Zoe Chen

Researchers have studied personality traits to identify those traits that influence the gambling activities chosen by a gambler.

A comparative study by Hwang (2007) confirmed that poker-machine players and traditional push/pull-machine players possessed different personality traits.

By applying Cattell’s 16 personality factors, Hwang found that video-poker players presented a more dominant personality trait than push/pull slot machine players, who conversely showed a more submissive personality.

Fang and Mowen (2009) found that compared to card game players, sports bettors and promotional games bettors (e.g., sweepstakes players, slot machine players were low in competitiveness and arousal needs and high in impulsiveness and materialism.

Demographic differences have been noted in preferences for specific types of gaming activities. Conventional wisdom says that slot machine gamblers are poverty-stricken, geriatric widows spending their retirement checks on the slot machine, which study after study disproves.

National surveys conducted by Harrah’s (2006) show that indeed there are more women than men in the United States who prefer slot machines, but their median age is around 46 years with a median annual household income around US$55,000.

Casino Atmospherics Researchers have also studied casino atmospherics, or the physical environment’s effect on the gambling behavior of slot machine players while inside the casino.

Scholars using this approach have examined the effects sound and music (Dixon, et al., 2010; Noseworthy and sizzling hot deluxe slot, 2009), floor layout and theme (Lucas, 2003; Mayer and Johnson, 2003), and other casino atmospherics elements (e.g., noise level, lighting, odor, etc.) on the length of time a gambler spends on the slot machine floor.

Lucas (2003) and Suh and Erdem (2009) suggested that increased service quality could enhance the overall slot gaming experience, which in turn should generate positive word-of-mouth and intent to revisit the casino.

Mayer and Johnson (2003) linked the atmospherics dimensions with customer satisfaction and found that theme, employee uniforms, and noise level in a casino had significant effects on a slot player’s satisfaction with the gaming experience