Using MFME, and it's impact on your 'real life' gambling

[slotsmagic]

I did write a multiple question poll on my phone, but I got an error when submitting so I'm starting a thread instead!

Effectively I was wondering how people feel that MFME has impacted their own fruit machine playing in real life - do you feel that playing on MFME 'satisfies' your fruit machine desires, and so you no longer wish to play them in real life - or do you feel it has the opposite effect? That playing MFME keeps fruit machines in the back of your mind, and in doing so, keeps you thinking about playing machines in real life? Maybe it is somewhere in the middle? 

Note this is absolutely not a dig at MFME or anything, I'm just wondering if there is a place for MFME in my life - if others have used it as a tool to genuinely stop playing machines altogether, or if I'm kidding myself if I think that is possible!

I'd appreciate any input, but also would be very interested to hear from those who run MFME in cabinets!!

One reason I opted for polls originally is that obviously they could be totally anonymous - but we are all grown ups here and many of us have had some pretty horrific tales of past (and current) addiction so it probably doesn't require anonymity. But if someone has something they want to say but don't want to say publicly then feel free to PM me!

 

Edited October 30, 2024 by slotsmagic

[Mort]

I can only tell you my experience. I don't believe MFME on it's own cured my addiction, but it did very much help me with my curiosity of how machines work. In the main it was very much down to my own circumstances and life chapters since 2001+ that have allowed me to move on from real life playing.

During my time at College and Uni I played actively from around 1994-1999. Mostly Club machines, but I did spend time on AWPs such as Great Escape, Italian Job, Money Money Money, Roller Coaster to name a few.

For me though there was always something fascinating about Club machines. I played them in our University Bar (and Snooker clubs) and throughout that period we had Club Bullion, CCnR, Coronation Street Club, Bank Roller and Club Take Your Pick. I very much remember playing Club Bullion and CCnR and wondering whether these could be ever emulated (Just think Chris was probably thinking and potentially working on the ideas for MFME (well, Fruit.exe) at the same time!).

I had always been drawn to fruit machines in the past as a kid, especially earlier on in the 80s. I was always fascinated by the attract modes and to know more about the workings of the machine. I suppose for some, your personality itself, may draw you to playing them. I have always been curious and fascinated by details, love electronics and computers, and especially attracted by lights (The KITT car in Knight Rider was fascinating to me!) and therefore would love to play them, I also have a very addictive personality - everything I do is to excess, but, I do hide, that from people, even to this day! It seemed much more interesting to be playing these machines than listening to some of the conversations and small talk that's for sure!. During the 80s I was growing up in a rural area, and, as such, had no real access to machines, and only got the odd chance to play them.

It, therefore, really kicked in for me in the mid 90s, especially going to college and then later university. That's when I really got the freedom and access to machines to really play them.

When I left Uni, I went back to living in a rural location, which again, made access to machines nearly impossible, and I concentrated on getting a job, a car, and eventually, was lucky enough to meet a girl at work, whom I have been with since, and have two lovely kids with.

Throughout that time, 2000 until now, I have had the occasional on-off interest with Fruit Machines. Often, this interest is born out of nostalgia, to remember times and places, especially to remember times I spent with my mate, who sadly passed away in 2016, who played machines with me all the time back in the Uni days. Other times, it just comes from interest, I might see a post from someone, and it will make me want to get involved again. But, I think, there is a big difference here, and this is how MFME, has helped me, it allows me as tool to then quickly experience the nostalgia, or quickly test a theory, or hack a ROM etc. - I get my quick fix this way, and MFME allows me to do this, with no latent formulated desire to play a real machine again.

For various reasons, mainly circumstantial, I have, fortunately, not kept an interest in playing real machines again for around 20 years. For me then, as compared to you, it's probably very different. When I decide to use MFME, it doesn't do anything in my brain to make me want to play a machine in real life again (as far as I can tell!). My time with MFME, is purely ring-fenced to itself. For you, I think, because you still play machines, then playing MFME may potentially keep your interest in real machines going, maybe even just on a sub-conscious level.

I would suggest that it would be best for you to abstain from MFME as well. Set yourself a time frame that's realistic, and don't go back to MFME or this scene. Try and find another hobby completely, and then assess over time.

I can see you are on the fence about things, so please just take a complete break from it mate, and that includes all aspects of FME.

Edited October 30, 2024 by Mort

[Boulderdash]

It's a question I've often pondered and I'm not sure I have a definitive answer. 

I play fruit machines, whether mfme or IRL, for fun and to pass the time. The problem with real machines is they end up costing me a lot of money, so I try to avoid them these days and haven't put a penny in one since September. 

So I think the only way MFME keeps me off real machines is the time I can kill at home.

[wearecity]

MFME, made no difference to me.

Perhaps if it had emulated the current machines out there, I would have felt a bit different, I.E, why spend money and trawl arcades for machines, I can play at home for free. But gamblers gamble to win money, something you can't do in an emulator.

By the time MFME came out, I had discovered online gambling and although, I still played AWPs when out and about, in pubs, days out etc... I didn't go to the arcade sometimes for weeks, because I want to play online slots. I'd say in the £25 era onwards, my gambling and it's losses were made up of 80% online 20% AWP.

Nowadays, MFME, does show, just how boring and linear, so many machines were, from the £15 era onwards in particular.

[Ginge]

I was late to the party only discovered mfme in lockdown by chance, watching a degsy you tube video. Back in the late 80s and up until 1996  I had a gambling problem, I would spunk all my wages on fruits and nights out drinking and taking recreational drugs. At the time I had been working in the industry since 89 and even seeing the amount of profit my employer was making still didn’t stop me. Then I met my wife in 96 had a child in 97 then got married in 98 and realised I had other responsibilities other than myself so managed to give it up. I still gamble to this day but only for fun and nostalgia. I set myself a limit and once it’s gone it’s gone. 
I can see how back in the day Mfme might of helped keep the desire to gamble away but probably not for long.

I use mfme for nostalgia reasons and i have said this before It helps me with mental health and what a great community it is . Thank you @Wizard for mfme and correct me if I’m wrong @Reg for Dif. 

 

[vectra666]

Mfme hasn’t cured me but it’s scratched the itch and has definitely stopped me spending online but mostly due to creating as that kept me occupied although atm I’ve no creating as much. Mfme for me relives the early slotting days especially the £4-£6 eras many favourites of mine I’ve dxed. But mfme definitely doesn’t cure an addiction in some cases it could make it worse as you can get addicted even more by playing the virtual slots

[RickB]

I never got so involved in playing fruit machines that I really considered it a problem. As a student I sometimes spent more money than I should. When I started working it was a few quid here and there - amounts I figured I could afford to lose. I suppose it was still a waste as I never really "won" overall. I still like to bung £20 in the machines when I go to the seaside just for nostalgia's sake, but it's getting harder and harder to find any machines I have fond memories of.

Just from the point of view of being able to play those games again, MFME is fantastic. It is probably true to say that MFME is now the only way to play quite a few of the older games - pubs never seem to have old-style fruit machines any more, and even the seaside amusements are changing. MFME also makes it also possible to play these games exhaustively - perhaps trying features that never seemed worthwhile, or exploring how the machine behaves onces it's stuffed full of (virtual) cash.

 

 

 

[johnparker007]

I've had a very small taste of the addiction when I was young and relatively skint - I was going down to the local arcade ('Smithies' in Cleethorpes), and contrary to my usual super-frugal approach of going to the seafront with little to no money, then slowly boosting myself up to a few quid so I could play video games, I was doing the danger dance of just taking 'big bucks' for me at the time of like a tenner down there.  Then if the machine seemed overdue to payout, but wasn't playing ball according to my expectations, it was like my brain would enter into a grim determination mode, where it was a case of pull a big win/jackpot or die trying (i.e: go skint).  Just mechanically slinging my much-needed food money in there (I was on the dole).

I remember at the time being probably pretty lucky ironically from also doing a few drugs (not while I was playing!), and recognised that 'end of the night' fiending behaviour.  Looking back it still holds true, even after having had access to more and 'better' drugs; there comes a point where you are just fiending, and not getting the 'original pleasure' which motivated you to take the specific drug in the first place.

As an example (as I realise I might be more of a fiend than most, so this isn't 100% relatable)... if you haven't taken alcohol for a week, then you get into some drinking (and your brain is wired/tuned up for alcohol)... you'll get a sense of almost euphoria, possibilities seem endless if you just keep doing what you're doing (drinking).  Cue 8 hours later, and you're 'chasing the high', earlier a couple of pints and you felt on top of the world, but now an additional two pints is just keeping the wolves from the door (disclaimer I've had various drink/drug issues lol  ).

That brief dalliance with fruit machine gambling I had in my youth felt very similar - I had transitioned from that phase where was exciting, to the phase of grim determination, where I just had to keep it going because my subconscious brain was willing me too, and I was just along for the ride.

I think the parallels between gambling and drug addiction (speaking from experience on the latter) are really similar - your brain gets desensitised to that specific spectrum of stimulus, yet seeks it out, leading to increasing 'dosages' (i.e: stakes in gambling).

Unfortunately I'm a bit drunk now, so clearly I haven't learnt!   But yes, gambling is a bad path, just like booze and drugs - very similar scenarios ensue.

Also - to be clear, I'm not comparing my experience to folks who've spent their entire livelihoods on gambling, just chipping in with my thoughts  

[Reg]

13 hours ago, Ginge said:

and correct me if I’m wrong @Reg for Dif. 

My pleasure.

This site was originally in place to host my layouts and changed and evolved as time went on before I gave it away to Pete.

The success of this site is down to the community - so also a call out to the valuable members that make this place what it is.
I am confident that if @Wizard was still with us - he would be happy with how it is.

[MikeyMonster]

I will always be a gambler, I am resigned to that and can keep my losses in check (mostly - occasional blow outs happen)

For me though MFME is a real boost, it does satisfy me, and I can equally happily play old slots rather than deposit online.

If I had never had MFME though, would I have been able to just quit entirely? Possibly, but i'm not convinced.

Having said that, my days of playing IRL are definitely numbered. I have lost fortunes on randoms down the year, and they, and the digital cabinets hold very little interest for me now. I have one arcade with a few £5 machines which I enjoy - but the pub days, I reckon are in their final 12 months.

[Road Hog Mad]

Been able to have our cabinets have made a huge difference as I now save up as a result, when I feel the urge I load up MFME and putting actually coins through helps.

[Geoffers1]

I believe it has helped in a small way since i first got the information in 2007--there wasnt the masses of section 16 just then so being able to play and blast the volume on some great machines ( my 1st ever play was pot of gold by ace) kept me from going to the local gold dust arcade.

And just recently becoming member on here is helping realise how bad/good some of those slots were!! No wonder i was skint back in the day on the likes of blue moon ( always were plugged) and pie factory later on ( 25 quid rip ). 

 

[Boulderdash]

I'm reely (geddit?) missing AWPs this week for some reason, so much so that I nearly played the digis and fobties at lunchtime. 

But I managed not to and have spent the morning on MFME. 

It hasn't scratched the itch though. If I were in Skegvegas or Blackpool I'd be in the arcade now...

[slotsmagic]

59 minutes ago, Boulderdash said:

I'm reely (geddit?) missing AWPs this week for some reason, so much so that I nearly played the digis and fobties at lunchtime. 

But I managed not to and have spent the morning on MFME. 

It hasn't scratched the itch though. If I were in Skegvegas or Blackpool I'd be in the arcade now...

I've been feeling a bit low this week. I honestly think it's a combination of grey skies and bugger all sun, shorter days, and the fact I've had a few household things go wrong / repairs, as well as Christmas around the corner. Don't get me wrong I hate warm weather, but this week has been grey and boring. No rain, just constant dull-ness.

Congrats on not caving in. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that you can quit for ages, and then all it takes is one session before you are soon sucked right back in!

Edited November 7, 2024 by slotsmagic