There have been scientific studies undertaken that ask why so many of us enjoy retro-based nostalgia. Some experts claim that as many as four regions of the brain are stimulated when we engage with beloved items or content from our past – creating a wave of euphoria and, in some people, a sense of bittersweet longing for days of yore.
However, when it comes to retro gaming in particular, often those feelings of euphoria are matched by a sense of ‘this isn’t as good as I remember it being’. For example, consider the old-style slot machines, where players pulled the mechanical arm to make the reels move.
These games were often prone to jamming, lagging and even mechanical failure… sometimes, swallowing the player’s cash without spinning properly. Compare and contrast that to the online slots available today at the operators listed at https://legalcasino.uk/high-roller/. These slots are completely fair and impartial thanks to the random number generator coded into them, while the stated Return to Player (RTP) rates reveal how a game may theoretically pay out over a large number of spins.
With retro slot machines, the RTP wasn’t stated and the randomness, created by the movements of the cams on which the reels were spun, could fall victim to mechanical breakdown. So, in years gone by, regulations weren’t anywhere near as stringent on the gambling industry as they are today. And, as a general rule, slot machines wouldn’t be tested for fairness and randomness as often as contemporary slots, either.
How Retro Slot Machines Work
The origins of the slot machine can be traced back to the late 1800s, when Charles Fey invented his fabled ‘Liberty Bell’ game.
This was as basic as it came: three spinning reels featured five distinct symbols each, with players hoping to match three of a single symbol on the central payline. This was, at the time, a truly innovative gaming experience.
Although slot machines became somewhat more sophisticated and innovative in the years that would follow, their fundamental construction essentially remained the same as Fey’s original mechanical build. The player would pull on the iconic mechanical arm, which was intricately attached to the reels via a series of cams and gears, before a reliable ratchet locked in place to determine which symbols were set in place once the reels had finally finished spinning.
If a winning combination of symbols landed on the reels, a sensor within the machine would trigger the payout mechanism – this would see the stated prize tumble out of the slot as a hail of coins.
In 1963, slot machines had their ‘Bob Dylan goes electric’ moment, with the purely mechanical function replaced by electro-mechanical gaming. This allowed for more interactive features, such as the nudge and hold button, to be introduced.
By the early 2000s, online slot games were being developed to take advantage of the digital revolution. Their build was entirely different, with each symbol assigned a number. If the game had five reels, for example, then a five-digit code is created at random for each spin – the numbers determining which symbols appear where on the reels.
Even though online slots are the most popular today, you can still find electromechanical slot machines in many casinos around the world – as well as fully mechanical slots owned by retro enthusiasts.
The Emotions of Gambling
Whether you play retro slot machines or ultra-modern online slots, the result is a series of psychological stimuli not unlike those experienced when engaging in nostalgia.
A winning spin of the reels releases endorphins and stimulates the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) of the brain. And, of course, such feelings can be addictive in some people.
There’s also the emotional response of chasing losses, triggered by feelings of inadequacy and frustration, while some studies have suggested that gambling loss can stimulate the ‘fight or flight’ part of our brain – some choose to ‘fight’ by betting more in a bid to recoup their money.
Being an enthusiast of retro slot machines can be a positive and enriching experience, emotionally speaking, but players should also be wary of the potential for other psychological responses when they start spinning the reels, too.
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