TY - JOUR

T1 - An initial investigation of individual rate-of-play preferences and associations with EGM gambling behavior

AU - Worhunsky, Patrick D.

AU - Rogers, Robert D.

N1 - This work was supported in part by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA; DA000167).

PY - 2018/12

Y1 - 2018/12

N2 - Electronic gambling machines (EGMs) show a strong association with gamblingproblems. The high speed of gaming offered by modern EGMs allows playing numerous games in a short span of time, which is thought to contribute to attentional distraction, increased spending and prolonged play. However, the relationship between EGM speeds and potentially risk-related gambling behavior remains unclear. We introduce a novel approach to investigating the role of gaming speed in EGM gambling behavior by examining ‘individualrate-of-play’ (I-ROP) during simulated EGM gambling. A community sample of male regular gamblers (N=72) played virtual slot machines in pairs offering sequentially adjusted game speeds towards the estimation of a behaviorally expressed preference speed, or I-ROP. This initial experiment aimed to explore the variability of I-ROPs during simulated EGM gambling, and examine behavior while playing EGMs at speeds relative to their I-ROP.Estimated I-ROPs ranged from less than one half second to over seven seconds and were negatively associated with cognitive ability, but not related to problem gambling severity, impulsiveness, or gambling-related cognitions. Subsequent gambling sessions on EGMs offering individually calibrated faster and slower gaming speeds were associated with greater and reduced risk-related gambling behaviors respectively. I-ROPs represent a potentially informative construct for exploring influences of gaming speed on gambling behavior, and may lend insight into potential risk-related behavior an individual vulnerability with respect to commercially available EGMs that warrants additional research.

AB - Electronic gambling machines (EGMs) show a strong association with gamblingproblems. The high speed of gaming offered by modern EGMs allows playing numerous games in a short span of time, which is thought to contribute to attentional distraction, increased spending and prolonged play. However, the relationship between EGM speeds and potentially risk-related gambling behavior remains unclear. We introduce a novel approach to investigating the role of gaming speed in EGM gambling behavior by examining ‘individualrate-of-play’ (I-ROP) during simulated EGM gambling. A community sample of male regular gamblers (N=72) played virtual slot machines in pairs offering sequentially adjusted game speeds towards the estimation of a behaviorally expressed preference speed, or I-ROP. This initial experiment aimed to explore the variability of I-ROPs during simulated EGM gambling, and examine behavior while playing EGMs at speeds relative to their I-ROP.Estimated I-ROPs ranged from less than one half second to over seven seconds and were negatively associated with cognitive ability, but not related to problem gambling severity, impulsiveness, or gambling-related cognitions. Subsequent gambling sessions on EGMs offering individually calibrated faster and slower gaming speeds were associated with greater and reduced risk-related gambling behaviors respectively. I-ROPs represent a potentially informative construct for exploring influences of gaming speed on gambling behavior, and may lend insight into potential risk-related behavior an individual vulnerability with respect to commercially available EGMs that warrants additional research.

KW - Electronic Gambling Machines

KW - Rate of play

KW - Gambling behavior

KW - Gambling preferences

KW - Problem Gambling

KW - Gambling disorder

U2 - 10.1007/s10899-017-9737-8

DO - 10.1007/s10899-017-9737-8

M3 - Article

VL - 34

SP - 1067

EP - 1083

JO - Journal of Gambling Studies

JF - Journal of Gambling Studies

SN - 1573-3602

IS - 4

ER -