This stuff is just evil. Deliberately using a human being's neurophysiology against them to extract every last penny that can be had, and destroy lives as they do it is nasty.
From Casino News Daily, February 3:
UK Gambling Commission Announces Heavy Online Slots Restrictions
With the increase of online gaming options, rose the need for measures to ensure safer experience. For that end, the UK Gambling Commission announced a package of changes that are supposed to strengthen the protections, as well as the control of online slots play.
Measures include introduction of limits on spin speed and a permanent ban on features that increase the game’s speed or “celebrate losses as wins.”
The operators had to go through a consulting period with the public and players, with the gambling industry and other shakeholders. Then they will have to implement new player protection measures, which need to be stronger to ensure safety.
The aim is to make online casino games less intensive and safer by design and as a result, the players will have more control over their gambling.
Online slots were the main focus for the Commission since their features often increase the intensity of play and thus the risk for players. Slot games also hide the highest risk for losses among all the gambling products.
The RulesThe new rules include the ban of four key features on online slots. The feature that speeds up play, thus giving the illusion of control over outcome, slots spin speed, autoplay, which was proven to lead to losing track of players’ play, sounds and imagery that can also create illusions.
It is proven that reverse withdrawal functions lead to bigger temptation for players to continue gambling. On the other hand, the removal of the feature is associated with increase intensity of play among other things.
As part of the new changes, operators must display in a clearer way to players their losses or wins, as well as the time they played during any session.
The Commission also introduced a permanent ban on reverse withdrawals for all online gambling.
The new protection measures must be implemented by all operators by October 31 2021....
...MUCH MORE
Previously on the dopamine channel:
Engineering Addiction Into Your Product: Lessons From the Professionals
The pros in this case being the gaming gurus at Gamasutra, November 13, 2017:L.A. Startup Dopamine Labs Manipulates Your Neurotransmitters to Hook You On Apps (and maybe unhook you)
Compulsion Loops & Dopamine in Games and Gamification....
The obsessive checking behavior some users exhibit is virtually indistinguishable from obsessive-compulsive disorder while the anxiety occasioned by withdrawal sure looks miserable.
We have quite a few posts on dopamine cascades and D4 receptors:
Want to Make Big Money? Engineer A Little Addiction Into Your Product
New
York Fed On "Anxiety, Overconfidence, and Excessive Risk Taking"
(pathological gambling and self-manipulation with booze and blow)
Ethanol: "Why Coffee, Cigarettes and Booze Can Be Good For You"
Your Brain and Financial Bubbles
"Your genes affect your betting behavior"
See also "Pleasure Dissociative Orgasmic Disorder"
Engineer a Little Addiction Into Your Product - Redux
From Dilbert.com:
December 15
December 21
There are three more in the series, very topical.
Previously in non-Dilbert commentary:
Dec. 11
Climateer Line of the Day: Neurotransmitters and Facebook Edition
Dec 3
"The Neurochemistry of Smartphone Addiction"
Sept. 25
Dopamine Labs: "Meet the tech company that wants to make you even more addicted to your phone"
Sept 24
"If You Want To Be Happy, Listen Up. Now! alternative title: The FT's Izabella Kaminska Is...".
And dozens and dozens more including the namesake 2015 post "Want to Make Big Money? Engineer A Little Addiction Into Your Product"
