Slot Machines Research Articles

Minimization of Torque Ripples in Multi-Stack Slotted Stator Axial-Flux Synchronous Machine by Modifying Magnet Shape

This paper presents a proposed model of a multi-stack slotted stator axial-flux type permanent magnet synchronous machine (AFPMSM) specifically for reducing torque ripple. The proposed AFPMSM model uses pentagon-shaped permanent magnets (PMs). It has a low value of cogging torque and torque ripples compared to the conventional model with a trapezoidal magnet shape. Additionally, it has increased internal generated voltage (Ef) as compared to the conventional model. To further enhance Ef phases and minimize cogging torque of the proposed model, the proposed AFPMSM model was optimized by varying different sides of PMs using a genetic algorithm (GA). A time-stepped three-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis (FEA) was performed for the comparative analysis of conventional, proposed, and optimized AFPMSM models. From this comparative performance analysis, it is observed that torque ripples and cogging torque of the optimized AFPMSM are significantly decreased, while output average torque is appreciably increased. Ef and output power are also enhanced.

Commentary – The “KSL” school culture slot machine

Commentary – The “KSL” school culture slot machine

Behavioral analysis of habit formation in modern slot machine gambling

ABSTRACT Habit formation is a key process in contemporary models of addictive behaviors but has received limited attention in the context of gambling and problem gambling. Methods for examining habit formation and expression in relation to gambling are also lacking. In this study, 60 participants with no prior slot machine experience attended three sessions spaced 6–8 days apart, during which they played a short 200-spin session on a realistic simulation of a modern multi-line slot machine. Behavioral data were analyzed to characterize habit formation within and between sessions. Fixed-effects regressions, integrating trial- and session-level effects, assessed predictors of gambling speed (spin initiation latencies) and betting rigidity (the likelihood of switching the bet amount), as two putative markers of habit formation. Participants gambled faster and showed less variability in betting strategy as they accumulated experience in the number of trials and sessions gambled. Simultaneously, as the number of sessions gambled increased, participants showed a more pronounced tendency to slow their betting after larger wins (i.e. the post-reinforcement pause increased from session 1 to session 3). Our methods provide a basis for future research to examine habits in the context of slot machine gambling.

Increasing harms for bingo players: digitisation, commercialisation and regulatory inadequacy: a multi-site case study

BackgroundBingo is often understood as a low-harm form of gambling. This view has been challenged by a growing body of literature identifying gambling harm to bingo players in a range of countries. In this study, we aimed to identify which conditions enabled, facilitated, intensified or mitigated gambling harm for bingo players in three populations in Victoria in the context of corporate, technological and regulatory changes.MethodsOur qualitative study investigated experiences of bingo-related gambling harm in three populations in Victoria, Australia where bingo was popular and structural disadvantage common: Indigenous people in the east, Pacific people in the state’s north and older people on low or fixed incomes in the capital. Data was generated through interviews with 53 bingo players and 13 stakeholders as well as 12 participant observations of bingo sessions.ResultsWe found that while bingo is overwhelmingly positive for many players, a minority of bingo players and their families experience notable harm. Harm was generated through traditional paper-based bingo games, new technologies such as tablet-based bingo and by the widespread tactic of placing bingo sessions in close proximity to harmful electronic gambling machines. Overall, the risk of harm to bingo players appears to be escalating due to commercial, technological and regulatory changes.ConclusionsThese changes can be better managed by regulators: reforms are needed to safeguard bingo’s distinct character as a lower-risk form of gambling at a time when it, and its players, are under threat. Significantly, we found that harm to bingo players is intensified by factors external to gambling such as racialised poverty and adverse life events. Strategies that recognise these factors and grapple with gambling harm to bingo players are needed.

The price elasticity of casino gambling: a case study in Argentina

ABSTRACT This paper expands on the scarce literature about the demand for casino gaming, particularly on electronic gaming machines (EGM). A dynamic panel data model is proposed for estimating the price elasticity of demand for slot machines in casinos located in Argentina. As far as we know, no similar study for Argentina or any other Latin American country has been previously conducted. In our study, the estimation of the elasticity coefficients was carried out by means of a procedure that corrects the construction bias generated by the model, something that has not been applied in the literature so far. The results, unlike most of the literature, show elasticity values greater than one in absolute value. Additionally, elasticities observed for touristic regions were greater (in absolute value) than for non-tourist areas.

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Semi-Analytical Calculation of the Unsaturated Magnetic Field Distribution of a Slotted Spoke-Type Interior Permanent Magnet Machine With Conformal Mapping Method

The performances of an electric machine are closely related to magnetic field, and the magnetic field calculation is the basic work of machine design and optimization. In slotted spoke-type interior permanent magnet (IPM) machines, the analytical calculation of magnetic field is complicated because the boundary of machine is difficult to model. Therefore, this article introduces a conformal mapping (CM) method to calculate the magnetic field semi-analytically. First, the interior magnet is transformed into the surface-mounted magnet to reduce the complexity of boundary conditions. The air-gap magnetic field of the slotless spoke-type IPM machine is calculated by using the boundary conditions of the transformed surface-mounted permanent magnet machine. Then, based on the magnetic field of the slotless air gap, the magnetic fields of the slotted air gap and teeth are also calculated by the CM method. All the semi-analytically calculated magnetic fields are directly verified by the FEM simulation and indirectly verified by the comparison of torque and back EMF. In addition, the comparison of computation time between the semi-analytical method and the FEM shows that the semi-analytical method is time-saving.

Can slogans prevent gambling harm?

Can slogans prevent gambling harm?

Autonomic responses during Gambling: the Effect of Outcome Type and Sex in a large community sample of young adults

Psychological theories consider autonomic arousal to be a reinforcer for problem gambling. Structural characteristics such as near-misses, which are non-win events that come close to a real win, have been shown to elicit win-like responses while increasing motivation and gambling persistence. This study investigated the autonomic and subjective responses of young adults to different gambling outcomes. This study also investigated sex differences in autonomic and subjective responses to different gambling outcomes.Participants from Sweden (n = 270) performed a computerized slot machine task that produced wins, near-misses (before and after payline) and full-misses. Phasic measurements of heart rate (HR) and skin conductance responses (SCR) were recorded during gambling performance and ratings of perceived chance of winning, pleasure and motivation to play were collected following each gambling outcome.Autonomic responses differed across slot machine outcomes as indicated by HR and SCR. Compared with other gambling outcomes, near-misses elicited the largest HR accelerations, and they also elicited larger HR decelerations and SCRs relative to full-misses. Near-misses before and after payline elicited differential psychophysiological responses and subjective reports, suggesting different emotional processing of near-miss subtypes. Females showed increased SCRs and motivation following win outcomes compared with males.In conclusion, wins, near-misses and full-misses generate differential physiological and subjective responses among young adults. Autonomic responses to wins differed between male and female players, emphasizing the need to consider sex differences when investigating the role of autonomic arousal in gambling.

Nudge versus sludge in gambling warning labels: How the effectiveness of a consumer protection measure can be undermined

Legal gambling is a large industry in many countries. One way some governments try to protect people from losing more than they can afford is by requiring warning labels on gambling machines and their online equivalents. Prominent labels that make the odds of winning clear serve as nudges: They promote a beneficial behavior (such as deciding that the risk of losing money is too high) without interfering with choice (such as by restricting the availability of gambling). However, if gambling operators use labels that are difficult to understand, find, or read, those messages instead hamper decision-making and thus become sludge. In this article, we report on new research into whether gambling labels in the world's largest regulated online gambling market (the United Kingdom) are more consistent with nudge or sludge. We found that gambling operators overwhelmingly used sludge strategies when posting required gambling warning labels: For instance, they framed the message using a confusing format, applied a small font size to the text, and placed the warning on obscure help screens. We therefore propose that public policy officials throughout the world establish requirements for the wording and presentation of gambling warning labels to ensure that gamblers are well-informed about the odds they face.

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Phenotype of Gambling Disorder Patients with Lotteries as a Preferred Form of Gambling

Lottery gambling can become an addictive behavior which can significantly interfere with daily functioning. The objectives of this work were to estimate the prevalence of lottery gambling, to assess the profile related to this gambling type in a large clinical sample of patients who met criteria for gambling disorder (GD), and to compare this profile with the other two non-strategic forms of gambling (slot-machines and bingo). Sample included n = 3,531 patients consecutively attended for treatment-seeking due to gambling-related problems. All the participants met criteria for GD and were into the range of 18 to 85 years old. Sociodemographic variables, GD severity, psychopathological state, and personality traits were assessed. Statistical comparisons between the groups defined by the patients’ gambling preference (lotteries versus other gambling activities) were conducted, with chi-square test and analysis of variance. The prevalence of lotteries as the only gambling activity was 2.5%, 8.9% for lottery gambling as primary activity with other secondary gambling types, and 20.6% for lotteries as primary or secondary gambling activity. Lottery gambling and bingo gambling were more prevalent among women (bingo included the highest percentage of women). Compared to slot machine gambling, lotteries and bingo grouped older patients and those with later age of onset of the gambling-related problems. Bingo gambling showed the highest psychological distress and the most dysfunctional personality traits. This study shows the high frequency of lottery gambling among treatment-seeking for GD patients, and it provides empirical evidence about the profile associated with this gambling activity compared to other non-strategic gambling forms. The likelihood of lottery gambling is higher for women, patients married or living with a stable partner, and those within higher social position indexes.

The Formal Zigzag of the shapes of the volumetric structures as an influential on their functional performance Towards a Zigzagging Verticality in the 21 st Century

The vertical masses with their boxy shapes dominated the cities in the world as one of the most important product that invested the outputs of the industrial revolution, spreading from Chicago to New York and from there to the whole world to the Arab cities. Functionalism is no longer the only reason for moving vertically in the volumetric masses, it has become by time a field for ​​​​competition for height, contrary to Earth's gravity. Those architectural structures with boxy forms transformed into a space that relies on a lot of machines which are necessary to operate these stacked floors, whether for heating, air conditioning or even lighting, what made them a burden that drains energy in an era that calls for sustainability, and negatively reflected on the environmental functionality performance which related to lighting, solarization or shading, and natural ventelation. they also produced many negatives, such as social isolation, away from the nature, strangeness of scale and lack of Harmony with the context, which was also reflected on the formal performance. So, meeting the needs of users with the existence of these vertical masses in their current forms seems unfulfilled to the design requirements. As a reaction, these negatives constituted as catalysts that made the transformation and the reconsidering of the design of the shapes of the volumetric structures are inevitable, taking into account the visual aspect and the sky line, getting rid of monotony and boredom and allowing a better quality of life, especially with regard to housing. The research deals with those morphological variables that affected the functional performance of the building, and aims to monitor the variations of the transformation cases that have occurred on the shapes of the vertical boxy masses since the beginning of the current century, through the approach of the analytical method of projects which the zigzag cases depended on their variable and extracting the effect of zigzag stimuli on the transformation of the formation and the nature of the zigzag, and then linking them to extracting functional or formal performance indicators as required by the purpose by comparing all previous cases. The research concluded, that the result lies in a close study of the relationship of the form and the function by reconsidering the shapes of the envelope line of the vertical mass and its relationship with the sky line and the way it moves from the horizon to the vertical such as zigzag and gradient moving or zigzag in the composition to increase the receiving surfaces and to improve the environmental functional performance or even perforating the boxy envelope to create a corner apartment and to get a direct connection with nature. The final indicators show that despite the different method of the zigzag, the largest percentage of zigzag goal is related to the environmental aspect to raise the functional performance of the building. The research recommends strengthening the role of the duality (the form- the function) by linking the shape of the structure to the desired needs and non- repetition without studying the validity of the form used for the intended time and place.

House-edge information and a volatility warning lead to reduced gambling expenditure: Potential improvements to return-to-player percentages

Cost-of-play information is one public health intervention recommended to help reduce gambling-related harm. In the UK, this information is given on electronic gambling machines in a format known as the “return-to-player”, e.g., “This game has an average percentage payout of 90%.” However, previous evidence suggests that this information could be improved by equivalently restating it in terms of the “house-edge”, e.g., “This game keeps 10% of all money bet on average.” A “volatility warning,” stating that this information applies only in the statistical long-run, has also been recommended to help gamblers understand cost-of-play information. However, there is no evidence comparing these information provisions’ effect on gamblers’ behavior. An experiment tested US gamblers’(N = 2433) incentivized behavior in an online slot machine, where this information was manipulated between-participants along with a counter showing the total amount bet. Preregistered analyses showed that participants gambled significantly less when house-edge information or a volatility warning were shown compared to standard return-to-player information, with no effect of the total amount bet counter, and no significant interaction effects. However, these significant findings had small effect sizes, suggesting that a public health approach to gambling should not rely on informational provisions only. Subject to supportive evidence from more ecologically-valid designs such as field studies, these results suggest that improved cost-of-play information could lead to reduced rates of gambling expenditure and therefore benefit a public health approach to gambling.

Gambling and Financial Stress

In recent years, gambling harm has been considered a significant public health concern due to its increasing socioeconomic costs. Although the adverse effects of gambling have attracted research interest, evidence of its effect on financial stress remains largely anecdotal. This study empirically examines the link between individual problem gambling severity and financial stress using panel data from the household, income and labour dynamics in Australia survey. After addressing endogeneity, we find that problem gambling severity is positively associated with self-reported financial stress. Thus, problem gambling severity tends to increase financial stress. This finding is robust to alternative measures of financial stress and gambling behaviour—whether gambling is measured using the problem gambling severity index, gambling risk statuses, number of gambling activities, or gambling expenditure. The positive effect of gambling on financial stress is largely driven by gambling activities involving scratch cards and poker machines. Although males exhibit higher levels of problem gambling severity, females are more financially stressed than males. Our findings also suggest that gambling widens the gender gap in financial stress. Further analysis reveals that financial resilience mediates the gambling-financial stress relationship. This implies that promoting policies that enhance financial resilience can help to insulate individuals against the effects of gambling on financial stress.

Quick Hits: In case you missed it.

Quick Hits: In case you missed it.

In the Future, We Held Each Other, and: Last Day

In the Future, We Held Each Other, and: Last Day Jane Wong (bio) In the Future, We Held Each Other In the future, we held each other like pea tendrils, trellised by breath, grief. And we kept holding, soupy sun spilling across our facesthe morning after heartbreak, after rage so thick we needed to help each other cough the grit out. We poured vinegar on the grit, softened itand put it in a jar. We held onto our names, called them back across so much migration and found characters barnacled in empty spaces. Our names were salty, but delicious. Our ghosts found stockpiles of abandoned superglue and started to piece back teeth, limbs, languages, bowls,countries. My grandmother glued back her jade necklace and pink sandals, stretched her anemone toes through the band like a very goodyawn. We gleamed in the holding, in the softening, a bee's coat patchworked with gilded lingering. We kissed and kissed and opened the jar. Last Day When I say my father gambledour restaurant away, I mean he hit the guardrail on the Jersey Turnpikeand did not see stars and engine smoke but aces andcigars and the wailing lights of [End Page 151] ambulatory slot machines. As helay in that ditch, I imagine the crushed soda can home ofsome mouse, shaking its little mouse fist at my father, bleary-eyed-dreamer, warbled-wrecker, saying what the fuck! That was myhome you smashed! A month later: stoves turned off, register emptied, fryerall flat with bits of burnt wontons like some galactic otherworldof grease. We all stood in front, fattened pigof hope: gone. My mother cut my hair right before the doorsclosed, ten inches of it, and I still don't know why. Shehanded me my braid, which I kept, ends sharp as skewers andheavy as a rack of ribs. [End Page 152] Jane Wong Jane Wong is the author of Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City (Tin House, 2023), How to Not Be Afraid of Everything (Alice James, 2021), and Overpour (Action Books, 2016). Copyright © 2022 University of Nebraska Press

Correlates of gambling and gambling problems among Rhode Island young adults: a cross-sectional study.

Numerous states in the USA have legalized sports betting due to recent legal decisions by the US Supreme Court. Here, sociodemographic correlates of current gambling and specific gambling activities associated with symptoms of gambling problems were identified. Cross-sectional data were obtained from the 2020 Rhode Island Young Adult Survey (RIYAS). RIYAS participants (n = 540) were a convenience sample of 18 to 25 year olds who lived in Rhode Island for at least part of 2020. Data were collected from May to October 2020. Four gambling activities were assessed (i.e. sports betting; betting on races; gaming tables at a casino; poker machines at a casino). Logistic regression models assessed main effects. 22.4% engaged in one or more gambling activities. 11.5% of participants had any gambling problems. Odds of gambling activities were higher among men; Black, Indigenous, People of Color; older young adults; and essential workers. Odds of gambling problems were 2.4 times higher among participants who engaged with sports betting. Gambling activities are common among several population subgroups, and participation in sports betting may be a risk factor for the development of problem gambling. Comprehensive prevention policies are needed.

Embodied Gambling—Investigating the Influence of Level of Embodiment, Avatar Appearance, and Virtual Environment Design on an Online VR Slot Machine

Slot machines are one of the most played games by players suffering from gambling disorder. New technologies like immersive Virtual Reality (VR) offer more possibilities to exploit erroneous beliefs in the context of gambling. Recent research indicates a higher risk potential when playing a slot machine in VR than on desktop. To continue this investigation, we evaluate the effects of providing different degrees of embodiment, i.e., minimal and full embodiment. The avatars used for the full embodiment further differ in their appearance, i.e., they elicit a high or a low socio-economic status. The virtual environment (VE) design can cause a potential influence on the overall gambling behavior. Thus, we also embed the slot machine in two different VEs that differ in their emotional design: a colorful underwater playground environment and a virtual counterpart of our lab. These design considerations resulted in four different versions of the same VR slot machine: 1) full embodiment with high socio-economic status, 2) full embodiment with low socio-economic status, 3) minimal embodiment playground VE, and 4) minimal embodiment laboratory VE. Both full embodiment versions also used the playground VE. We determine the risk potential by logging gambling frequency as well as stake size, and measuring harm-inducing factors, i.e., dissociation, urge to gamble, dark flow, and illusion of control, using questionnaires. Following a between groups experimental design, 82 participants played for 20 game rounds one of the four versions. We recruited our sample from the students enrolled at the University of Würzburg. Our safety protocol ensured that only participants without any recent gambling activity took part in the experiment. In this comparative user study, we found no effect of the embodiment nor VE design on neither the gambling frequency, stake sizes, nor risk potential. However, our results provide further support for the hypothesis of the higher visual angle on gambling stimuli and hence the increased emotional response being the true cause for the higher risk potential.

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