Winning and the Mind
BY THE NUMBERS
GAMING ’ S ECONOMIC IMPACT
The gaming industry has an expansive impact on the U . S . economy , providing stable jobs to nearly 2 million Americans and generating billions of dollars in tax revenue . Research published recently by the American Gaming Association represents the first comprehensive report on the gaming industry ’ s national economic impact since 2018 .
GAMING INDUSTRY SPENDING
The gaming industry supports a total economic impact including :
• $ 329 billion of output ( business sales )
• 1.8 million jobs with $ 104 billion of labor income ( wages , salaries , tips , benefits and other labor income )
• $ 53 billion of federal , state and local taxes , including $ 13.5 billion of gaming taxes
The gaming industry directly employs more than 700,000 people in the U . S . This includes nearly 600,000 jobs on-site at casinos and corporate offices , more than 23,000 at U . S . -based operations of gaming manufacturers , and 89,000 at businesses providing goods and services to casino patrons during casino trips .
Source : American Gaming Association
Winning and the Mind
Agroup of researchers at the Cambridge Health Alliance Division on Addiction recently published a study of how winning at gambling fosters irrational beliefs that can lead people to continue gambling to the point that some may develop gambling problems . The study , part of the group ’ s month-long Special Series on Addiction Myths and Misinformation , focused on 14 adults who reported they never gambled , in a simulated slot machine experience . Reactions to early big wins ( first 30 spins ) and late big wins ( 30 to 60 spins ) were recorded , and the researchers noted “ cognitive distortions ” in their reactions , including anthropomorphism ( thanking God or another deity ), the “ gambler ’ s fallacy ” ( the notion that a win was “ due ”), the illusion that they were controlling the outcome , the “ near-miss effect ” ( a result one symbol off of a win ) and other reactions . The most common reactions were the gambler ’ s fallacy , the illusion of control , and the near-miss effect .
COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS EXPERIENCED BY EACH BIG WIN GROUP
Source : Cambridge Health Alliance Division on Addiction
6 Global Gaming Business JANUARY 2024