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Overview
Slot machines (sometimes called Fruit Machines), Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs), and Electronic Gambling Machines (EGMs) are three forms of electronic gambling. They are often considered one of the more risky and addictive forms of gambling.
Key Points
Electronic forms of gambling allow for a quick rate-of-play. Structural characteristics of the game (such as near wins, losses disguised as wins, and stopping devices) may also lead gamblers to believe they are winning more than reality and may contribute to the development of cognitive distortions about gambling.
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References
Smith, G. J., & Wynne, H. J. (2004). VLT gambling in Alberta: a preliminary analysis: final report. Alberta Gaming Research Institute.
Richard T.A. Wood, Mark D. Griffiths, Darren Chappell, and Mark N.O. Davies. CyberPsychology & Behavior. July 2004, 7(1): 1-10. doi:10.1089/109493104322820057.
Loba, P., Stewart, S. H., Klein, R. M., & Blackburn, J. R. (2001). Manipulations of the features of standard video lottery terminal (VLT) games: Effects in pathological and non-pathological gamblers. Journal of Gambling Studies, 17(4), 297-320.
Jensen, C., Dixon, M. J., Harrigan, K. A., Sheepy, E., Fugelsang, J. A., & Jarick, M. (2013). Misinterpreting 'winning' in multiline slot machine games. International Gambling Studies, 13(1), 112-126.
Breen, R. B., & Zimmerman, M. (2002). Rapid onset of pathological gambling in machine gamblers. Journal of Gambling Studies, 18(1), 31-43.