Finally, win sizes can vary tremendously, ranging from values just above the spin wager to jackpots that can total many thousands of dollars.Īlthough a majority of gamblers are recreational players who engage in gambling as a form of harmless entertainment, a small but significant subset of gamblers can experience severe gambling-related problems ( Blaszczynski, Sharpe, Walker, Shannon, & Coughlan, 2005). Third, players never know when wins will occur – wins and losses on slot machines are offered to the player using a variable-ratio reinforcement schedule that makes the timing of the wins unpredictable ( Haw, 2008). Second, when players spin and win, monetary gains are accompanied by high-fidelity attention-grabbing music and amusing animations ( Griffiths & Parke, 2005 Haas & Edworthy, 1996). First, unlike many forms of gambling such as traditional lotteries, players do not have to wait long to find out whether they have won or lost – they spin and the machine’s feedback is practically immediate. Slot-Machine Gambling: “Light” and “Dark” Pathways to Enjoymentįor most gamblers, slot machines are a means of entertainment, and their appeal can be linked to a number of features.
