A symbol display device is provided with a first reel unit, a second reel unit, and a third reel unit. Each of the first, the second, and the third reel unit is composed as a double reel structure with an inner reel and an outer reel. The inner reel and the outer reel are formed out of light-transmittable material and have translucent symbols arranged on their peripheries. A first light-emitting device is provided inside the inner reel to illuminate the symbols on the inner reel from behind of them and a second light-emitting device is provided between the inner reel and the outer reel to illuminate the symbols on the outer reel from behind of them. In order to illuminate the symbols on the outer reel, only the second light-emitting device is lit up, while the first light-emitting device is lit up in order to illuminate only the symbols on the inner reel.