Gambling addiction is not to be taken lightly.  And when slot machines have a negative reputation of being the “crack cocaine of gambling”, slot machine fans, especially, need to take heed of this warning. 

Slot machine statistics on society can be menacing.  In Canada, a comprehensive study on slot machines revealed that between 58 and 62 percent of slot machine revenues come from gambling addicts. 

Video slot machines are apparently responsible for roughly two-thirds of gambling addicts in the United States.  In some areas of the country, slot machine addiction statistics are even more outrageous.  Video slot machines are credited with 98 percent of gambling addicts in South Dakota.  During the short period of time when the Iowa lottery sponsored slot machines, gambling addiction hotlines spiked 17 percent.

There is a very nasty saying about slot machines that goes, “hook one person, pay for the machine; hook two people, pay for the bar; hook more and it’s all gravy.”

With a reputation like this, it is no wonder there are so many groups opposed to government sanctioned slot machines.  But, has government prohibition ever really solved a problem?  What cannot be done in the light, will be done in the dark.  And if slot machines went underground there would be absolutely no regulations, making them all the more dangerous to addictive personality types.  The answer is education.

Slot machines are the friendliest games at a casino.  That is what makes them so dangerous.  Unlike many table games, slot machines require absolutely no skill.  They even, many times, offer larger jackpots than table games.  Drop money in, push a button, hope for millions.  It is important the gamblers remember slot machines are computers of pure chance; and the odds are not on the side of the gambler. 

Breaking the myth of slot machines, understanding their inner workings, and learning responsible slot machine gambling practices are incredibly important.  All that information and more can be found here at Learn to Play Slot Machines.  People should be able to enjoy their past times, but, just like alcohol, they must learn when enough is enough.