{"id":631,"date":"2025-11-22T16:45:33","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T13:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.netosdimitris.gr\/2025\/11\/22\/why-do-gambling-games-become-more-addictive-the-faster-they-are\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T10:26:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T07:26:48","slug":"why-do-gambling-games-become-more-addictive-the-faster-they-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/netosdimitris.gr\/en\/why-do-gambling-games-become-more-addictive-the-faster-they-are\/","title":{"rendered":"Why do gambling games become more addictive the faster they are?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In public discourse, the player is often portrayed as a “weak character” who “cannot control themselves.” Much less frequently do we discuss the game itself: how it is designed to keep individuals at the table or in front of the screen for as long as possible. <\/p>\n\n

One of the most critical, yet often invisible, elements of this design is speed. How quickly I play, how often I press “spin,” how short the interval is between two bets or two outcomes. <\/p>\n\n

And here the question becomes very specific:<\/p>\n\n

Why does a gambling game tend to become more addictive the faster it is?<\/p>\n\n

1. Speed as a “Structural Characteristic” of the Game<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

In the literature, we refer to “structural characteristics”: the embedded elements of a game that influence player behavior, such as speed, event frequency, how often one can bet, how quickly one is paid, the size of winnings, etc. (Auer & Griffiths, 2022; Griffiths, 1993).<\/p>\n\n

Studies show that games with high event frequency, such as slot machines, online slots, or fast casino games, are particularly preferred by individuals with gambling problems and are associated with greater difficulty in stopping and larger financial losses (Auer & Griffiths, 2022; NSW Department of Customer Service, 2020). <\/p>\n\n

In simple terms: the more frequently you can “play a round,” the more easily the game becomes continuous, without pauses, without time for thought, without a breath.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

2. The Brain in a “Fast Reward Cycle” Mode<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Gambling is not merely “a bad habit.” It is linked to the same reward systems in the brain involved in substance addictions: dopamine, reinforcement learning, reward anticipation. <\/p>\n\n

    \n
  • In fast-paced games, the brain is exposed to:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
      \n
    • Continuous succession of stimuli (sound, movement, lights, results)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
        \n
      • Countless small “outcomes” (small wins, “near misses,” losses disguised as wins)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
          \n
        • Intermittent reinforcement, the so-called “partial reinforcement,” where you don’t win every time, but often enough to keep hoping (Griffiths, 1993).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

          This pattern is extremely powerful for creating repetition and habit. Slot machines, for example, have been described as one of the most potent ways to create “flow”: a state where the player loses a sense of time, money, and even their body (Sch\u00fcll, 2014). <\/p>\n\n

          3. The Short Time Window and the Loss of Thought<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

          Every learning behavior requires a “cycle”: action \u2192 consequence \u2192 processing \u2192 decision on “what to do next.”<\/p>\n\n

          In a slow game (e.g., a classic lottery, a weekly draw), this cycle allows time: the person can think, discuss, regret, make a plan.<\/p>\n\n

          In a fast game like electronic machines or online slots, the interval between two button presses can be a few seconds or even less (Auer & Griffiths, 2022).<\/p>\n\n

          Research shows that as game speed and frequency increase:<\/p>\n\n

            \n
          • The player’s ability to make a conscious pause decreases<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
              \n
            • “Impulsive” decisions increase<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
                \n
              • Persistence in the game is reinforced, even when losses are already significant (NSW Department of Customer Service, 2020).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

                Indeed, experimental studies have shown that when mandatory pauses of a few seconds are imposed, problematic gamblers do not continue longer than non-problematic ones, indicating that speed appears to fuel the difference (Auer & Griffiths, 2022).<\/p>\n\n

                4. It’s Not a “Passion for Risk”; It’s a Product of Design<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

                There is now strong literature indicating that electronic gaming machines (EGMs, slots, etc.) combine a set of characteristics that make them particularly dangerous: high speed, continuous play, easily accessible bets, intense audiovisual stimuli, “near misses,” losses presented as wins (Griffiths, 1993; NSW Department of Customer Service, 2020). <\/p>\n\n

                At the same time, recent policy analyses emphasize that fast, continuous games with high event frequency and a high Return to Player (RTP) percentage are associated with an increased risk of problematic gambling, especially when “dressed up” with intense sensory stimuli (NSW Department of Customer Service, 2020).<\/p>\n\n

                The picture, therefore, is not moralistic (“some people have no self-control”), but systemic: these are products designed to:<\/p>\n\n

                  \n
                • keep the player in a rapid alternation of stimuli,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
                    \n
                  • maximize playing time, and consequently, the money they will lose.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

                    The player was not “born” to get stuck on a slot machine. The slot machine was designed for the player to get stuck on it. <\/p>\n\n

                    5. The Player’s Experience: From Enjoyment to the “Machine Zone”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

                    Many players describe a state where “everything else fades away”: there is no time, no thoughts of bills or obligations, only the machine or screen in front of them \u2013 the so-called “machine zone” (Sch\u00fcll, 2014).<\/p>\n\n

                    In this zone:<\/p>\n\n

                      \n
                    • the brain does not realistically evaluate wins and losses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
                        \n
                      • the player experiences a peculiar “relief” from other emotional burdens<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
                          \n
                        • speed leaves no room for questions like “what am I doing?”<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

                          Empathy is crucial here: many people are not “just chasing profit.” They often seek a temporary respite from anxiety, loneliness, shame, or pressing experiences. Fast-paced gaming offers this respite, albeit falsely and temporarily, again and again, with every button press. <\/p>\n\n

                          Addiction, therefore, is not just an “attraction to the game,” but also an escape from something else. And the faster the game, the more automated this escape can become. <\/p>\n\n

                          6. What Does This Mean for Prevention and Treatment?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

                          If we accept that speed is not a simple “technical” element but a central risk mechanism, then:<\/p>\n\n

                          Harm-reduction measures cannot focus solely on the “responsible player,” but also on the responsible product.<\/p>\n\n

                          Policies such as slowing down game speed, mandatory pauses, restrictions on continuous betting, and the design of less stimulating environments can reduce risk without relying exclusively on individual “self-control” (NSW Department of Customer Service, 2020).<\/p>\n\n

                          At the same time, in clinical practice, understanding speed as a factor in addiction helps us to:<\/p>\n\n

                            \n
                          • de-moralize the player’s experience (“you are not weak; you have been exposed to a very powerful system”)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
                              \n
                            • work on recovering pauses \u2013 to reintroduce time between impulse and action<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
                                \n
                              • address not only the game but also underlying issues: loneliness, trauma, anxiety, feelings of shame.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

                                7. A Different Narrative<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

                                Instead of the simplistic phrase “fast games are for those who don’t know when to stop,” a scientific and empathetic perspective suggests something else:<\/p>\n\n

                                Fast games are designed to make stopping difficult. The player is not “the problem”; they operate within an environment that utilizes every available mechanism to keep them engaged. <\/p>\n\n

                                And precisely because we know this, we can view addiction not as an identity, but as a relationship: between the person, the game, and the context.<\/p>\n\n

                                A relationship that, however strong it may be, can be renegotiated, slowed down, and acquire pauses. And within these pauses, the person can rediscover themselves. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                In public discourse, the player is often portrayed as a “weak character” who “cannot control themselves.” Much less frequently do we discuss the game itself: how it is designed to keep individuals at the table or in front of the screen for as long as possible. One of the most critical, yet often invisible, elements […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[25,28],"class_list":["post-631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-addiction","tag-narrative-therapy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/netosdimitris.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/netosdimitris.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/netosdimitris.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/netosdimitris.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/netosdimitris.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=631"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/netosdimitris.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":632,"href":"https:\/\/netosdimitris.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631\/revisions\/632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/netosdimitris.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/netosdimitris.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/netosdimitris.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/netosdimitris.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}