Does Providing Accurate Information About Slot Machines Alter How Participants Play Them?

Authors

Jeffrey N. Weatherly, University of North Dakota
Ellen Meier, University of North Dakota

Abstract

It is a commonly held belief that irrational thoughts held by gamblers can pro-mote gambling behavior and ultimately pathological gambling. Some evidence exists to support this view, but little experimental work demonstrates that con-fronting these beliefs will lead to a decrease in gambling behavior. Eighteen non-pathological participants were given the option to play a slot machine for money. After gambling in two sessions, they were given accurate information about the independence of turns programmed by a slot machine, the negative rate of return of a slot machine over time, or both. Participants were then given the option to gamble in two subsequent sessions. Results showed that the intro-duction of the accurate information significantly decreased gambling, but did not eliminate it. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed across groups that received the different types of information. The results support the idea that gambling behavior is at least partially rule governed, but also indicate that information alone is unlikely to get individuals to stop gambling.

Recommended Citation

Weatherly, Jeffrey N. and Meier, Ellen (2008) "Does Providing Accurate Information About Slot Machines Alter How Participants Play Them?," Analysis of Gambling Behavior: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 1.
Available at: https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/agb/vol2/iss1/1