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The Psychology of Slot Machines

The psychology of slot machines involves all the factors that make both playing, and the ability to stop playing, equally enticing and difficult. The use of basic psychology, coupled with the clever design makes the slots machine the casino's biggest earner. The ease of play, with almost zero input from the player, makes these games a favorite as there are no rules or strategies to master. Though other casino games offer much more in monetary value, the slot machine still rules all casino games.

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Image source: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Introduction: The Psychology of Slot Machines

Most slot players don’t see themselves shoving huge amounts into the slot machines they’re playing. Yet these machines are by far the biggest earners for all casino games. Apart from some Las Vegas casinos which cater to high rollers and the super-wealthy, the lowly slot machine brings in between 65% – 80% of all gambling revenue. That’s a massive amount of cash. So just how does a slot machine generate such returns for the casino business? It’s all down to the psychology of slot machines. Let’s have a look…

Ease of Gambling

If you were dropped on your head as a baby or even were a visitor from outer space, the minute you sit in front of a slots machine, you would be able to start playing more or less straight away. The bar for playing is set very low indeed. And it’s one of the main reasons why these machines are so popular. Slot machine designers realize that when it comes to the psychology of slot machines, they should keep things simple. Then they’ll be able to attract more players. Back in the day, you needed to pull a lever. But they added the “spin” button to make life even easier on the laziest of players. If you’re playing online, the gameplay is just as simple. Check out King Billy Casino to see what we mean.

The Casino RTP Illusion

Looking at the odds on a slot machine, you’re bound to come up against the acronym, “RTP.” This stands for Return To Player and is the amount of money a player can expect to win back. It’s expressed as a percentage, over a period of some time. So, if the slots machine at hand has an RTP of 90%, this means that you’re going to be getting back 90% of your wagers. Or are you? In the casino, nothing is quite as it first seems. Many players will make between 400 – 600 spins each and every hour that they play. Remember that though this number might seem very high, the actual process of playing is extremely fast. It’s just a repetitive cycle of “spin-stop, spin-stop.” Some casinos even advertise slots with 99% RTP. And they still make money!

So let’s assume that each wager for each spin is $2. That makes $1,000 if you spin 500 times. Yes, the RTP is exactly as advertised. But you will not be thinking in terms of a number of spins. This means you’ll be losing $150 in this example. And don’t go thinking that your winnings will cover this. The odds of getting money out of these machines into the customer’s pocket are very slim indeed. Playing online jackpot sites like King Billy Casino and the money goes out even faster.

The Psychology of Slot Machines: Near Misses

As far as the designers building in psychological tricks, nothing really comes close to the idea of “near misses”. Essentially this is a turn that falls just short of the requirement to activate a prize. Our primitive lizard brain is hard-wired towards progress. So slot machines can make use of this basic human trait. When we were running around in bearskins, a near miss when hunting would heighten your senses. This would then motivate us to try that much harder to achieve a positive result at the next opportunity. It’s this psychological building block that’s been hacked by the slots designer.

If you get four out of five right, though you’re certainly no closer to hitting the jackpot. But the psychology of slot machines makes your mind think of this as a near miss. It, therefore, encourages you to try again in order to do better the next time. This is where the “next spin will be the winner” idea comes from. The reward center of or minds also gets triggered. Thanks to the psychology of slot machines this all leads to a player sitting in front of the slots machine, playing jackpot games, and never quite wanting to give up and walk away. This near-win is reinforced by the slot machine. It makes all the noises and sounds of a win, fooling the player into thinking they have done better than in reality.

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Instant Gratification

Otherwise known as the “concept of immediacy.” Another part of the brain to be exploited is that which leads to the idea of instant gratification. In the modern age, this way of thinking is much more prevalent than some years ago. We want it now! No one wants to wait, either for things, riches or knowledge. Just look at how successful Amazon has become thanks to this phenomenon. The slot machine is the embodiment of this way of thinking. The fact that you can spin the reels at 600 times per hour is incredible. At this speed, you’re barely able to register what’s going on with the reels in front of the player.

Slot Machines Prey on the Vulnerable

We shouldn’t hide from the fact that nearly all gambling is done by those addicted to it. Though you might enjoy a quick spin on the slots machine, you are in the minority, with just 3% of all gamblers contributing to 97% of the whole business. The psychology of slot machines, along with their design is also a huge contributing factor to their “play-ability.” That is, keeping players hooked and unable to step away. As with all things in life, some people are more affected by certain stuff than others. There’s a recognized mental state which is commonly referred to as “ slot zombie.” This alludes to the fact that some players almost “zone out” when playing. They lose all track of time, having a total disregard for their surroundings. All their focus is going onto the slot machine’s screen itself.

In an experiment using new players and those who’d played before, it was found that the latter group fell into this trance-like state much faster than those who were new to slots machines. Many experiments in a similar vein have found that jackpot slots machines are designed to both create and then encourage compulsive behavior. The machines themselves are equipped with all the necessary stimulus to keep the players playing. While at the same time stopping their minds from wandering onto other things that might adversely affect their rate of play. It’s all clever but slightly under-hand stuff. For those people who are indisposed towards this simple mental setup, there’s very little they can do to escape.

Conclusion: The Psychology of Slot Machines

Slots machines are certainly here to stay. They are by far the most popular and biggest earning items in the whole casino business. It’s not surprising that thanks to the psychology of slot machines, with their clever mental tricks involving the game’s design. It drives the players to play and keep playing. We are not fans of slots for the simple reason that they are not good value. They suffer from terrible RTP. There’s really no way to increase your jackpot winning chances. We suggest that you invest some time and energy in learning some proper table games. Not only are they more fun and more sociable, but your chances of winning are much, much greater.