Source: PixabayResearchers from the University of Waterloo are hoping a video will help prevent people from developing gambling addictions—particularly to slot machines.

According to researchers, showing study participants a video explaining the inner workings of slot machine technology resulted in players understanding the difference between winning and disguised winnings. For instance, the celebratory lights and bells that activate when even the smallest win occurs—even when that sum is less than what the player bets.

According to the study, its that combination of sights and sounds that helps keep gamblers tied to the machines, distracted and believing that they are winning more than they actually are.

Dividing the participants into two groups of those who watched the video and those who did not, the participants then played slot machines and were asked to report the number of times they won.

“We found that the video was effective in correcting multiple misperceptions," said Candice Graydon, lead author of the research. "Players not only remembered their actual number of wins more correctly, but they were also more capable of labeling losses disguised as wins during slot machine play.”

The research team will continue to investigate whether showing players the videos will help them quit gambling in a shorter time frame. Additionally, researchers are hoping to explore the rate at which people adjust their gambling if the videos are shown near gambling locations.