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Slot machine addiction

With modern slot machines there is great potential for a dangerous side effect; Gambling addiction, as more people are addicted to slots than any other form of gambling. Modern slots are like high-tech video games that play music and scenes from TV shows. You can play hundreds of lines at once, and instead of pulling a handle, you bet by pressing buttons, meaning each bet can be completed in as little as 3.5 seconds.

It looks like a lot of fun, but it can be dangerously addictive. Whether they intend to or not, the gaming industry is designing machines that can make people addicted.

An MIT anthropology professor had studied gambling addiction for more than 15 years. He has interviewed players, casino owners, and slot machine designers.

One question we asked him was: Do you think most people would even think that a machine could make you addicted, that a machine can do the same as a drug?

Answer: What the addiction really has to do with is the speed of the payouts and these machines are playing 1200 hands per hour. You are exposed to, as you can see, being exposed to a higher dose because all that speed means more betting and that means more excitement.

Another central aspect of his addiction is its ongoing nature. Nothing interrupts you. You are not waiting for the horses to run. You are not waiting for the guy next to you to choose his card to put down. There’s no one on that spinning wheel, it’s just you and the machine. It is a continuous flow without interruption.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada have measured how players respond physiologically while playing and show that new machines can make them think they are winning even when they are not. Players almost always get a lot back. If he puts in a dollar, he could get 50 cents back, but the sounds and flashing lights trick his brain into thinking he won. “The constant feeling of winning creates a lot of pleasure.” Regular players can fall into a trance state, a place she calls the zone.

So if you want to play slots or electronic roulette machines, take precautions and limit the amount of time you spend playing and the amount of money you risk. Play moderately for enjoyment rather than financial gain.