Addiction By Design: Machine Gambling - In Las Vegas

Based on fifteen years of research in Las Vegas, Schüll explores how the gambling industry—from casino floor layouts to the complex math of slot algorithms—is meticulously engineered to keep players in a state she calls Key Concepts

Schüll details how every element of a modern slot machine is optimized for "time-on-device." This includes ergonomic chairs, touchscreens that eliminate physical effort, and "losses disguised as wins," where the machine plays celebratory music even when the payout is less than the original bet. Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas

A trance-like state of "suspended animation" where the player’s sense of time, space, money, and self-identity dissolves. Unlike traditional table games (like poker), machine gambling isn't about winning big; it’s about "the rhythm of play" and staying in the zone as long as possible. Based on fifteen years of research in Las