Push Outcomes Bias Perceptions of Scratch Card Games

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Gambling Studies
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Scratch card games often feature
• pushes
• where prize value equals the cost of play.
• Lottery operators categorize pushes as wins, inflating published winning odds.
• The player experience of a push resembles winning, potentially influencing perceptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the psychological impact of push outcomes on scratch card players.
• To determine if push outcomes influence perceptions of winning likelihood and gambling urges.
• To compare the effects of pushes versus wins and losses on player excitement and behavior.

Main Methods:

• Four studies involving 1502 participants examined reactions to scratch card outcomes.
• Participants were exposed to scratch cards with varying categorizations of push outcomes.
• Perceptions of winning likelihood, excitement, gambling urges, and net monetary loss were assessed.

Main Results:

• Categorizing pushes as wins increased perceptions of winning likelihood, excitement, and gambling urges.
• Experiencing a push before a loss led to higher perceived winning likelihood compared to no push.
• Pushes generated more excitement and gambling urges than losses, but less than wins.

Conclusions:

• Push outcomes, despite offering no net gain, significantly bias gambling-related judgments.
• The categorization and experience of pushes enhance the appeal of scratch card games.
• Understanding push mechanics is crucial for accurate representation of gambling odds and player psychology.