You're a Winner! Or are you?

I was watching the news today when the lottery pickings came on so I wanted to follow up on my earlier post.  This post talks about how the lottery is a tax on people that are bad at math, but so are slot machines.  Here is a website that explains how slot machines work and some good strategies to use for slot players.

So to simplify things, slot machines are rigged.  The casino controls how much each player wins per spin and have it set up in a recurring cycle so they are profitable after programing the machine once.  However, they cannot give the player no chance of winning because then no one would use the machine.  As a result, they entice players by giving them a profitable return so they feel like they have a chance, only to let them go another 10 turns without making money.  Then they'll win again, but will not win enough money to offset the amount they lost previously.  This tactic works very well because it toys with the mind and makes a player think they can win.

But once again, why would anyone play?  I would say that more people are aware of the lottery odds than the odds of winning at slots, but most people still know it's a ripoff.  Some do it for entertainment, some to pass time, but anyone that thinks that they will make money off slot machines is kidding themselves.  The casino generally rigs it so they have a 6.58% profit margin, which is pretty damn good for a machine that sits in a casino day in and day out. 

Why do you think people play slot machines if the odds are against them?  And do you think it is unfair for casinos to prey on unintelligent bettors?  Why or why not?  Please comment below.