There’s a lot of games with at least one pot, bag or other something that’s going to close, but it’s these three (or now even four) pot/bag/etc. games that really seem to capture players’ attention.
Are casinos using this to cash in on us players? That’s today’s question in a nutshell:
This new rush of games with poppers makes me think casinos found a way to lure you in and stay on a game even though you are losing. I like to leave a game that is losing, but those darn pigs, pots, etc keep growing larger making me think one is going to pop. Do you think casinos are cashing in on these? Do you leave the game when you are losing or stay for the “pop”?
Steven M.
Savvier players know that full pots or bags don’t mean anything as to when a bonus will occur. But many players don’t – we encounter them all the time. And so absolutely this is an example of a feature that gets people to play longer. And even those who know better can get sucked in.
Slots are part psychology. Slot makers have people on staff who study that aspect of what makes slots so enticing. So it’s not surprising that when something works, game makers will lean into that and make it a standard feature of slot machines.
Ten years ago, the launch of Lightning Link brought upon scores of games that played with the concept of what’s known as “cash on reels” – you see the credits right there, and when the bonus or feature triggers you win them. It added another near-miss element that keeps players engaged and interested.
The pots are just another example of this – they add another element of activity to the machine, even though it’s what’s known as “perceived persistence” – it looks like something’s happening but ultimately it’s not.
One little thing to note though – casinos put in the slots that perform, and slot makers are the ones that design the slots. So it’s a bit more the slot makers’ decision than the casinos. But the reality is because we play them, casinos are certainly cashing in on these.
And as far as Brian’s concerned, he’s certainly had his moments of getting pulled into games with an evolving scenario on the screen, but he’ll usually draw the line after awhile, because it just becomes putting good money after bad at a certain point. “I can put another $1,000 in to try to get a $900 major” is something you’ll occasionally hear in his videos, and that’s an example of how he works through the decision.
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I don’t understand how this is legal. As a very occasional and totally amateur player, of course I assumed that the bags or fireworks filling up actually meant something! And I have opened the rules, but they are laid out really poorly and use intentionally confusing language, which of course is the last thing you want to do when you’re having fun at a casino. So I think it’s fair to say this is at best obscured and misleading, and at worst predatory. I know when I play slots that I’m going to lose money on average. But when a machine makes me feel like I’m getting close to something and that’s something turns out to be illusion, that’s intentionally fooling people, and it’s wrong.
Hey Max – fair questions, and important enough to address as its own article. We’ve posted it here!