The term ‘Slot’ refers to a thin opening in something. For example, a postcard or letter can be put through the mail slot at a post office. A slot is also an area in the front of an ice hockey rink that affords a vantage point for attacking players. It can also refer to a time period on the calendar.
For this study, a force transducer was fixed underneath the spin button of each simulator. When depressed to initiate a spin, the amount of pressure exerted was translated into a volt signal recorded by AD Instruments PowerLabs and saved in Labchart. Three separate slots simulators were used. Because the sensors were located within each slot machine cabinet, the sensors did not interfere with gameplay and did not affect the outcome of a spin.
While the majority of gamblers enjoy gambling as a harmless form of entertainment, a small percentage can develop severe gambling-related problems that can result in financial debt, family and relationship problems, professional difficulties, and even involvement in criminal activity (Blaszczynski, Sharpe, Walker, Shannon, & Coughlan, 2005). In order to mitigate gambling harms, it is important to understand what makes slots so appealing to some individuals.
The most prominent reason why people like to play slot games is the elation they get from it. This elation is characterized by feelings of enjoyment, accomplishment, and gratification. These feelings are often ascribed to the exogenous reining in of attention by the machine and the intermittent rewards that are presented. Dixon and colleagues have referred to this state as dark flow and have found that the level of enjoyment in slots play is directly correlated with ratings of dark flow.