Why Pokies Use Fruit Symbols: The Story Behind Cherries, BARs and Bells

Things like cherries, lemons, bells and BARs are some of the most recognizable symbols in slot-machine history. Their story goes back to the early mechanical machines, when fruit imagery had a surprisingly practical purpose.

If you have ever looked at an old-fashioned pokie, the symbols probably seem familiar enough to need no explanation. Cherries, lemons, oranges, bells and BARs have been appearing on reels for generations. It is easy to assume that they were simply chosen because they looked fun but there is a much more interesting story behind them. Some came from the early history of mechanical slot machines, while others were linked to chewing gum and the restrictions faced by machine manufacturers more than a century ago.

Where Did Fruit Symbols Come From?

Fruit was not part of the original visual language of every early slot machine.

One of the best-known early machines was Charles Fey’s Liberty Bell, developed in the late 19th century. Its reels featured symbols such as bells, horseshoes and playing-card suits rather than the familiar collection of cherries and lemons seen on later machines.

The fruit arrived as the industry changed.

In the early 20th century, machine manufacturers were looking for ways to make their products usable in places where cash gambling was restricted. One approach was to make machines resemble vending machines. Instead of paying out money, some could dispense small prizes such as chewing gum.

That created a rather unusual reason for putting fruit on the reels.

Different fruit symbols could represent different gum flavors. Cherries, lemons, oranges and plums were therefore not picked simply because they looked like classic casino symbols. They had a connection with the products being dispensed by the machines.

The original purpose eventually faded but the pictures remained.

Why Cherries Became So Familiar

There is no single moment that made the cherry the definitive slot-machine fruit.

Instead, it became part of a group of simple fruit images that worked particularly well on mechanical reels. Cherries are easy to recognize, even when they are relatively small and they have a distinctive shape that makes them stand out from other symbols.

That was useful in the days when a player was looking at physical reels rather than a high-resolution digital display. The same basic advantage applied to lemons, oranges and other fruit. The images were straightforward. You did not need a written explanation to know what you were looking at.

Once these symbols became established, later machine manufacturers had a good reason to keep them. Familiarity itself became valuable.

If you are browsing an online pokies australia selection, for instance, you may come across modern games that use the same visual ideas that appeared on much older mechanical machines. This is sometimes what’s referred to as ‘retro slot games’ because although they’re modern and digital, they still have the retro fruit symbols displayed. Some players prefer these, while others enjoy the other themes, such as adventure, fantasy or mythical creatures.

What Does the BAR Symbol Mean?

The BAR symbol is another piece of slot-machine history that is easy to misunderstand.

At first glance, BAR looks like it should represent something valuable. It could easily be interpreted as a gold bar or a reference to a large prize.

Its actual background is much less glamorous.

The symbol is associated with Bell-Fruit Gum and its branding. As gum-dispensing machines became part of the story of early slot-machine development, the BAR image became associated with that commercial side of the industry.

In other words, the BAR did not start as a straightforward picture of a valuable metal bar.

A historical account published by Cabinet Magazine, drawing on material from Marshall Fey, the grandson of Liberty Bell inventor Charles Fey, describes how fruit symbols became associated with fruit-flavored gum. Historical accounts also connect the symbol with Bell-Fruit Gum branding and explain how it became part of the familiar group of images used on fruit machines.

This specific symbol then took on a life of its own.

As slot machines moved away from their original gum-dispensing purpose and toward cash prizes, there was no compelling reason to throw away an image that players already recognized. The BAR had become part of the visual language.

That helps explain why it can still be found on games today.

Why Is There a Bell on a Pokie?

The bell has a separate place in the story.

Again, Charles Fey’s Liberty Bell machine is one of the landmarks of early slot-machine history and the bell was central enough to give the machine its name.

That means the bell was already connected with mechanical slot machines before fruit symbols became a major part of their appearance.

The two traditions eventually came together.

Fruit symbols offered a way to retain the familiar imagery associated with early gum-dispensing machines, while the bell had its own connection with the Liberty Bell and the first generation of mechanical slot machines.

The result was a collection of symbols that could survive even as the machines themselves changed considerably.

So, while cherries and bells may appear together on a classic pokie, they did not necessarily arrive from the same place.

The bell belongs to the earlier Liberty Bell tradition. The fruit imagery became established later through a different chapter of machine history.

From Mechanical Reels to Australian Pokies

The machines themselves have changed beyond recognition since those early days.

Mechanical reels gave way to electromechanical systems, followed by electronic machines and eventually digital games. Modern slots can contain multiple reels, elaborate themes, bonus rounds and a huge variety of symbols.

Yet the old imagery keeps coming back.

For Australian players, that history has particular relevance because physical gaming machines are such a familiar part of the local gambling landscape.

The Guardian reported in 2024 that Australia accounted for roughly 18% of the world’s physical slot machines, despite having only around 0.3% of the world’s population. The report put the number of machines in Australia at about 190,000, spread across pubs, clubs and casinos.

That is a striking figure and helps put the Australian relationship with pokies into context.

It also helps explain why the imagery is so recognizable to an Australian audience. Cherries, bells and BARs are not just historical curiosities. They are symbols that have remained visible across generations of gaming machines.

Why Modern Slots Still Use Classic Symbols

Modern game designers have no shortage of options when choosing symbols. A digital game can feature almost any theme imaginable.

So why do cherries, lemons and BARs keep appearing?

Familiarity is a major part of the answer.

If you see three cherries on a set of reels, you immediately understand the kind of visual tradition the game is drawing from. The image can communicate that idea much faster than a detailed explanation.

Several qualities make all of this work:

1. They are easy to recognize. A cherry or bell remains identifiable at a glance.
2. They work at different sizes. The basic shapes remain clear on both physical reels and digital screens.
3. They have historical meaning. Decades of use have connected the images with slot-machine gaming.
4. They create familiarity. A traditional symbol can make a modern game feel connected to an older style of machine.

Finding these classics takes some research. For example, SpinBet’s online casino offering includes many of these retro visuals. With over 5000+ titles, including online slots and pokies, it’s clear to see how advanced operating platforms are bringing classic features back. Gambling is for entertainment purposes only and should never be seen as a way to make money. Please gamble responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose. 18+ only.