Video lottery: winning expectancies and arousal

AIMS: This study investigates the effects of video lottery players' expectancies of winning on physiological and subjective arousal. DESIGN: Participants were assigned randomly to one of two experimental conditions: high and low winning expectancies. SETTING: Participants played 100 video lottery games in a laboratory setting while physiological measures were recorded. Level of risk-taking was controlled. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 34 occasional or regular video lottery players. They were assigned randomly into two groups of 17, with nine men and eight women in each group. INTERVENTION: The low-expectancy group played for fun, therefore expecting to win worthless credits, while the high-expectancy group played for real money. MEASUREMENTS: Players' experience, demographic variables and subjective arousal were assessed. Severity of problem gambling was measured with the South Oaks Gambling Screen. In order to measure arousal, the average heart rate was recorded across eight periods. FINDINGS: Participants exposed to high as compared to low expectations experienced faster heart rate prior to and during the gambling session. According to self-reports, it is the expectancy of winning money that is exciting, not playing the game. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of the level of risk-taking, expectancy of winning is a cognitive factor influencing levels of arousal. When playing for fun, gambling becomes significantly less stimulating than when playing for money.