None of us can say that we love losing in a game or in anything in life, nor can someone say that they never failed at something in life. So, everything in life is always filled with ups and downs, and gambling is no exception, it's about both winning and losing. But can we say that gamblers are only addicted to winning or losing? As someone who used to gamble frequently, I will share with you what gamblers are truly addicted to.
Gamblers are not addicted to winning or losing; instead, they are addicted to the experience they get from gambling. Every time someone gambles and wins or comes close to winning, their brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that creates feelings of pleasure and excitement. This reinforces their gambling behaviour and makes the individual want to keep playing and even take bigger risks just to experience the same pleasure again. This cycle could potentially trap the individual and lead them to chasing their losses, resulting in more losses.
In the following lines, I will share more details about what experience gamblers are addicted to, and why.
Gambling provides intense emotion to an individual when they are betting. An intense feeling of joy, excitement, pleasure, anger, sadness, guilt, loneliness, and more. Experiencing this amplification of feeling in a world where a lot of people are too bored and too lazy to do activities that can reproduce the same intense feeling, is why a lot of people are becoming addicted to gambling.
Here is an example of what gamblers may experience through gambling:
James was extremely broke one day, with only $200 in his bank account. He decided to place sports bets with his money. He bet $200 on 5 soccer teams to win in the premier league, with a total point of 10, meaning that if he won, he would get $2000. Four of his teams won, and he was eagerly waiting for the last team to win. The fifth team started off strong, leading by 2 goals in the first half. James was thrilled, thinking he was about to win $2000. However, in the second half, his fifth team received a red card, and the game ended in a draw, with two goals each. Unfortunately, James lost his bet and his initial joy turned into sadness and anger towards his last team's performance. Since he was so close to winning his bet, he decided that he would gamble again when he had money.
In short, gamblers are addicted to the intense emotions that come with winning, coming close to winning, and losing. These experiences provide them with a level of intensity that they may not encounter in their daily lives.
Comments