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Slot machines have been around for quite some time now. The story begins back in the 20th century when The Liberty Bell Machine was presented as the world’s first slot machine.
Decades later, slot machines can be found everywhere - in brick and mortar casinos, at online casinos and even on mobile devices. Players seem to love these seemingly simple games and they can’t stop spinning the reels that every now and then treat them with mouth watering prizes. Hence, the question that many people ask themselves is: “What makes slot machines so addictive?”
1. Developed by mathematicians to produce the right amount of winning spins. According to some researchers slot machines are developed by mathematicians that set the system to give out prizes every once in a while. This way people are neither bored by constant winning nor frustrated by continual losing. The one who have noticed this reinforcement occurrence was BF Skinner after performing an experiment using a pigeon and a box similar to a slot machine. Apparently, the pigeon was more likely to continuously pull the lever of the box if there was a prize randomly falling out. In comparison, getting a prize every single time or extremely rarely resulted with the pigeon losing interest in pulling the lever over and over again.
2. Availability of slots on both desktop and mobile devices. Modern technology made it possible for slots fans to play high quality reel games from the comfort of their home or on the move. This is another reason why slot machines are so addictive - they are easily accessible. For example, there are many sites such as Video Slot, www.videoslot.com, that offer players instant access to a vast number of attractive classic reel games, video slots and progressives. There is also a full game tutorial for every slot game and the option of practicing it for free right on the web.
3. Provide escape from reality. Natasha Dow Schull is an associate professor at MIT that has published a whole book about gambling addiction and how it works. Her 15-year long research has shown that when playing slot machines people go into a trancelike state called “the zone.” This helps them escape reality and forget about everyday problems for hours.
4. Game play is simple and fast-paced. There are all kinds of slots that feature breathtaking graphic effects, authentic sounds and special features. The variety of games is additionally spiced up with simple and fast-paced game play. All players have to do is find the game that seems the most interesting to them and then pull the lever over and over again. There are no rules or tricks - just keep the reels spinning and you are good to go.
5. Small bet can result with a huge jackpot. Last but not the least, the hope of hitting a massive multi-million jackpot with an insignificantly small bet is one of the main factors that make slot machines so attractive. Many stories focus on lucky punters whose lives have been changed forever after they had hit a £1 million jackpot. Who wouldn’t like to be in their skin?
