Bright lights, big losses: how poker machines create addicts and rob them blind

Charles Livingstone, Monash University

Australians lose A$20 billion on gambling every year, $11 billion of which goes on poker machines in pubs and clubs. Why, then, are pokies so attractive? And why do we spend so much on them?

Ubiquity is one reason. The high intensity – the rapid speed of operation and relatively high stakes of betting up to $10 per “spin” – is another.

But there’s also a more insidious mechanism at work here: the basic characteristics of poker machines, combined with constantly refined game features, stimulate the brain in a way that, in many cases, leads to addiction with symptoms similar to those associated with cocaine use.

Poker machines cultivate addiction by teaching the brain to associate the sounds and flashing lights that are displayed when a punter “wins” with pleasure. And since the pattern of wins, or rewards, is random, the “reinforcement” of the link between the stimuli and pleasure is much stronger than if it could be predicted.

Into the machine

Poker machines, invented in the late 19th century, were originally mechanical, usually with three reels and a fixed and limited number of symbols available for display on the win line. Contemporary pokies are fully computerised. Usually housed in a retro-designed box, they refer to the old-fashioned simplicity of their predecessors. But they are as chalk and cheese compared to their mechanical forebears.

Today, the gambling machine industry employs an army of engineers, programmers, composers and graphic designers to produce increasingly sophisticated games and machines, with more ways of persuading people to part with their cash.

At the heart of the modern pokie is a series of random number generators. These are constantly operating and, when the button is pushed, the answer is instantly known. Each number corresponds to a “reel” symbol – pokies still appear to have reels that roll around when the button is pushed, but this is an illusion.

In Australia, unlike some other jurisdictions, the order of symbols on each of the visual reels must be constant, but the number of symbols can be different on each reel. This includes winning symbols.

Old, mechanical pokies had a limited number of “stops” because of the limitations of physical space. Electronic pokies have no such limitations. And the difference is profound. A mechanical pokie with three reels, 20 symbols on each reel, including one prize symbol, would have winning odds of 1/20×1/20×1/20, or one in 8,000.

A contemporary pokie will often have major prize odds of one in 10 million or more. The number of symbols on each reel is not limited by physical space, so the odds of a major win can be tweaked by limiting the number of winning symbols on certain reels.

A five-reel game may have two winning symbols on each of the first three reels, each of 60 symbols in total. The last two reels may have only one winning symbol, with 80 total symbols. This configuration would produce odds of 2/60×2/60×2/60×1/80×1/80, equal to one in 230,400,000.

This maths is at the heart of machine design. A slot game is just a spreadsheet. But it’s a spreadsheet with a lot of enhancements.

Tricking the brain

These configurations will regularly produce “near misses”. These occur when winning symbols appear on some lines, but not all. Experimental work has revealed that the brain stimulus produced by such “near misses” can be almost as significant as those produced by a win. The level of reinforcement is thus dramatically increased, without any need for the machine’s operator to actually pay out.

Current pokies also allow multiline bets, whereby users can select all available lines to bet on in a single spin. Mechanical machines were limited to a single line of three reels. Pokies now allow users to bet on 50 or more lines, configured from the video display of five reels and three lines.

The line across the middle is one such line, as are those above and below that line. But patterns of symbols are available in bewildering arrangements, combining lines and reels and multiplying the minimum bet by many times. A one-cent credit value game can thus be configured to allow at least a 50-cent minimum bet per spin if 50 lines are selected.

Most regular users report that their preferred style of use is “mini-max” – that is, the minimum bet with maximum lines. In a strange way, this reveals risk-averse behaviour. There’s nothing worse than seeing a win come up on a line you’re not playing, as a regular pokie user once explained to me.

How multiline poker machines work

But regular users will also increase their stakes when they can. This is to provide for the possibility of bigger payouts, or in some cases because they believe – incorrectly – that doing so will increase the chances of a win.

Pokies also allow the credits bet per line to be multiplied, often by up to 20 times. Thus, a one-cent machine becomes a device capable of allowing bets of $10 per spin. Each spin can take as little as three seconds.

For this reason, the Productivity Commission calculated that such machines could easily average takings of up to $1,200 per hour. But this is an average, and it’s not uncommon to observe people spending $400 or more on poker machines in as little as ten minutes.

Machines that accept banknotes allow significant amounts to be “loaded up”. In New South Wales, pub and club pokies can accept $7,500 at any one time.

The other capability provided by multiline poker machines is a phenomenon known as “losses disguised as wins”. This allows users to experience a reward from the game even when they’ve actually lost money.

If you bet on each of 50 lines at one cent per line and win a minor prize on one line (say, 20 credits), for instance, the machine will provide suitable reinforcement – sounds, lights and sometimes a congratulatory message – and acknowledge the credits won. But you’ve actually lost 30 cents.

This allows the amount of reinforcement delivered to the user to be magnified significantly – often doubled. Thus, the user feels like they’re winning quite regularly. In fact, they’re losing.

So what does all this stimulation do? Brain chemicals, particularly dopamine, are central to this process. Brain imaging has shown in recent years that the pattern of dopamine release that occurs during a gambling session is strikingly similar to that of cocaine and other addictions.

Poker machines are essentially addiction machines that have been developed over a long period of time to be as attractive to their users as drugs are to theirs.

This article is part of our special package on poker machines. See the other articles here:

15 things you should know about Australia’s love affair with pokies

How real are claims of poker machine community benefits?

Charles Livingstone, Senior Lecturer, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. (Reblogged by permission). Read the original article.

 

Health Check: what are the options for treating hay fever?

Janet Davies, Queensland University of Technology; Connie Katelaris, South Western Sydney Local Health District, and Danielle Medek, ACT Health

If you’re one of the 15% of Australians who experience hay fever, you might have spent the last few weeks sneezing, itching and trying to control a runny nose and cloudy head.

Seasonal hay fever is usually caused by pollen from trees, grasses and weeds. In Australia, the major triggers are spring-flowering grasses such as ryegrass, but also summer-flowering Bahia, Bermuda and Johnson grasses.

So what’s the best way to manage your symptoms with medication?

Decongestants

Nasal decongestant sprays are effective for unblocking noses. They work very quickly by constricting the blood vessels in the lining of the nose. They’re also useful for opening the nasal passages to allow better access for other, more long-term nasal sprays, which we’ll discuss below.

But beware – they can’t be used for more than a few days before they cause “rebound” problems, where the nose becomes even more blocked.

Oral decongestant tablets aren’t as effective as nasal sprays. They’re most commonly used in combination with antihistamines. Together, these two drugs tackle most of the symptoms of hay fever.

Oral decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine, don’t cause rebound symptoms. But they’re stimulants and have unpleasant side effects such as sleep disturbance, irritability, raising blood pressure and urinary retention. So they’re for short-term use only.

Antihistamines

Antihistamines are the most commonly used over-the-counter medications. They’re very effective for alleviating itchy, runny noses and sneezing. But they’re less effective for blocked noses, which in the longer term, becomes the most prominent symptom.

There are two major classes: the older, sedating drugs, such as Benadryl; and the newer, less- or non-sedating drugs, such as Zyrtec, Claratyn and Telfast.

Sedating antihistamines are generally not recommended for hay fever as they cause problems aside from drowsiness. They have unfortunate interactions with alcohol and some other medications, leading to significant risks when driving or operating machinery.

The non-sedating antihistamines as a class are safe, effective and relatively quick-acting. Most act within one to two hours and have a 12-to-24-hour duration of action. There are no meaningful differences in safety and efficacy between the new antihistamines with active ingredients such as cetirizine, loratidine and fexofenadine.

Take an antihistamine before you come into contact with allergens. Harry Rose/Flickr, CC BY

Antihistamines work best when used before allergen exposure, if this can be predicted. So, if you’re going bush walking or picnicking on a warm windy spring day, take an antihistamine before venturing out.

Contrary to popular belief, our bodies do not “get used to“ antihistamines and their effectiveness does not lessen over time.

Two topical antihistamine sprays are available, both of which are effective and can work more quickly than tablets or syrups.

Antihistamine eye drops can ease the irritation and discomfort of itchy eyes more effectively than antihistamine tablets.

Nasal steroid sprays

These are the Rolls-Royce of treatments for hay fever and are especially useful for those experiencing regular or severe symptoms. They will dampen down all the symptoms of hay fever and are particularly good for managing nasal blockage in a safe manner.

A number of different nasal steroid sprays are available, some over the counter.

Because they’re a preventative treatment, they must be used on a daily basis to be effective. Ideally, treatment should start at the very beginning of the hay fever season to stop the development of allergic inflammation in the lining of the nose. They also need to be applied correctly to the nose in order to prevent irritation.

Contrary to popular belief, these are very safe medications despite the name “steroid”. Intranasal steroid sprays are applied and are active in the nose; only the smallest amounts reach the general circulation.

Nevertheless, their use should be monitored in children, particularly if they are also using inhaled corticosteroids as an asthma preventer medication.

The most common side effect of nasal steroid sprays is nasal bleeding. This can occur even if used correctly.

Immunotherapy (allergy ‘vaccines’)

Immunotherapy involves administering doses of allergen extracts at gradually increasing doses. The aim is to “re-educate” the immune system to down-regulate the allergic response, reducing allergic symptoms affecting the airways.

This treatment has been available for more than a century, but these days two forms are used: injections and sublingual (under-the-tongue) drops or tablets. This should be prescribed by an allergy specialist who determines the correct “vaccine” for the therapy.

Talk to your doctor if over-the-counter treatments don’t work. William Brawley/Flickr, CC BY

Immunotherapy is expensive and is typically given for three to four years. However, in the long term, it may be more cost-effective than treatments just targeting the symptoms.

Immunotherapy is an effective treatment but there is still work to be done in refining pollen allergen immunotherapy to optimally cover the spectrum of grasses in Australia.

There are many safe and effective over-the-counter treatments for hay fever symptoms, though some treatments may suit you better than others. If you continue to experience symptoms, talk to your GP about other treatment options.

Janet Davies, Associate professor, Queensland University of Technology; Connie Katelaris, Professor of Immunology and Allergy, UWAS & Head of Unit, South Western Sydney Local Health District, and Danielle Medek, Ecophysiologist; junior medical officer, ACT Health

This article was originally published on The Conversation. (Reblogged by permission). Read the original article.

 

What philosophers think

Footnotes to Plato

Philosophy is often accused of “not making progress,” a statement usually accompanied by an implied — and sometimes overt — sharp contrast with science, which obviously makes progress.

In a forthcoming book for Chicago Press I suggest that it is actually significantly more difficult than one would think to make precise sense of the idea of progress even in science (which doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, of course!). But for now I have explored a specific aspect of the charge that philosophy doesn’t make progress, in twoessays that appeared recently at The Philosophers’ Magazine online.

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The science-pseudoscience demarcation problem

Footnotes to Plato

I finally made it! I was invited by Nigel Warburton as a guest on his Philosophy Bites, likely the most downloaded podcast in philosophy. The man has so far accumulated 352 interviews with some of the most interesting contemporary philosophers, including recently Jesse Prinz (on whether everything is socially constructed), David Owens (on duty), Kimberley Brownlee (on social deprivation), Shelly Kagan (on specieism), and many, many others.

And, now, yours truly. Our conversation focused on one of my main interests, the so-called “demarcation problem,” which is what Karl Popper called the issue of how to distinguish between science and non-science, and in particular between science and pseudo-science. For anyone wanting a more in-depth treatment, my friend Maarten Boudry and I have put out a collection of essays on this topic, published by Chicago Press.

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The Problem of Evil: Still A Strong Argument for Atheism

James Fodor

Introduction

In this article I will consider the problem of evil, one of the main arguments against the existence of an all-good and all-knowing God. This article is written largely in response to a conference on the problem of evil I attended recently at which Christian apologist John Dickson presented keynote lectures. As such, much of my discussion, in particular the ‘inconsistency response’ which I critique at length, are inspired by his remarks at this event. However this piece is designed to stand alone, and so is not structured as a point-by-point critique of Dickson’s arguments. Instead, I discuss a number of issues which I think are of relevance to this question.

First I begin by presenting a simple ‘naive’ argument from evil, setting the groundwork for a discussion and critique of a common rebuttal to the argument, namely that the problem of evil requires a presupposition of theism and…

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Two favorite philosophers: Bertrand Russell and Gilbert Ryle

Footnotes to Plato

Here comes another of my occasional conversations with my colleague Dan Kaufman of Missouri State University. (Incidentally, he and two other former collaborators to my now archived Scientia Salon webzine have just started an excellent new project, The Electric Agora.)

This time we simply each picked one philosopher that was highly influential in our careers, or who has somehow shaped our way of thinking about philosophy, and chatted about it for a bit. I think the episode is worth checking out, it came out much better than the above somewhat lame description may suggest.

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What makes weird beliefs thrive? The epidemiology of pseudoscience

Footnotes to Plato

Maarten Boudry, Stefaan Blancke and yours truly have published a paper on what we call the “epidemiology of pseudoscience.” Here is the abstract, to give you an idea:

What makes beliefs thrive? We model the dissemination of bona fide science versus pseudoscience, making use of Dan Sperber’s epidemiological model of representations. Drawing on cognitive research on the roots of irrational beliefs and the institutional arrangement of science, we explain the dissemination of beliefs in terms of their salience to human cognition and their ability to adapt to specific cultural ecologies.

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Pointing the Bone at RMIT Osteopathy

Victorian Skeptics

Readers of this blog will already know I’m somewhat skeptical of the claims made by the proponents of osteopathy. If you’re at all unsure about where osteopathy sits in relation to current science, I’d recommend reading my previous post on the topic.

RMIT University offers a degree course in osteopathy. I went along to RMIT’s Open Day to take a look at how osteopathy is promoted to prospective students looking for an interesting career in the health sector.

Osteopathy is a kind of quaint, old-fashioned, pre-scientific health care system. Practitioners generally offer forms of joint manipulation and massage in addition to the usual advice offered by many health practitioners – lifestyle, exercise and food. It can be quite hard to distinguish the treatments offered by osteopaths from those of chiropractors. The main difference between osteopathy and chiropractic is historical. The founder of osteopathy was Andrew Taylor Still…

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Harry Frankfurt ‘On Bullshit’