Topic
Fruit machine
About: Fruit machine is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 37 publications have been published within this topic receiving 1893 citations.
Papers
TL;DR: In this paper, structural characteristics of fruit machines have been examined in relation to the gambler's behaviour and/or cognitions, and it is shown that structural characteristics have the potential to induce excessive gambling regardless of individuals' biological and psychological constitution and that such insights may help in decreasing fruit machine gambling's "addictiveness" potential and help in formulating effective gambling policy.
Abstract: Determinants of the decision to gamble not only include the gambler's biological and psychological constitution but also the structural characteristics of the gambling activity itself. Such characteristics may be responsible for reinforcement, may satisfy gambler's needs, and facilitate excessive gambling. Showing the existence of such relationships has great practical importance. Not only could potentially ‘dangerous’ forms of gambling be identified but effective and selective legislation could be formulated. This paper outlines a history of the importance of structural characteristics in fruit machine gambling and then discusses the role of a number of distinct characteristics including pay out interval, multiplier potential, better involvement, skill, win probability, pay out ratio, suspension of judgement, symbol ratio proportions, the near miss, light, colour, and sound effects and naming. These are all examined in relation to the gambler's behaviour and/or cognitions. It is shown that structural characteristics of fruit machines have the potential to induce excessive gambling regardless of individuals' biological and psychological constitution and that such insights may help in decreasing fruit machine gambling's “addictiveness” potential and help in formulating effective gambling policy.
384 citations
TL;DR: A survey of U.K. secondary school children (aged 11-16 years) was undertaken to enquire into the prevalence of adolescent gambling and pathological gambling on fruit machines, and related behaviours.
Abstract: A survey of U.K. secondary school children (aged 11–16 years) was undertaken to enquire into the prevalence of adolescent gambling and pathological gambling on fruit machines, and related behaviours. Sixty-two percent of the children gambled on fruit machines, 17.3% at least weekly and 5.7% pathologically. Pathological fruit machine gambling was correlated with gambling for money on other games, cigarette and alcohol use, video playing, parental gambling, playing alone and an early start (8 years or younger). It was not correlated with age, gender or religion, and only weakly with parental occupation. The implications of the findings for future research and social policy are discussed.
184 citations
TL;DR: This paper provided a sociological account of how children and young people orient to fruit machine gambling, based upon the findings of an ethnographic study and presented in the form of a typology.
Abstract: This paper seeks to provide a sociological account of how children and young people orient to fruit machine gambling. The account is based upon the findings of an ethnographic study and is presented in the form of a typology. Arcade Kings and their Apprentices, Machine Beaters, Escape Artists, Action Seekers and Rent-a-Spacers comprise a classification which includes ‘addicts’ as well as ‘social gamblers’. The typology reveals the multi-dimensional nature of fruit machine gambling as a leisure pursuit. It thus provides a theoretical contribution to the sociology of gambling as well as an ‘ethnographic road map’ for researchers and counsellors in the field.
133 citations
TL;DR: In the U.K., the major commercial gambling activity in adolescents is the playing of slot machines (commonly known as “fruit machines”) as mentioned in this paper, and the negative effects of fruit machine addiction have been reported by various helping organizations (e.g. Gamblers Anonymous) and the national press, including allegations of attempted murder, suicide and prostitution as well as a wider incidence of petty crime.
Abstract: In the U.K., the major commercial gambling activity in adolescents is the playing of slot machines (commonly known as “fruit machines”). Over the past few years, the negative effects of “fruit machine addiction” have been reported by various helping organizations (e.g. Gamblers Anonymous) and the national press, including allegations of attempted murder, suicide and prostitution as well as a wider incidence of petty crime. Fifty adolescent fruit machine players from a ‘user population’ participated in a face-to-face interview and questionnaire study examining factors in the acquisition, development and maintenance of gambling behaviour. Nine adolescent males were deemed to be pathological gamblers as measured by the American Psychiatric Association DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria, and a number of serious consequences were reported including gambling debts, truancy and stealing.
120 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the social world of fruit machine playing using data collected via the monitoring of 33 UK amusement arcades employing participant and non-participant observation methodologies.
Abstract: In the UK, excessive fruit machine playing is the most documented form of pathological gambling amongst adolescents. Although there have been a few retrospective questionnaire studies in adolescent fruit machine gambling, there has been very little systematic observational fieldwork into the behaviour. The studies reported explore the social world of fruit machine playing using data collected via the monitoring of 33 UK amusement arcades employing participant and non-participant observation methodologies. The basic aims were to observe the arcade clientele and their behavioural characteristics, and to examine motivations for machine playing. Results suggest that level of adolescent gambling depends upon both time of day and time of year, and regular players conform to rules of etiquette and display stereotypical behaviours when playing fruit machines. The results also suggest that adolescents play fruit machines for a wide range of reasons including fun, to win money, to socialize, to escape and for excitement, and that inland and coastal arcades are frequented by different clienteles, probably as a function of the amusement machine available.
100 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 1998 | 3 |
| 1997 | 1 |