The video game industry and the gambling industry have more in common than you might think. Game designers today are using sophisticated psychological techniques to make their games more addictive. These techniques trigger the same addiction pathways in the brain that make gambling so habit-forming for many people.
Neuroscience of Addiction
When we take an action that triggers pleasure or excitement in the brain, our brains release dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter. This reinforces behaviors that stimulate dopamine release. Gambling triggers our brains’ reward centers by the excitement of possibility and dopamine release when we occasionally win.
Similarly, many popular video games at Leo Vegaz casino nz today are designed to trigger regular dopamine releases through rewards, leveling up, discovering treasures and other small unpredictable rewards. This is known as a “variable rate schedule” of rewards, leading to the release of dopamine. Gambling functions through the same mechanism, providing surprises and rewards at varying intervals to compel continued play.
Power of Variable Reward Schedules
Research has shown that variable reward schedules can be powerfully addictive. Lab mice and other animals will starve themselves to continue getting variable food rewards from a lever rather than get regular consistent meals. The unpredictability taps into hardwired evolutionary drives to pay attention to uncertain rewards. Gambling addicts will continue gambling for hours due to the same uncertain expectation of reward.
Many video games are now designed to utilize the same types of uncertain, variable rewards to capture attention. Loot boxes containing randomized rewards, points, prizes and leveling up at different rates are all ways game designers take advantage of variable rate schedules. The randomness and surprise of the rewards compel continued play and habit formation over time.
Near Misses and Personal Responsibility
Another important aspect of gambling addiction is the cognitive distortion caused by near misses. When a gambler almost wins but then loses, this is known as a near miss. Psychologically near misses motivate continued play by giving an illusion of control. If you almost won, your brain tells itself that you can get better and win next time with more effort.
In gameplay, near misses also compel people to continue. Coming close to beating a level or opponent motivates trying again and again until finally winning. Getting close signals skill improvement, keeping motivation high. Near misses combined with some wins sprinkled in can drive engagement and habit formation.
Both gambling and gaming also share a narrative of personal responsibility. Wins are viewed as the result of skill while losses are seen as failures that could be overcome with more effort. This motivates continued play to improve skill in a quest for the dopamine rewards of victory. Responsibility gives an internal locus of control.
In reality both gambling wins and in-game achievements rely heavily on random chance. But cognitively this is downplayed in favor of skill responsibility. This distortion allows players and gamblers alike to justify continued play to themselves and others around distortions of skill and capabilities.
Monetization Ethics in Game Design
| Type of Game |
Median Monthly Revenue Per Paying User |
| Puzzle Games |
$32 |
| Casino Games |
$97 |
| Strategy Games |
$88 |
| Action Games |
$36 |
| Adventure Games |
$43 |
*Data source: Swrve Monetization Report 2019
The data above shows how different game genres generate different average revenues, with casino and gambling style games generating almost 3x as much income per paying player as other popular mobile game genres. This reveals that gambling-derived games compel much higher spending on average.
Game designers are well aware of how gambling mechanics can monetize gameplay. Entire conferences and research initiatives help designers focus on maximizing monetization and minimizing player churn through psychological techniques. Multi-billion dollar industries have arisen centered on perfecting gambling-style monetization in games.
However, these techniques also clearly raise ethical issues around manipulating vulnerable populations. Those with poor impulse control or addiction tendencies can be psychologically manipulated into spending thousands of dollars in-game chasing the same variable reward pathways triggered by slot machines and roulette wheels. More consumer protections may be necessary for these games utilizing gambling principles.
Game designers have an opportunity to create positive impacts and mental health benefits through thoughtful game mechanics aligned with motivation and fulfillment. But unfortunately, many popular games today instead focus narrowly on monetization metrics. In light of the mental health crisis facing younger generations today, perhaps it is time we demand more ethical alignment in the games our children play.
