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Why casinos program slot machines to simulate near misses
Numerous studies over the last two decades have noted the tendency of gamblers to remember their wins better than their losses. Others have noted that gamblers frequently underestimate their losses and claim to have “broken even” for a night or… Read more
New Slot Machines: Who’s Playing Whom?
Ron Dicker of The Huffington Post exposes server-based slot machines, the newest development in government’s failed predatory gambling program: More than a million slot machines inhale $1 billion a day in American casinos. Apparently that’s not enough. The machines are… Read more
Making the experience of losing almost $3500 feel like you’ve only lost $100
A recent column in The Sydney Morning Herald underscores how little knowledge problem gamblers have about the amount of money they are losing. While people often underestimate their spending on various items, like transportation and clothing, the amount of money… Read more
Addictive Nature of Slots Forces Australia to Consider a Policy Change
According to a 2010 Australian Productivity Commission Report, 60% of total poker machine losses in the country were lost by problem gamblers. Now, the Australian government is considering major reforms of predatory gambling policies in the country. This includes reducing… Read more
Why is the U.S. so far behind on “harm minimization” policies?
In his excellent series this week on the technology behind slot machines, John Mangels of the Cleveland Plain Dealer points out that many countries are enacting policies that minimize the harm that casinos and slots inevitably cause to individuals and… Read more
Another major U.S. media outlet exposes the failed government policy of predatory gambling
Following on the heels of the 60 Minutes investigation into slot machines that aired in January, The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Science Writer John Mangels publishes his investigative series into predatory gambling this week appropriately titled “Game of Trance.” The quality… Read more
One of the world’s experts speaks out on electronic gambling machines
Dr. Tim Falkiner, one of the world’s foremost experts on electronic gambling machines, is interviewed on Australian radio as the predatory gambling debate dominates the national agenda in that country. “Pokies” is the term used by Australians to describe electronic… Read more
Government’s biggest dirty secret
The Philadelphia City Paper’s Isaiah Thompson writes another excellent column this week about casinos, this time about the recent hearing on a bill that would allow the revoked Foxwoods Casino license to be re-bid statewide. Thompson writes: “Less cunning was… Read more
Take five minutes to help stop predatory slots
Native American casinos have been a driving force behind the massive expansion of predatory gambling that has overwhelmed the U.S. over the last twenty years. It’s happened in large part because so-called “Class II” slot machines, often called “electronic bingo… Read more
Bally Slots Wins Coveted Title of “Best Slots Manufacturer;” Heads to roll at IGT
On the eve of Super Bowl Sunday, Bally Slots is proudly hoisting its own championship trophy this morning as it won the title of ‘Best Slot Manufacturer’ at the recent 2011 International Gaming Awards. After winning the prestigious award, Bally… Read more
Slot machine designers target kids
International Gaming Technology, the biggest maker of slot machines, offered previews of the company’s machines based on “American Idol” and “The Dark Knight” at last week’s Global Gaming Expo. There can be no question who the target audience is for these machines…. Read more
A huge ripoff even by the standards of a business based on ripoffs
The Baltimore Sun reports Maryland state government agreed this week to pay nearly $50 million to buy about 1,000 slot machines for the planned Cecil County casino. Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, a longtime leader against the government program of predatory… Read more
Big Deception will win the Derby
On the eve of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, much is being written about the economic decline for horse racing. Money bet on horse races, known as the handle, is off nearly 30 percent, to $12 billion in 2009. Casino interests have… Read more
The Glitch
A Colorado woman won $42 million at a penny slot machine but the casino says it was a “glitch” and will not give her the money. This story adds even more credibility to the description of slot machines as a… Read more
Problem machines. Not problem gamblers.
Yesterday there was another major story about the amount of injuries being inflicted by casinos and slot machines. “Slot machines produce a trance-like state,” said Wiley Harwell, executive director of the Oklahoma Association for Problem and Compulsive Gambling. “People lose… Read more
Financial losses, not winning, is the purpose of the new Sex in the City slot machines
The Las Vegas Sun reports about the new Sex in the City slot machine based on the hit TV show. According to the story: Although typical slot machines feature one screen of spinning reels, this game divides the screen into… Read more
Can we now say the slots user has zero chance?
The Las Vegas Sun has a news story today about new technology that will allow the first Vegas casino to network all of its slot machines on the floor, regardless of which company designed the machine. According to the report:… Read more
The new story line about the predatory gambling trade in America
The Massachusetts Legislature held a public hearing on casinos last week and not one of the gambling operators who testified denied that their business model, their product or their marketing was predatory. 1) They did not deny that casinos earn… Read more
One of the most revealing reports about the predatory gambling trade you will ever read
Jim Rubens, leader of New Hampshire’s No Slots effort, distributed an excellent email summary of a must-read report released October 21. Here’s an excerpt from his email: Video slot machines became pervasive across almost the entire Australian nation by 1995…. Read more
Another example why Congress needs to act now against slot machines
A story from Pennsylvania provides us another look behind slot machines and the nefarious regulatory process surrounding them. Three people — including a former borough police officer — are accused in a plot to rig a slot machine at the… Read more
Ohio Supreme Court Strikes Down Slots Proposal
The Ohio Supreme Court did its part yesterday to help get the state and America back on the right track and reaffirm our founding democratic principles. In a 6-1 decision, the Court ruled that voters must have the chance to… Read more
The Top 10 Best Practices in the Predatory Gambling Trade
Yesterday, a “Best Practices in the Gambling Industry” conference sponsored by the predatory gambling trade was held at Suffolk Downs racetrack in Boston. Here are the trade’s Top 10 “Best Practices”: 1) Base your business model on 90% of the… Read more
Rosie the Riveter never relied on gimmicks and false hope
The Bethlehem Sands casino, built on the site of the former Bethlehem Steel which was once a symbol of America’s industrial might, asked the state of Pennsylvania for more slot machines yesterday. When the casino was proposed, the something for… Read more
How is offering free slots play not predatory?
The Connecticut Attorney General announced yesterday the state’s two Native American casinos will pay the state $25 million in slot revenues to compensate for promotions that allowed gamblers to use slot machines for free. State officials said Foxwoods offered some… Read more