Casino Melanoma – Gamble with Your Life: An Interactive Roulette Game to Raise Awareness of Individual Skin Cancer Risk

Abstract

The interactive exhibition prototype Casino Melanoma playfully deals with the influence of UV radiation in connection with personal factors to draw attention to the danger of contracting skin cancer. Based on the classic game of roulette, a game is played in the categories of skin type, number of nevi (birthmarks and moles), skin cancer in personal or family history, time spent outdoors and sunburns per year. During each round, players are confronted with the increasing risk of skin cancer and the gamble of developing this disease in the coming years. A quantitative survey (n=24) and accompanying interviews were used to examine how much gambling about important health issues such as skin cancer can influence a person’s future behavior. The hedonic and pragmatic quality of the prototype was evaluated positively. Its impact projection shows an enlightening and behavior-stimulating effect. In addition to raising awareness of the issue, Casino Melanoma encourages people to think about their sun exposure behavior and a possible future change in behavior