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Gambling types differ on a number of structural characteristics. One structural characteristic is the time between making a gamble and knowing the outcome. In lotteries, there is usually a long delay, often several days, between buying a ticket and knowing the winning outcome. In other games, such as instant lotteries and EGMs, the delay is very short and may only be a few seconds; people can immediately begin gambling again in these types of games. Research shows that people with gambling problems prefer faster games and rate those games as more exciting.
EGMs are considered one of the most harmful types of gambling. Aside from the fast rate of play, EGMs have a few other structural characteristics that may lead to harmful gambling. One appealing characteristic of EGMs is “bonus features”, often being offered as free spins. Additionally, EGMs celebrate wins with bright lights and sounds so that people who gamble begin to associate the lights and sounds with winning. Games with bonus features and celebratory feedback are attractive to people with gambling problems.
Modern EGMs allow people to bet on multiple lines at the same time. Multi-line games have losses disguised as wins (LDWs), which occur when the winning amount is less than the wager. Even though the amount “won” is less that what was bet, the “win” is accompanied by the same celebratory lights and sounds. In this way, people often mistake LDWs as actual wins and react to them in the same way as they would a win. With LDWs, people often overestimate the number of wins that have occurred during a gambling session.
“Near-misses” are another game feature that can be harmful. A near-miss occurs when the outcome is very close to a win but falls short (e.g., getting two out of the three jackpot symbols needed to win a prize on a scratch card). In EGMs, both LDWs and near-misses have been reported to motivate people to keep playing despite their losses. People with gambling problems are particularly vulnerable to the effects of LDWs and near-misses.
Structural characteristics of certain gambling types can increase the illusion of control. That is, people mistakenly believe that they can control the outcome of the game. Illusion of control can cause people to continue gambling despite their losses. Early wins during a gambling session can also cause an illusion of control. Research indicates that people with gambling problems have greater illusion of control than people without gambling problems.
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