Recent studies have shown that the gambling industry has been bolstered by slot machine success with reports of up to 85% of profits coming from the addictive gaming machines. Whilst most people associate the lure of casinos to table games such as poker and roulette, it is in fact the many rows of slightly less glamorous, noisy machines that have been making the industry such a high profit margin.

What is it that makes slot machines so attractive? We’ve looked at the example of Slotomania Video slots which is an online slots casino that can be bought via Itunes. They say there is a ‘social’ aspect to their game as well as having over 50 different types of slots. In theory, you would think that latter would make no difference as the game itself is the same whatever the background colour or whether you are winning with a leprechaun’s pot of gold or three Bengal tigers. However, psychologically, having different games and icons is extremely important to the success of slot machines. The vast majority of people consider something or someone “lucky” and so that person will normally play the game that includes the iconography that they associate with. It is this clever analysis of the psychology of people, mixed with the setting of the games that has led slot machines to be so addictive and successful.

There is also another important reason for the success of slot machines within the gambling industry. In the early 1990s there was a movement towards allowing casinos, especially in the US, to become legal. This was appeased by passing legislature that made slot gaming machines legal. It was far easier for the politicians involved to push through “gaming machines” than it was to have games such as blackjack and poker made legal. It is only 15 years later that these kind of games are finally being considered for legality. As a result of this headstart, slot machines have become extremely popular and are made especially attractive by the large jackpots they can offer thanks to the precise technology used by casinos to exercise control over the amount of paybacks given.

Will slot machines continue to be the heavy hitter in the gambling industry? Probably not once gambling is made more accessible to the American public, but it will undoubtedly remain a big player in the industry due to its pragmatic personalisation and relentless addictiveness.

However you choose to gamble, we hope that you won’t take it too far. Casino gambling and sports betting can be addictive and lead to a wide range of lifestyle problems. If this is an issue for you, please click here to learn more about addiction and it’s treatment.