SAFESLOT: an experimental virtual reality protocol to examine flow, craving, and cognitive biases in gambling

Gambling-related harm comes out from dynamic interactions between craving, cognitive distortions, and physiological responses to gambling outcomes. These processes happen rapidly during play and are strongly influenced by the structural features of slot machine, yet they are seldom captured in real time using ecologically valid methods. Traditional research has relied mainly on self-report measures and simplified gambling simulations, limiting the ability to assess moment-to-moment changes in motivation, cognition, and arousal. The present study aims to address these limitations by developing SAFESLOT: a virtual slot machine designed ad hoc to examine behavioral and psychophysiological mechanisms underlying gambling disorder risk and to test whether interrupting gambling activity can attenuate craving and cognitive distortions. The study will recruit approximately 200 university students who will participate in a controlled virtual reality slot-machine task. The virtual environment replicates a realistic Video Lottery Terminal. The task will be composed by five gameplay sessions, each emphasizing a distinct feature of slot machines. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three conditions: uninterrupted gambling, gambling interrupted by brief reflective pauses with questions concerning craving and perceived winning probability, and gambling interrupted without self-reflective prompts. During the task, continuous multimodal data will be collected, including psychophysiological signals, behavioral indicators such as reaction times, betting patterns, and eye-tracking measures. Psychological self-report assessments will be administered before and after the virtual gambling experience. Data analysis will combine classical statistical methods with machine learning techniques in order to identify patterns associated with changes in craving and gambling-related cognitive distortions. Our study aims to clarify how specific gambling outcomes influence craving, cognition, and arousal. The comparison between uninterrupted and interrupted gambling conditions will offer insights into the potential preventive value of brief reflective pauses in reducing automatic gambling responses. The findings may contribute to the development of evidence-based prevention and responsible gambling interventions.