combination trigger. Landing two Bar symbols followed by a Black Sheep symbol triggers a bonus or a specialized payout, distinguishing it from the standard “three of a kind” logic most players are used to.

This is a great example of how developers take a legacy symbol and repurpose it. They know players instinctively look for three matching symbols, so breaking that pattern with a specific sequence (Bar-Bar-Black Sheep) creates a moment of surprise and anticipation. It proves that even a symbol as old as the Bar can be reinvented to create new engagement mechanics.

Why Developers Still Use Bar Symbols Today

In an era of Megaways, Cluster Pays, and cinematic video slots with 4K graphics, why does a simple rectangle with text persist? It’s a matter of player psychology and market segmentation. There is a massive demographic of players—particularly in the US market—who prefer the simplicity of mechanical reels. They don’t want expanding wilds or complex bonus wheels; they want to spin, hear the mechanical clunk, and see familiar symbols line up.

The Bar represents instant recognition. It signals to the player, “This is a traditional slot.” It’s a comfort food mechanic. When a player sees Bars on the paytable, they immediately understand the gameplay loop without reading a manual. For operators like Borgata Online or BetRivers, offering games with these symbols is essential for catering to the “Classic Slots” segment, which remains surprisingly robust alongside high-volatility modern titles.

Identifying Classic Slots Online

If you’re playing online in states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Michigan, finding slots that utilize the Bar symbol is easy if you know where to look. Most lobbies will have a dedicated “Classic Slots” or “Fruit Machines” filter. These games, often powered by developers like IGT or Everi, stick rigidly to the traditional format. They usually feature 3 reels, 1 to 5 paylines, and a distinct lack of complex bonus rounds.

When browsing Hard Rock Bet or bet365 Casino, look for titles that explicitly reference the symbol in the name, such as “Triple Diamond” or “Double Diamond”—these IGT classics rely heavily on the Bar hierarchy. The volatility in these games is generally lower than video slots, making them a solid choice if you want to extend your playtime with a smaller bankroll. The hits are more frequent, even if the massive 5000x multipliers of modern video slots are absent.

FAQ

Does the Bar symbol trigger bonus rounds?

Generally, no. In classic three-reel slots, the Bar symbol is a payline payout trigger, not a bonus activator. You won't usually find it triggering free spins or pick-em games. However, in some hybrid video slots that use retro themes, developers might assign scatter properties to it, but this is rare. Always check the game’s paytable to be sure.

Why do some slots pay for mixed Bars?

Mixed Bar payouts are designed to lower the volatility of the game. If a slot only paid for three identical Bars, you would experience long dry spells between wins. By paying for a combination of Single, Double, and Triple Bars, the game gives you “grind wins”—small payouts that keep your balance moving while you chase the bigger combinations.

Is the Bar symbol better than the 7 symbol?

In the hierarchy of classic symbols, the 7 (especially the Red 7 or Triple 7) is almost always the top-paying standard symbol. The Bar usually sits just below it. If you hit three Red 7s, you can expect a win roughly 1.5x to 2x larger than three Triple Bars. The Bar is essentially the second-tier prize tier in the symbol ecosystem.

Do all slot machines have Bar symbols?

No. They are almost exclusively found in classic slots and fruit machines. Modern video slots with themes like Ancient Egypt, Movies, or Mythology rarely use Bar symbols. They will typically use card suits (10, J, Q, K, A) for low pays and thematic characters or items for high pays. You’ll only find Bars if you specifically select a retro-style game.

What was the original payout for landing Bars?

Historically, landing three Bell-Fruit Gum logos (the precursors to Bars) on the Herbert Mills machines would payout in sticks of fruit gum. The payout wasn't cash, but the gum itself. The length of the gum stick corresponded to the symbol length, which is why the symbol is rectangular.