A favorite game- Slots.
Whether you play at a land based establishment or if you play slots online for real money, they are far the most popular of all the casino games. From the very start when slots were first introduced. They were instantly popular.
While baccarat, blackjack, poker, and roulette are all popular, none of them are quite as well-loved as slots. And why is this? Well, we know they are easy to play and understand, and that is part of it.
Technology is often associated with advancements in gambling. The very first slot was very simple. They were old wooden boxes, with primitive wooden reels, and real poker cards as symbols. Prizes were basic, usually a bar of soap, a free beer, or a pack of gum. But, at the time, they represented the height of innovation in technology.
The advancement of slots.
Today’s slots are very advanced, they have everything from bonus rounds and innovative game symbols, to touchscreen and mobile gaming. One of the things that is notable is always the common denominator through technology, which is always driving slots into new realms of playability. Us.
But what makes us love the slots so much? Let’s have a look at the science behind our love of slots.
The Dopamine of it all.
One of the most notable things is dopamine. Whenever we do something that our brain likes, finding good or beneficial, from eating to procreation, or exercise, a little thing in our brain called a neurotransmitter is released into our brains, this is called dopamine. This is synonymous with pleasure.
Video gaming and playing slots are designed to give greater highs and waves of euphoria to us, as money is at stake the risks are high so when we win occurs a huge amount of dopamine is released.
Each time that this happens, our brains associate slots more and more with pleasure and happiness, and this is why you will find people continue to play and play, and play even if they are losing. They are searching for that rush of happiness, that dopamine, that a win gives.
Control.
Humans love control, we have always been searching for it. However, so much is uncertain, and so we seek out control. Slots play into our desire for more control, despite how uncertain they are. Buttons even on simple items help us to feel in control, especially when pushing them triggers a pre-programmed visually appealing result.
Each time you push to spin on a slot, you are taking control in a way that your brain sees as good. This then releases the Dopamine we spoke about earlier.
No matter how many times you push the button, the same thing will happen, and this makes us love it.
Cognitive Dissonance.
The reason we love slots is very similar to why so many people smoke. The thing that allows smokers to continue to puff on their cigarettes knowing that it shortens their life expectancy is the same thing that allows gamblers to continue to gamble on the slots even though it is likely that they will not win… cognitive dissonance.
Slots provoke cognitive dissonance among players. Each slot machine has an RTP percentage that you can access, this tells you how much money you can expect to lose from each $100 you spend and how much you will win. Despite how this proves you will lose more than you win, you keep playing.
The rush of winning in slots is more than the dread of losing, much like the nicotine rush makes the risks seem worthwhile to a smoker.
