Do you sometimes wonder how it is that gambling gets people so involved and sometimes even addicted? Why does betting or any other game of chance make a gambler unable to stop playing and make everything else seem less important? Let’s look deep into the human psyche to see why this is the case.
Many gamblers emphasise that it is the game itself that matters, not winning. Why? It is the human emotional mechanisms that answer this question. Sports betting, poker and every other game gives rise to this characteristic relationship between tension and its discharge. This relationship triggers the greatest emotions. Winning itself is a nice addition, but not the point of the game.
The strong involvement that gambling can generate in some players is linked to the feelings that arise during the game. The intense tension and then the euphoria of winning is a sign that the so-called reward mechanism has been stimulated and dopamine, a substance responsible for the feeling of pleasure, is secreted in the brain. This state is so pleasant that players want to repeat it repeatedly.
We were assisted in writing this article by the World Casino Expert Romania team. This is the best project to find licensed casinos in Romania, bonuses and reviews on online slots. You can find your favourite casino here – https://worldcasinoexpert.ro/cazinou-online/
The Psychology Of Gambling: Firstly – Emotions
Gambling evokes, at least in some gamblers, enormous emotions. This is influenced by the characteristic emotional set-up associated with a game of chance. First of all, we are typing or betting. There is a tension associated with risk. Then – we wait for the outcome or play, trying to bring the best possible result. The tension grows throughout this period. Before the very end of the game, it reaches its highest level and finally subsides very quickly (when the result is announced) and turns into either joy or a sense of defeat.
In people sensitive to this type of juxtaposition, the emotions reach a very high level: joy turns into euphoria, defeat into despair. In both cases, the gambler wants to experience this state again, because the release of tension can either be extremely pleasant – and then triggers the so-called reward system in the brain – or very, very unpleasant – and this causes the gambler to immediately want to bounce back to prove (especially to himself) that he is a valuable person – because failure hits his self-esteem.
Only some gamblers, those most prone to excessive weakness towards gambling, function at such high emotional levels. Others also experience similar emotions, but they are much milder.
Also, positive emotions are given to players from Romania by no deposit bonuses, which you can find here – worldcasinoexpert.ro/bonus-fara-depunere/
.
Reasons for the attraction of the gambling hobby
Players choose gambling entertainment because they can realise their fantasies, solve difficulties and satisfy passions. It is bound to attract their attention:
- Gambling games. A once-in-a-lifetime burst of excitement and adrenaline rush can become a kind of incentive, compelling players to visit online card games again and again;
- Availability of ‘easy money’. People are attracted by the possibility of getting money “out of the box”, without a huge expenditure of energyîî and effort;
- Huge winnings. Casinos offer the opportunity to win various sums of money by spending much less on betting on slot machines or various table games. – Information about large winnings becomes public, attracting new players to gambling clubs;
- Opportunity for communication. In gambling clubs, it is possible to get to know customers by enjoying the game, sharing impressions and emotions and socializing with strangers.
Citizens lose and earn a lot of money every day, investing it in all kinds of projects and ventures. Gambling is just one area of life that involves risks where money can be made and lost.
Secondly, The Reward Of Dopamine
If it weren’t for the reward system, we probably wouldn’t be addicted to gambling or other behaviours that give us pleasure. But neither would we be motivated even for such basic (from the point of view of species survival) activities as eating or sex. It is pleasure – that is, a form of reward in return for a particular behaviour – that makes us able to repeat the same activity again and again.
To make us feel great, dopamine is secreted in our brain. The more of it we have, the more euphoric we feel. Its secretion can be affected by psychoactive substances: drugs, alcohol, some medicines. But it has also been shown to occur when gambling, playing on the internet, shopping and even (in some people) at work.
Because gambling evokes strong emotions, dopamine can be up to ten times more than normal when gambling. A similar situation occurs when bookmaker bonuses and occasional promotions are activated. Players experience the receipt of bonuses very much, as the amounts given out by bookmakers are very substantial. In some cases, such as at Totalbet or Betfan or Fortuna, registration promotions exceed several thousand zlotys.
The researchers found that people in whom the reward system needs stronger stimuli to kick in enjoy those activities that involve risk. “Coming out alive” from something risky causes dopamine levels to rise in their brains, something they don’t feel during everyday pleasures such as eating, walking or quietly relaxing.
Conclusion
There is no single factor that makes a person choose gambling as a leisure activity, as some people want to have fun and money, others just want to make new friends and gain new experiences, but we all have one thing in common – the desire to be better and more successful.
Unfortunately, research also shows that addicts, including, for example, pathological gamblers, become accustomed to a certain level of dopamine over time and stop feeling pleasure from, for example, winning. They need to increase the risk to feel better again. This is why they raise the stakes, choose riskier games or make ill-considered moves – only when they win in these situations do they feel joy.
If you enjoyed this article, we recommend you to check out one of the most popular online slots in the world – Eye of Horus!
