My Turn To Change

Hi @briellegio

Thank you for your post on  the Gamcare Forum. Please have a look at the following link http://optintoselfexclude.info/home/ for more information on how to self exclude from arcades. 

I would encourage you to get in contact with Gamcare helpline on 0808 8020 133 or come through on our Live chat function so we can look at ways to support you further. We are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I wish you all the best in your recovery,

Forum Admin.

Being zoned or stoned. 

A slot machine ( according to the researcher Natascha dow Schull) contains about 1500 parts and can have up to 200 different people working on them. From technicians to people figuring out the songs etc  Our brains can handle about 10-15 mins of intense lights sounds and wheels rotating etc before it gets to intense and we start to shut down or as I call it get zoned. Once you get into that state no jackpot level matters as it is all about the lights and the sounds that matters instead. There are enough gaming themes to cover every comfort memory that we have since we were young. That is why they push out a new slot a week with everything from Marvel to Tolkien on them. If they find something you can relate to in your life like a good story or movie or  tv series that you have watched then you will be looking at that machine for a little game. Once you start the machine will start to "condition you" which means that with a combination of carrot and whip (wins and losses) it will keep you going for far longer than you should be going on the machine. Now if you look at the fobdies as an example they had up to 43% of people who played them would get addicted or stand risk of getting addicted so the rate of slot addictions are very high in general because if you are not aware of the details behind, you will be blissfully gambling on till your cash is gone or that you will pass out from exhaustion. Once you start understanding how they do it you can also start to prep to get yourself out by not going there at all. 

Best of luck in your recovery!

Wow c43h. What an insight into the way these games are designed. And as you quite rightly say, that a gambler armed with this knowledge has a better chance of taking control, and hopefully stopping altogether.