Can a slot machine’s allocation of pay table variance affect a gambler’s time on device?

Modified pay tables from a licensed reel slot machine were altered to examine whether two games with equal variance and par could produce meaningful differences in the duration of play, at the level of the individual gambler. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first study to examine this possibility. Industry executives consider time on device (TOD) to be a critical measure of gaming value, especially for losing players. Additionally, TOD experiences are theorized to produce knock-on effects related to loyalty behaviors. The results of 18 simulations featuring six different player engagement protocols supported the ability of differences in the allocation of pay table variance to significantly impact the spins per losing player. These outcomes indicated that games with the same par and total variance should not be assumed to produce the same expected TOD. For operators, the findings suggest that more meaningful/precise pay table descriptors could help them populate slot floors with games that are more likely to produce their desired TOD outcomes. For game makers, the results present opportunities to supply games that improve the outcome targeting of individual player experiences. For decades, par has been the primary focus of pay table metrics and gaming value. But par is a long-term measure of central tendency, with multiple studies indicating that differences in pars do not generate significantly different session-level results. This study, along with several others, indicates the considerable ability of variance to impact the player’s visit-level outcome.