Why is gambling so addictive?
Have you ever wondered why people gamble? The most common reply would be for fun, but there’s more to this than meets the eye. What happens if it turns out to be something lot more serious?
Brief introduction
Different people have different reasons why they gamble. Of course, in most cases it starts as a fun, sometimes may turn into a job (when one play games for money), but in some cases, it may even lead to serious addiction. Basically, all gamblers have the same starting point, but each individual situation develops in various directions. Gambling evokes powerful psychological processes inside every human being, it plays with our emotions and influences our acts. Here we shall go through the most common motives for gambling so that one would understand better what’s beneath the surface.
The chance of winning
The first one to start with could be considered as a fundamental motive for gambling in general. As soon as you open any online casino page, things like play free slots no download no registration instant play pop up and they indeed sound motivating for one to start playing. All the flashing commercials look so attractive, and somehow all of them sound promising. They make a person feel like winnings are just around the corner, basically one click away. And you will admit that there’s no person in the world who doesn’t like to win. So, what makes people gamble more and more is the faith that can win each and every second.
Intellectual challenge
It’s a battle man versus machine. Speaking in long terms, odds are in favor of the house, but regardless of that, one still has the chance to win. Actually, the games are designed in a way to motivate people constantly otherwise people would stop gambling after just a few games. One thinks of strategies, calculates, tries out different combinations, acquires tips from more experienced players and tries to create his/her own gambling style. And that’s indeed intellectually challenging. It keeps your brain working all the time.
Endless excitement
When one gambles, there are millions of emotions coming through one’s mind and body. You could say that it’s like being in the eye of a storm. Adrenaline runs through the body, and each time a new session starts the feelings become stronger. The closer one seems to be to winnings the bigger the excitement is. We could describe rewarding as toxic, at least when it comes to dopamine, the most powerful chemical in our body. It’s the “main suspect” that always makes us wanna gamble more and more, particularly if we have already felt the thrill of winning. Instead of being satisfied with some amount of money, dopamine “prevents” us from walking away with that. On the contrary, it “motivates” us to invest that money so that we could win more. The desire to take a risk moves us because each risk is an opportunity both to win and lose! But, of course, the first one is the one that we want more!
Types of gamblers
These could be the three most important reasons why people gamble. We could also divide gamblers into another two categories- those who do it for fun and those who do it for money. Those who gamble for fun, they do it for the sake of thrill and excitement, without worrying too much whether they’re gonna win something or not. It’s more of an outlet for everyday frustrations and worries. As for those who do it for money, they have a different approach. They carefully calculate how much money they will invest, they look for bonuses and free stuff which give them chance to gain something without investment. How about millennials and their gambling aspirations? Do they do it for fun, for money, and above all- do they gamble at all?
But, there’s also a group of people who may be categorized as addicts. Yeah, we’re talking the same level of addiction like the one related to drugs and alcohol. It all starts as fun or a way of making some money but slowly becomes much more than this. The constant pursuit for winnings slowly turns into a dependency. But, in such cases, genetic predispositions also have a significant impact on one’s gambling behavior. Sometimes a person even doesn’t notice that things have gone that way. When gambling has turned into an addiction, one should seek for professional’s help.
Final conclusion
All in all, gambling itself is an exciting thing. One should approach it that way, otherwise, it loses its magic. Whether one does it for fun or for money, there should be a limit. One should gamble as long as one feels happy and when that feeling changes, it’s time to make a break. Breaks are like a recovery period for one to retrieve concentration and to prevent him/herself from losing lots of money.