Can you recommend any literature on the topic of these "tricks"? If you're not in the industry, awareness is probably the best weapon against these practices.
Even more basic than this -- games as far back as the original Zelda use it (and I'm sure further) -- is intermittent variable reward[0]. This little cognitive meathook has been almost weaponized at this point.
I'm not who you're responding to, but I like this longread from the Verge about the specific design of slot machines that fuel addictive behaviour by users:
> As a result, modern slots pay out on approximately 45 percent of all spins, instead of the 3 percent of traditional slots.
I do not get this. slots pay out (RTP Return To Player) is around 90%. The article mixes volatility with RTP.
> Lower-volatility games often have greater appeal in 'locals markets' than in destination resort markets like Las Vegas or Atlantic City
This looks correct.
> During "flow," time speeds up (hours feel like minutes) or slows down (reactions can be made instantly) and the mind reaches a state of almost euphoric equilibrium.
Most sensible regulations force you to send reminders to the players that interrupt this flow. On-line betting usually has harder regulations, as to play in a casino you need to physically get there but on-line is always available.
Usually in high regulated markets each spin should last at least 3 seconds. This is so you cannot get a fast continuous flow, but the pace is forcefully slowed down.
Physical casino slots and on-line slots are slightly different as products and regulation wise.
> "People only have so much leisure time and there’s a lot of activity on iPhones"
Slot machines are competing against Candy Crush (and Royal Charm Slots from the same company), Netflix, YouTube, etc.
> Eyal criticized slot machines for what he said was a business model dependent on addicted players — "that industry, I have a problem with," he said.
And the solution is to regulated it in a way that the most addictive aspects are not possible to implement. Or to prohibit it completely, not just to move it underground. If anyone expects that the industry is going to regulate itself they are for a hard ride. No industry does that for real.
