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WVU professor studies potentially addictive nature of slot machines

By WPXI.com News Staff

Slot machine Slot machine (Pixabay)

By WPXI.com News Staff

An assistant professor at West Virginia University is studying slot machines to see what makes them potentially addictive.

Mariya Cherkasova will “reverse engineer” some elements of slot machines to determine what makes them an immersive product, according to the university.

The hope is to better understand the addictive nature of slot machines.

Subjects will play several versions of a simulator.

Cherkasova told WVU Today that some versions of the game will include bells and whistles while others will not.

How often and how much players win will also be manipulated.

To test “immersion,” Cherkasova will also track players’ eyes while they play.

Studies have shown slot machines are associated with harm more than other gambling mediums, like the lottery, WVU Today reports.

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