Putting the Brakes on Slot Machine Gambling: Reducing Problematic Gambling Engagement Through Strategic Applications of Friction

Abstract

Slot machines are designed to promote continuous, automatic engagement, often producing a state of deep absorption known as dark flow. The present research examined whether introducing brief in-game friction, implemented as short mandatory pre-spin delays, would be associated with reductions in gambling perseverance and the experience of dark flow. Across two experiments using a simulated slot machine, participants were assigned to either a Friction condition, in which brief lockout delays preceded spins, or a Non-Friction condition with uninterrupted play. Experiment 1 assessed behavioral perseverance as time spent gambling during a voluntary free-play period following mandatory play, along with post-play measures of flow, positive affect, and negative affect. Experiment 2 examined subjective experience during play using real-time in-task thought probes, in addition to retrospective measures. Results indicated that friction was associated with reduced time spent gambling and greater awareness of time passing, while no reliable differences emerged in self-reported flow, enjoyment, or affect across either experiment. These findings suggest that brief, design-level interruptions may reduce gambling persistence while largely preserving subjective engagement, highlighting friction as a potentially scalable harm-reduction strategy.