Avoiding the ‘Machine Zone’ when playing Real Money Slots Online

A lot of people play slots for real money on their computer or mobile device. Most are responsible about it, but not all. Unfortunately, it’s not just the weak-spirited who don’t know when to quit. Software developers are actually designing their games to induce dangerous habits; what’s commonly known as the ‘Machine Zone‘.

Most of the daily tasks we perform that take any notable amount of time can put us into a zone. For example, when I’m writing, I love to get into a zone. I perform better, the words pour out faster, and the end result is often more pleasing to the cerebral palate. I feel empowered in the zone, but sluggish when I’m not, and I’m sure you can all relate to this in some way or another.

This same effect can be absorbed when we play real money slots online. Getting into a zone seems to increase the entertainment level – or at least, that’s the perception our minds tend to take. But the ‘Machine Zone‘ can be a very dangerous place.

This zone leads players to forget about their real purpose for playing. They are no longer playing to win, nor are they playing for sheer enjoyment. They are merely pushing buttons to keep the game moving as quickly as possible, because the thrill comes only from the zone.

Zone Induced By Incomprehensible Rules

The more confusing a game is, the more zoned out players tend to become. Slot machines confusing, you as? But they’re so simple. Line up the right symbols, get paid. It’s as easy as that – right?

Think about it. At the most basic level, slots offer 3 reels with a single payline. There’s no question as to how to win. Line up three matching symbols on that line and you are awarded a payout. But how often do we see these real money slots online? And when we do see them, how often do we actually play them? Probably not much, if ever – am I right?

That’s because they are so simple, that they cannot put us into the zone. Therefore, after a few minutes, we may become bored. Designers know that they can’t make a profit that way. Who would play slots for real money if the games are boring?

Now imagine one of today’s more popular designs. 5 reels grace the screen with 3 or more rows across, and the paylines can range up to 50+. And how about those Microgaming slots with 243 Way to Win? I’ve even seen real money slots online boasting thousands of ways to win!

Do we know where all those paylines lead? Of course not. When you win on such a machine, do you actually take time to note the path the winning pattern took across the reels? Not likely. We look at the section of the screen that tells us how much we’ve won and host a quick mini-celebration in our heads as we click the Spin button again.

Avoiding the Machine Zone

As I said, today’s slots are often too confusing to bother figuring out. We get in the Machine Zone and we play, play, play until all of the money we put into it is gone. And when we’re not careful, we can become addicted to that zone. That’s when we bet more than we can afford, ruining relationships, severing families apart and becoming another dreaded statistic.

Knowledge is power, and recognizing the zone when you play slots for real money is, for some, the only way to avoid it. Time your sessions, don’t play games you can’t understand and never – ever – use the Auto Play feature.