A slit or narrow opening, especially one for receiving something, as a coin or letter. Also: a position, assignment, or job.
The allure of slot machines can be partially explained by the fact that players can experience a relatively high degree of flow during play (Dixon et al., 2019). While most gamblers consider gambling to be a harmless form of entertainment, a small percentage of players develop severe gambling-related problems that can include mounting financial debt, difficulties with personal relationships, and/or professional struggles (Blaszczynski, Sharpe, Walker, Shannon, & Coughlan, 2005).
Slot games also offer fast feedback – players know when they win or lose. Unlike most other casino games, when a player wins on a slot machine, the machine provides immediate auditory and visual feedback, with celebratory music and amusing animations being more extensive the larger the win amount (Griffiths & Parke, 2005).
These features can be especially appealing to players with prior problematic gambling histories who are particularly susceptible to experiencing dark flow during slots play (Dixon et al., 2014). In addition, the PRP and force measures of reward reactivity were unrelated to problem gambling or depression in a multiple regression framework, suggesting that these measures capture aspects of slots enjoyment that are not associated with problematic gambling. Unlike other psychophysiological measures involving cumbersome electrodes and wires that may reduce ecological validity, the PRP and force measures of reward processing were gleaned from players who simply played their favorite multiline slots on a casino floor.