Slot is a gambling machine that rewards players for matching symbols on spinning reels. They are the most popular form of gambling and, according to a recent study by the University of Pennsylvania, they are responsible for over half of the profits made by casinos. They are also the most addictive, combining engineering acumen, mathematical know-how and psychological deceit in a single, attractive package. These machines appear simple enough to be fooled by their appearance, but the truth is that they are complex in operation and have evolved over time from mobile mechanical parts to mostly electronic components.
In modern slot games, the player can place a bet on several lines at once. This allows them to increase the amount they can win by multiplying their wager per line. This multiline play also creates the illusion of increased control over the outcome of a spin. This heightened perceived control may be an important factor in the addictive properties of slot games.
While research into video game addiction is well established, there is less work on the phenomenon of slots addiction. However, one piece of research has revealed that sound may be key in the process of slot addiction. In one study, researchers compared pathological gamblers’ enjoyment of a slot game that had sounds with the same game played at a slower speed with no sound. They found that the sound-free condition resulted in a significantly lower level of enjoyment than the fast-paced, sound-on condition. The results suggest that sound is a crucial factor in bringing about the excitement and anticipation associated with slot play.
The sound of slot machine reels turning has been shown to evoke arousal and can influence the perception of risk, but little is known about how this affects the psychology of slots. In this article, we report a study that measured the physiological responses of participants to both wins and losses in a commercially available slot machine simulator. Specifically, we used a force transducer fixed underneath the spin buttons to measure the amount of pressure that was applied when the button was depressed to initiate a spin. This signal was converted to a voltage, which was recorded by an AD Instruments PowerLabs device and saved in LabChart.
Results showed that the arousal dimension of the experience was highly influenced by the size of the win. This was primarily due to the phasic activation of skin conductance responses (SCRs) to winning stimuli and a reduction in SCR amplitudes to losing stimuli. In addition, the results suggest that context is a critical factor in promoting dark flow experiences in slot machine play.
The arousal dimension of the experience was also correlated with immersion and positive affect. Immersion was measured with the Cognitive and Imaginative Immersion scale (CPGI; Ferris and Wynn 2001) while positive affect was measured using the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI; Ferris and Wynn 2004). Both questions are based on a 14-item scale with high reliability.