Thank You for Playing

The new interactive website Thank You for Playing invites users to discover the dark side of gambling by exploring how games of chance affect players who develop addictive behaviours.

Slot machines and other casino games are designed to manipulate players and their desire to play, eliciting a neurological reward/punishment reaction. When players win, their faith in a good outcome is strengthened; when they lose, they feel like they’ve been punished and try to redeem themselves. Without being aware of it, the player becomes a hostage to these two emotional states—and casinos know full well how to take advantage of this.

Thank You for Playing allows us to follow the personal stories of three players who recount their experiences of addiction and abstinence. Various experts (neurologists, psychologists, and addiction specialists) offer theories to help audiences understand the mechanism and source of the dangerous, drug-free addiction that is compulsive gambling.