solving the biggest question in social casino | al thomas
TRANSCRIPT
Secrets Revealed:Answering the biggest
question in social CasinoAl Thomas
Managing Director, Product ConsultationEilers & Krejcik Gaming
IntroductionMy first conference as a game developer.
1983 CES Consumer Electronics ShowLas Vegas, Nevada
Secrets Revealed:
Four Big Myths and Misconceptions about Gamblers
Understanding the PSYCHOLOGYof GAMBLING
is important…
…but the NEUROSCIENCEof GAMBLING
helps us truly understand the motivation of
gamblers
The casino gaming industry hates this word…
“Addiction” is a very specific, clinical term
and should not be used lightly
Technology allows us to peer inside
the gambler’s brain while they
are playing a gambling game
The same regions of the brain of a
gambling addict are activated during a
reel spin as when a person with a
chemical addiction is anticipating a “hit”
Just because we know how
players become addicted
doesn’t mean we should turn to the dark side
SLOT DESIGN SECRETS: How to turn players into mindless, money spending, gambling robots
Social casino game mechanics
may inadvertently interfere with the spiral of addiction
Players want their money close…
just not too close!
Having a gambling addict in your casino is
NOT a good thing.
You want to create an
experience that will “figuratively” scares people to
death…
…not one that actually does!
Don’t Forget:Gamblers are a moving target
Veteran players may out grow the thrills
that first excited them
With careful player research
you can really see what players like
and don’t like
“Australians”
“SERIOUS” Gamblers
The “Serious” gambler regularly commits blocks of time and are not
afraid to monetize.
They’re not ADDICTS, they’re FANATICS
Four Myths and Misconceptions about
SERIOUS Gamblers
Myth #1They have FUN
Gambling
Players don’t have fun
GAMBLING
They have funWINNING
A fun, engaging experience can
distract you from the potential
negatives
Pleasure may not be the same thing
as FUN, but it feels pretty good
Myth #2Gambling is
PLEASURABLE
Why have ENOUGH when you can have TOO MUCH
This is the face of PLEASURE
The PAIN of LOSS, the JOY of WINNING and the ANTICIPATION of an UNKNOWN
OUTCOME all combine to create TENSION.
And it’s the RELIEF from this TENSION that creates the PLEASURE of GAMBLING
Pleasure comes from the SCRATCH
…not the ITCH!
Myth #3RELEASE of TENSION is the most important part of a
Casino Game
Just because players love the
SCRATCH doesn’t mean they seek out
the ITCH
OUR job is:To Provide a FUN and ENTERTAINING experience, driven by a mathematical
cycle of TENSION and RELIEF, that ENGAGES players LONG ENOUGH for them to feel the COMPULSION to come back and
play again and again. Until it’s a HABIT
If a movie is engaging
enough then eating popcorn
becomes automatic
•Hardwired for Pattern Recognition
•BF Skinner’s Variable Ratio and Schedule of Rewards
•Zeigarnik effect of Incomplete Tasks
Myth #4If you can’t win MONEY, then it’s NOT GAMBLING
Gambling is not about WINNING money, and it’s not about LOSING money,
it’s about RISKING something of VALUE.
“Cookie Jar Gamblers” don’t use winnings to pay bills or buy food…
Gambling winnings are used for more gambling!
A SERIOUS GAMBLER who LOSES, will put more money in to “RECOVER” losses.
But when they WIN, they often INCREASE their bets and take bigger
RISKS to win some “SERIOUS MONEY”
There’s a reason why casinos prefer to use
“tokenized” chips for wagering
There’s very little difference between
money and “money” in the
mind of a gambler
THANK YOU for your ATTENTION
…and apologies to any Australians in the audience
For information on design, research or consulting services, please contact:
D.J. Leary,Director of Business Development
Addiction can lead to cheating,
negative press, criminal behavior
and the potentially of strict, regulatory
oversight