Center for Gambling Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
J Gambl Stud. 2010 Sep;26(3):361-72. doi: 10.1007/s10899-009-9170-8.
Studies attempting to identify the specific 'addictive' features of electronic gaming machines (EGMs) have yielded largely inconclusive results, suggesting that it is the interaction between a gambler's cognitions and the machine, rather than the machine itself, which fuels excessive play. Research has reported that machine players with gambling problems adopt a number of erroneous cognitive perceptions regarding the probability of winning and the nature of randomness. What is unknown, however, is whether motivations for gambling and attitudes toward pre-session monetary limit-setting vary across levels of gambling severity, and whether proposed precommitment strategies would be useful in minimizing excessive gambling expenditures. The current study explored these concepts in a sample of 127 adults, ages 18 to 81, attending one of four gambling venues in Queensland, Australia. The study found that problem gamblers were more likely than other gamblers to play machines to earn income or escape their problems rather than for fun and enjoyment. Similarly, they were less likely to endorse any type of monetary limit-setting prior to play. They were also reticent to adopt the use of a 'smart card' or other strategy to limit access to money during a session, though they indicated they lost track of money while gambling and were rarely aware of whether they were winning or losing during play. Implications for precommitment policies and further research are discussed.
研究试图确定电子游戏机（EGMs）的具体“成瘾”特征，但结果大多没有定论，这表明是赌徒的认知和机器之间的相互作用，而不是机器本身，促使过度赌博。研究报告称，有赌博问题的机器玩家对获胜概率和随机性的本质存在一些错误的认知观念。然而，尚不清楚的是，在赌博严重程度的不同水平上，赌博动机和对会前货币限额设定的态度是否会有所不同，以及拟议的预先承诺策略是否有助于最小化过度赌博支出。本研究在澳大利亚昆士兰州四个赌博场所的 127 名 18 至 81 岁的成年人中对这些概念进行了探讨。研究发现，与其他赌徒相比，问题赌徒更有可能通过玩机器来赚取收入或逃避问题，而不是为了娱乐。同样，他们在玩游戏之前不太可能支持任何类型的货币限额设定。他们也不愿意采用“智能卡”或其他策略来限制在赌局期间的资金使用，尽管他们表示在赌博时会失去对资金的追踪，并且很少意识到在玩游戏时是赢是输。文中讨论了预先承诺政策和进一步研究的含义。
