Reddit reviews Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas

The problem with pokies is that they're fundamentally designed to be as addictive as possible and to take as much money from people as quickly as they can get away with under the laws they're given. There's an interesting book, called Addiction By Design which goes into the sheer number of ways that pokies are designed to take advantage of people. It's pretty dry, but good if you're interested in that kind of thing.

My issue with them is that they're designed to take advantage of people who have a problem, and frequently are those who can least afford it. At least other casino games have some level of skill and entertainment about them.

It's been long time since anybody asked me that. I love this kind of question!

Here are some key books that somehow represent how I think:

Something everybody should read (not about game theory, but about thinking and decision making):

• Daniel Kahneman: Thinking, Fast and Slow
  
  
• Barry Schwartz: Paradox of Choice
  
  
• Robert Cialdini: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
  
  A few specialised favourites from my shelves:
  
  
• Handbook of motivation science
  
  
• The Cambridge Handbook of Situated Cognition
  
  
• The New Unconscious
  
  
• Addiction by Design

In all seriousness, drawing a comparison to "windmills" makes no sense at all.

Here are the facts.

• It's a 24 x 7 operation. It's not just a casino, it's large regional bar. A study conducted commissioned by the state in 2009 found increases in DUI arrests and some horrific accidents.
  
• The economics of casinos are trouble. Here's a good story that [summarizes some of it] (https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/08/a-good-way-to-wreck-a-local-economy-build-casinos/375691/). They tend to build casinos in resort areas, or in areas undergoing decline.
  
• Casinos really are a threat to public health. You can have nice libertarian moment if you want, which is fine, but if you work in public health that's a luxury.
  
  If you think casino opposition is BS, just NIMBY crap, fine. But don't compare it windmills. Defend casinos on their economics, public health, and DUI impact. Go ahead, make your case. I'm really interested why you think these are obviously a blessing from God.