In Malaysia, slot machine players risk losing it all to ‘crack cocaine’ of gambling
- Large casinos dominate Malaysia’s domestic gambling scene, but slot machine clubs are where player addiction quietly pervades, observers say
- Online gambling sites have also exploded in recent years, causing more Malaysians to be trapped in a vicious circle of debt
But the majority lose – for some, all their ringgit – at the rows of slot machines where the hours pass fast and cash is quickly guzzled by the brightly lit consoles.
Dubbed the “crack cocaine” of gambling, slot machines ensnare players to have a go and experience a quick dopamine hit during their winning and losing streaks, according to addiction experts.
That chemical reaction in the brain makes some players stay well beyond their luck and financial means – and that makes for good business for the owners of these licensed mini-casinos in Malaysia, where the Malay-Muslim majority are banned from gambling.
When one wins, “the dopamine starts to fire in the brain that activates the reward system, you’re happy”, says Dr Prem Kumar Shanmugam, CEO of Solace Asia, which operates addiction rehabilitation centres in the region, including a branch in Malaysia.
“[But] when you lose, you want to win it back. That anxiety, that stress that is inducing the brain also fires with dopamine and gives you a high as well. Impulsivity kicks in.”
