Have you guys ever wondered why a huge number of people love to be a part of gambling? Oh, if you are not aware of it, let’s understand what gambling means. Gambling is basically an act of taking a chance to win money or prizes through games of luck. Moreover, some of the folks gamble for fun, while others are simply addicted to it. Thus, it can definitely be a root cause for many other big problems. Therefore, to understand why, let’s explore how our minds work when we gamble. In short, learn about the psychology of gambling.
Let’s get in.
How Our Brain Reacts to Gambling
1. The Joy Chemical – Dopamine:
To start with, when we gamble and win, our brain releases a chemical called dopamine. And this particular chemical makes us feel happy as well as excited. Thus, it’s like a little reward for our brain, and it makes us want to gamble more. The chemical effect is basically related to the thing we do, which we love the most.
2. Almost Winning Feels Good:
Imagine playing a slot machine, and you almost win. It’s like the pictures on the machine are just one spot away from a big win. This feeling is tricky because our brain thinks we’re almost there, and it feels good. So, we keep playing, hoping to get that big win. Just like a student giving an entrance exam. If he or she shorts just 1 or 2 marks, there is always a feeling to try again. Thus, gambling is similar to that.
3. Not Wanting to Lose:
Noe wants to lose. Or we can say, it’s our brain that does not like to lose at all. When we lose a bet while gambling, we often want to try again to get our money back. As per the psychology of gambling, losing in any of such games is what makes a player feel horrible. And the brain never wants to feel that again. Thus we also don’t want to feel like we lost something. And we keep on playing, hoping to win.
Feelings and Gambling
1. Feeling Excited:
Gambling is definitely super exciting. Noe knows in advance if they are going to win or lose. Or how much you are going to win. This feeling of surprise makes you feel excited. Let’s say we bet on a particular number or colour in the game of Roulette. So, while the wheel spins, we find an exciting current running through our body. And that’s what players love the most. The excitement can be like a rollercoaster ride for some people.
2. Escaping Problems:
Sometimes, to get away from the stress of life, people use gambling as one of the ways. In fact, as per psychology of gambling, players use the thrill of the game to loosen up their stress. It lets them take a break from reality. Moreover, they find this world of gambling better than the original one. But this can become a problem if it’s the only way someone copes with their troubles. Because, gambling addiction is definitely not good.
How Others Influence Our Gambling
1. Friends and Pressure:
If our friends gamble and tell us it’s cool, we might want to try it too. As per the psychology of gambling, we never want to feel left out. In fact, peer pressure is why a major percentage of people enter the gambling world. Peer pressure can be a strong motivation for one to opt for gambling. Most youngsters are the ones who are affected by this kind of pressure to join gambling.
2. Easy Access:
Psychology of gambling clearly states that it’s easy to gamble. Such as having a casino nearby or playing on a smartphone, we’re more likely to do it. Though it is obvious when you do not have a casino around or the device on which you can gamble, one do not go out of the way to try it out. But, the easier it is, the more tempting it becomes.
3. Ads and Fancy Promotions:
You’ve probably seen ads for casinos and betting. They make it look like a fantastic experience with all the glitz and glamour. In fact, in those ads they only talk about winning huge. Even you find the huge value of grand prizes to impress as well as attract you. These ads can make us want to gamble, even if we didn’t think about it before.
Conclusion
Understanding the psychology of gambling gives you clear information about the reasons why people gamble. Though some do it for fun. But there are also people for whom it becomes a big problem and they get addicted to it. However, if we get into learning the working of our brain with respect to gambling, we can make better choices when it comes to gambling.
