Slot Machines

Question 1

key issues

Answer 1

• In most jurisdictions:
• • Lotteries are viewed as a less harmful form of gambling
• • EGMs (ie. Modern slot machines) are viewed as among the most harmful forms
• – While intuitive, it is difficult to directly measure the addictiveness of any form of gambling

Question 2

relative harms of drugs

Answer 2

• 3 categories of drug harms:
• • Physical harms to the user (ie. Overdose risk)
• • Propensity to induce dependence (addictiveness)
• • Effects on others (ie. Violence, car accidents)
• Gambling can induce similar harms
• Risk of dependence according to Nutt: 1) Heroin 2) Cocaine 3) Tobacco

Question 3

relative harms of gambling (using Nutt’s model)

Answer 3

• Physical harms to user: sedentary behaviour of gambling could diminish health
• Propensity to induce dependence: gambling highly addictive, lights, sounds, etc.
• Effects on others: detrimental to family and relationships; debt, etc.

Question 4

lotteries

Answer 4

• Lottery is the most popular form of gambling in Canada
• Although lotteries don’t tend to cause problem gambling, most problem gamblers play the lottery
• Lottery outlets sell instant and weekly lottery tickets
• • Short et al. Found that the frequency of scratchcard play predicted problem gambling symptoms, but weekly lottery play did not

Question 5

what are electronic gaming machines?

Answer 5

• AKA slot machines
• Other terminology used: Fruit Machines (UK), Video Lottery Terminals (slot machines in bars), Video Poker/”Pokies” (Australia)

Question 6

history of slot machines

Answer 6

• Originated in the 1800s
• Basic design and mechanics stayed the same from the 1930s-80s
• Modern EGMs are completely computer generated (no spinning reels)

Question 7

structural characteristics of slot machines

Answer 7

• Speed of Game
• Return to Player 85-95%
• Max Bet Size/Bet Multipliers
• Jackpot Size
• Sensory Feedback (‘bells & whistles’)
• Presence/Rate of Near-Misses
• ‘Losses Disguised as Wins’

Question 8

interaction between slot machines and gamblers

Answer 8

Yucel et al show that slot machine features are designed to produce addiction due to human features -> kind of an interlocking interaction between game and gambler

Question 9

increasing the number of near-misses

Answer 9

• Slot machine reels must spin freely
• But “Virtual Reel Mapping” enables the reel to stop adjacent to a winning symbol, on more trials than the player expects
• This ratio (of near-misses to wins) averages 9:1

Question 10

multi-line games

Answer 10

• By betting on multiple lines simultaneously, the player can “win” on one line, but that doesn’t cover the full bet
• • Machine responds as if a jackpot has been won (loss disguised as a win)
• High-risk gamblers are more absorbed by multi-line play and feel more in control/skillful

Question 11

losses disguised as wins

Answer 11

• Generate physiological arousal similar to wins
• Distort player’s memory for number of true wins in the session
• Dramatically reduce the length of losing streaks without winning feedback -> you get pretty much constant feedback from machine
• Create a post-reinforcement pause comparable to a true win

Question 12

the role of sound

Answer 12

• Skin conductance significantly larger for outcomes in the SOUND-ON condition than the SOUND-OFF condition
• Tendency to overestimate wins is exacerbated when sounds accompany the LDWs

Question 13

getting “lost in the game”

Answer 13

• During play, many slot machine gamblers enter a ‘trance-like’ state (immersion, dark flow, dissociation)
• This state may provide a means of escape from stress, low mood, boredom
• Modern slot machine design may have facilitated immersion by “smoothing the play experience” (LDWs, sensory feedback)

Question 14

measuring immersion

Answer 14

• When playing a slot machine, researchers tracked how many times participants noticed targets in their peripheral vision
• In both groups, PGSI scores predicted self-reported immersion
• Higher PGSI scores predicted fewer peripheral targets noticed