A slot can refer to a PC Card slot, USB port, or an expansion slot on a motherboard. It is also an element of a computer game that lets players win bonus spins, re-spins, and other prizes by clicking a button on the screen. These bonus games can include a wild multiplier, a progressive multiplier, and other features that boost winnings or provide additional entertainment.
While a majority of gamblers enjoy gambling as a form of harmless entertainment, a subset of players may experience severe gambling problems (Blaszczynski et al., 2005). These problems can range from mounting financial debt to problems with interpersonal relationships and professional difficulties. Thus, it is important to understand the allure of slots in order to develop effective strategies for reducing problematic gambling.
This article describes two psychophysiological measures of reward reactivity, which gauge how much players enjoy playing their favorite multiline slot machine. Unlike other psychophysiological measures that require cumbersome electrodes and wires, these measurements are unobtrusive and are gleaned from the same machine that players play on casino floors. The measurements are made by placing a force transducer underneath the spin buttons on three separate slot simulators housed in a casino cabinet. The force applied to the spin button is converted into a voltage signal recorded by an AD Instruments PowerLabs machine and saved in LabChart software. The PRP and force as a function of win size measures were found to be highly correlated with positive affect ratings, but were not positively correlated with PGSI scores or depression scores. These results suggest that these measures can account for aspects of slot enjoyment that are distinct from the enjoyment attributable to dark flow.