Slot Machine Design Psychology

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The appeal of slot machines is undeniable. Ringing bells, flashing lights and other audio-visual effects generate excitement, signaling big wins and patrons getting lucky, seemingly in every corner of the casino. The themes of today’s machines appeal to our fascination with celebrity, mythology, fantasy and wealth, too. Who wouldn’t want to give the latest hit movie-themed slot a spin or two, just to be entertained if not to actually gamble?

Slot Machine Design Psychology Programs
Slot Machine Design Psychology

Technology isn't just about design and hardware; sometimes it's about psychology, politics, sociology, and economics. The website of Stanford design prof Michael Shanks is hosting a student project by William Choi and Antoine Sindhu, a fascinating online course about slot machines. Slot Machine Psychology It's behavioural psychology 101: the theory of Skinner and operational conditioning. When you get small but repetitive winnings, no matter if they are lower than what you had risked, the brain assumes there's a positive consequence to your behaviour and tends to continue betting. It's called Intermittent Reinforcement. How Slot Machines Use Psychology and Design to Keep You Coming Back. Anyone who has ever walked into a casino has felt the lure of the slot machine. The bright lights, inviting little stools.

As it turns out, the allure of slots is so great that more addictive gambling behavior is witnessed among slot players than any other type of gamblers. A recent Canadian study indicated that of $1.8 billion dollars in slot revenues collected annually in Ontario, approximately 60% was generated from problem gamblers. That percentage is reportedly “higher than that for horse racing (53%), casino table games (22%), bingo/raffles (22%), and lotteries/instant-win scratch tickets/sports betting (19%).”

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What makes slot machines so attractive? Experts say that, unlike traditional table games, slots can be designed specifically to take advantage of basic human psychology and thus maximize their appeal. For example, while winning at blackjack or poker requires a certain level of skill, hitting a slot jackpot takes little more than the ability to press a button or pull a lever—no skill, no intellect and no decision-making.

Another appealing aspect is the speed at which slots can be played. At the roulette table, the ball may drop on average about once every one or two minutes. Proficient slot players have been clocked playing at rates of ten spins a minute, and those who play two machines at once can double that pace. The game becomes completely engrossing as the action continues nonstop.

Slot machines are also completely non-threatening and non-judgmental. Because they are played individually, away from the prying eyes of other players, there is none of the peer pressure so prevalent at craps or blackjack. And of course there is the ever-present possibility of winning a lot of money for a relatively small wager.

What this all adds up to is a very real and measurable neurological response. Continuous play stimulates dopamine levels within the player’s brain, which in turn activate neural pathways that are commonly associated with pleasure and risk-taking. But the makers of slot machines don’t let the stimulus stop there. They’ve actually engineered a behavioral phenomenon called “operant conditioning” into the games.

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Psychologists have long recognized that intermittent small rewards mixed in with occasional large ones can keep a player’s attention riveted on an activity. For slots, these “rewards” include free games, scatter bonuses, nudges and “near misses”—situations in which the player believes he or she has “almost won.” Also, winning combinations that pay out less than the wager are used as another “reward” feature. These properties are all programmed into the machine’s computer to reinforce the patron’s absorption with play.

In the Canadian research, it was noted that some games employ a technique called “asymmetric reels.” It is a form of near miss, whereby there are several occurrences of a high-paying symbol on one line in non-winning combinations. A jackpot symbol might appear “2.5 and 3 times more often on Reels 2 and 3 than on Reel 1. The fact that Reel 1 is ‘starved’ of the (jackpot) symbol … elevates the occurrence of near misses (and simultaneously lowers the number of wins).”

The researchers observed that problem gamblers do not see near misses as losses. Instead, they view them as “a form of win” in which “the player is not constantly losing but constantly nearly winning.” That, plus positive reinforcement provided by small payouts, produces a powerful effect. Players will continue to repeat their losing behavior with relish, just as if they were actually coming out ahead instead of gradually seeing their bankrolls dwindle.

Slot machine design psychology techniques

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