A 90% RTP will typically (typically - lots of exceptions and caveats) be quite volatile - offering big wins but long losing streaks. Exactly the kinds of game behavior designed to extract long playing times and really peak the dopamine response.

The casino will be accounting/forecasting a 5% take across stakes made as it's super complicated with jackpot contributions/payouts and stuff.

These machines are there to be always accessible and to train the human in just the right way so as to get you addicted.

I don't know what slots you play but the ones I've been at you can play the game at any speed you want. A single tap of the button places the bet and plays the animations, etc. A double tap does that and skips the animations, immediately showing your winnings. If that isn't enough there is usually an option to increase your bet by a multiplier or to make multiple plays on one "spin". The play speed is effectively up to that player.

I used to work with a guy who had a long stint at IGT. He said the most popular game he ever "made" was to take his previously most popular game and just have one set of controls play 4 of the same game all at the same time on one screen.

I don't play slots, but I did manage an online casino for 3 years. Auto-spins allow users to play without "interaction" but, at least for my players, the animations and chirps were all part of the "fun".

All go towards the same thing - dopamine addiction as an activity.

I think I just wanted to say that the perception of a 90% "success rate" v's all or nothing with sports betting felt like a troublesome comparison, for me at least. These games arent safer or fairer at all - they are both doing the same thing - in different doses to different audiences.

Many of my slots players didn't consider what they did "gambling" at all.

That 90+% has nothing to do with the 97% in the other comment. Betting platforms also return 90+% to players.

Wouldn't that imply that 3% of players win huge on sports betting?

The 3% have either won a decent amount early and haven't averaged out yet, or they're a sharp who is carefully betting skillfully on winning bets. I don't think those people actually win too much since the platforms are always hunting to ban them. The missing money of 97% pretty much overwhelmingly ends up in the house's hands.

Even if sport bets or slot machines returned 99% that’s for one play. Play 50 times and the aggregate loss is 40%.

Slot machines typically keep 3% and returns the rest to the player. They do many things to keep people play to empty their deposit. Bonuses, wins on every spin (but amount is usually less than stake). Use internal coins to hide actual value etc

It's the arcade games that will really get you. At least they're more fun.