The researchers investigated how playing speeds and brief pauses affect people’s ability to control their gambling behaviour. The researchers enrolled adults without problem gambling in their study. They built a slot machine with five playing speeds: fast, moderate, moderate with a brief pause, slow, and slow with a brief pause. They monitored participants’ ability to withhold from gambling as required. The researchers found that faster playing speeds affected people’s ability to withhold from gambling. Arousal played a major role at faster playing speeds. At slower playing speeds, dissociation could affect participants’ control over their gambling behaviour. Also, including a brief pause at a slow speed of play could have unintended consequences.
