Concordia University unveils simulated casino for gaming research
Hidden cameras record gameplay and conversations to allow academics to study how gambling environments affect players.
Canada.- Concordia University in Montreal has unveiled the CHANCE Collaboratory, a simulated casino designed to study how digital gambling environments affect players. Located on the Sir George Williams Campus, the lab recreates online slot machine experiences minus the monetary stakes.
The project is co-led by sociology professors Sylvia Kairouz and Martin French, who approach gambling as a public health issue. Inside the lab, participants interact with terminals and a massive wall screen while hidden cameras record gameplay and conversations. Researchers can observe behaviour in real time and later analyse data on risk-taking, engagement and decision-making.
After each session, participants gather in conference rooms to reflect on how technology and group dynamics influenced their choices. Kairouz, Concordia’s Chair in Gambling Research, says that while offline gambling has remained steady or declined, online gambling has tripled since 2018, rising from 5 per cent to between 15 and 20 per cent of gamblers. She said the shift introduces “isolation, speed, and easy access,” which heighten risk.
The team situates gambling within the broader ecosystem of digital engagement, including mobile games, streaming platforms and even delivery apps engineered to keep users hooked. CHANCE examines how these design strategies translate into gambling, testing whether they encourage longer play sessions, riskier bets, or unhealthy habits.
Controlled experiments reveal clear contrasts: some players act impulsively, while others remain cautious. Even in a simulated environment, researchers say they have found meaningful insights into risk tendencies.
The lab’s design was inspired by observations at Montreal’s Casino de La Zone, though Loto-Québec declined to support the initiative. Instead, funding came from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Quebec government, and Concordia University.
French highlighted the role of group dynamics, including the way collective excitement can intensify play. Cameras capture cheers, hesitations, and shared glances, linking solitary screen behaviour to the energy of casino floors. Kairouz noted that the lab evokes genuine emotions, making its findings more impactful for policymakers.
The rise of solitary online gambling is especially concerning, the researchers say, as constant access and rapid play remove natural breaks that physical casinos impose. CHANCE allows researchers to adjust variables and identify what pushes casual play towards problematic patterns.
By safely replicating gambling environments, the lab exposes design features that encourage excessive play, from immersive visuals to social cues.
CHANCE is open to stakeholders beyond academia, giving them direct exposure to the subtle influences at work. Kairouz emphasized the importance of combining lived experiences with data to drive policy change. French added that monitoring gambling’s spread across apps and platforms is essential.
The lab’s work will feed into larger discussions, including a symposium at the ACFAS Congress on May 8–9, focused on digital consumption and addiction. The event will explore the tools that drive overuse and the fine line between habit and harm.
