Slot Game Moments That Make Us Feel Close to a Win: Part 2

By Casino Kelly

Recently, I wrote about three slot game moments that make us feel like we’re about to win. The truth is, I had barely scratched the surface.

Slot game designers are incredibly creative. Sometimes I catch myself getting caught up in these moments, even though I know exactly what’s happening.

Here are three more things I’ve learned to watch out for.

1. The Progress Meter Effect

This is one I see all the time in newer slot games. In fact, these games are the most prevalent and popular slots out there right now – the ones players frequently call “Three Pot Games.”

Have you noticed how so many games now have something that’s constantly growing? Maybe it’s giant coin pots filling up, a pig that’s getting bigger with every feature, fireworks slowly lighting one by one, or a progress meter that’s inching closer to the finish line.

I have to admit, I’m guilty of looking for those games. If I walk through a casino and see a machine with huge pots or a progress meter that’s almost full, I naturally wonder if that might be the one to play.

And I can see why those features catch my attention.

Those persistent features create the feeling that you’re building toward something. Even though there’s never a guarantee that the next spin will trigger the feature, seeing all that progress can make it feel like you’re getting closer.

Let’s be honest, how many times have you kept playing because the pig was huge or those pots looked like they were about to burst? I’ve definitely done it.

That’s why I always remind myself of the budget I set before I started playing. If I planned to spend $100, seeing a progress meter at 90% full doesn’t magically change my bankroll. I try, though it is often a challenge, to play as if that screen does not exist.

2. The “It Must Be Due” Feeling

I think we’ve all experienced this one.

You finally decide to walk away from a machine after it hasn’t done much for an hour. Then someone else sits down and, Boom, they hit the bonus.

Suddenly you’re thinking, “Dang it! I should have stayed a little longer.”

I’ve had that happen, and I won’t lie, it’s frustrating.

But the reality is that the machine wasn’t waiting for the next player. The result wasn’t more likely just because someone else sat down.

Slot machines don’t know who you are, how long you’ve been playing, or how much you’ve lost. Every spin is simply another random event. As tempting as it is to connect those dots, they really aren’t connected at all.

If you find yourself thinking this way like I do, it’s best to walk away as soon as you leave a machine so you don’t even see what happens next.

3. The Sunk Cost Trap

This one can be the hardest for me. After I’ve been sitting at the same machine for a while and have already put a good amount of money into it, it’s easy to start thinking, “I’ve already come this far. If I leave now, someone else is going to hit the bonus,” or “It owes me.”

That’s what psychologists call the sunk cost trap.

Our brains hate walking away from something we’ve already invested time and money into. We naturally want to recover those losses. But the slot machine doesn’t know any of that.

It doesn’t know you’ve been there for an hour. It doesn’t know how much you’ve spent. And it definitely doesn’t become more likely to pay simply because you’ve stayed longer.

That’s something I have to remind myself of whenever I find myself wanting to chase a feature or convince myself that I can’t leave just yet.

What I’ve Learned to Watch For

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the key is simply recognizing these thought patterns when they happen, so we are better able to keep emotions in check.

When I catch myself thinking a machine is “ready,” convincing myself I should stay because the progress meter is almost full, or feeling like I have too much invested to leave, I know it’s time to take a step back, maybe go for a walk, and remind myself why I came to the casino in the first place.

At the end of the day, slot games are designed to be entertaining, and they’re very good at creating excitement.

The more we understand why these moments feel the way they do, the easier it becomes to enjoy the experience while still making smart decisions with our bankroll.