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How slot machines are designed to be addictive

theguardian.com

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Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#31

Post by dsnuh »

byron_fast wrote: post #18

It may be this stuff is true for current slot machines, but it isn't immediately obvious if you try one. In fact, current slot machines are an incoherent mess. When I played recently, I couldn't tell whether I had a near-miss or even a win until credits counted upward. I couldn't feel any excitement because I didn't know what was going on. It would have taken me several hundred dollars worth of play to even understan…

No kidding. Feels like it should have a QR code on the machine. you can use to download an app that explains what is happening. Or at least a PDF of the probably 10 page payout schedule. And to even get to whatever 3D Ellen Simpsons Plants vs Zombies Wheel of Fortune Jeopardy bonus round. Oh, and those penny slots? Great deal. Only have to wager about $5 per pull to get the good jackpots. Couple that with the strip casinos putting lights on top to signal whether your play has been enough to receive comped drinks.

I'll stick to craps, thanks.

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#33

Post by syntheticcdo »

dbatten wrote: post #22

These "articles" with embedded scroll-hijacking garbage have got to stop. I really wanted to read about slot machines but I'm not suffering through that. Does this need to be a new hn flag? This is the second of these today.

This one is better than some. At least the content is still scrolled naturally, and only the media on the right is locked. Nothing is worse than a site that is completely hijacked, where no matter how many rolls of the mouse wheel, you have the wait and see each downward animation one at a time.

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#34

Post by sirclueless »

AgentME wrote: post #30
joezydeco wrote: post #6

The original patent on virtual reels was granted in 1984 and is known in the industry as the "Telnaes patent" https://patents.google.com/patent/US4448419A The original design of virtual reels was more about decreasing the jackpot odds, since a high-payout combination was no longer bound to the physical stops on the reels. Machines that offered higher jackpots were more appealing, and also gave birth to things like pr…

Using a random number generator to pick the spot a wheel stops spinning is enough for a patent?

That's the title, but the main innovation was using a random number generator to choose from among more positions than symbols that the physical wheel possesses, thus allowing different odds for different symbols. The interesting bit comes from claim 8 and 9:

> a random number generator for selecting one number from a plurality of numbers each representing one of said different angular rotational positions, said plurality of numbers exceeding the number of rotational positions of said reel such that a plurality of numbers represents some of the reel positions; and

...

> assigning a different quantity of numbers to each position to obtain the win odds desired.

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#35

Post by nickevershed »

dbatten wrote: post #22

These "articles" with embedded scroll-hijacking garbage have got to stop. I really wanted to read about slot machines but I'm not suffering through that. Does this need to be a new hn flag? This is the second of these today.

This isn't scrolljacking. Scrolljacking generally refers to modifying the normal or expected scrolling behaviour. This has a single sticky section floated over the top of a normally scrolling page.

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#36

Post by sirclueless »

Buttes wrote: post #16
mschuster91 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember reading an article years ago where a video-poker machine manufacturer "trained" the machine using real playing behavior of famous poker stars... For German machines I can say they're not a target market for ML or other "experimental" stuff given the ultra strict regulations here. More or less illegal online casinos however are the new Wild West of the gambling industry.

There have to be verifiably fair ethereum gambling contracts right?

I've certainly seen gambling sites around bitcoin, where there is an indelible audit trail if not an actual enforceable contract.

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#37

Post by joezydeco »

sirclueless wrote: post #34
AgentME wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Using a random number generator to pick the spot a wheel stops spinning is enough for a patent?

That's the title, but the main innovation was using a random number generator to choose from among more positions than symbols that the physical wheel possesses, thus allowing different odds for different symbols. The interesting bit comes from claim 8 and 9: > a random number generator for selecting one number from a plurality of numbers each representing one of said different angular rotational positions, said plur…

You have to remember this was invented in 1982. Using RNGs, stepper motors, and mapped tables was certainly enough for a patent in that era.

Re: How slot machines are designed to be addictive

#40

Post by elvirs »

ive been to casinos many times, played slot machines many times. dont find them fun or addictive at all. those machines dont make even a smallest suggestion that i would ever win any serious amount playing them. people addicted to slot machines are basically stupid
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