![]() And reward uncertainty plays a crucial role in gambling’s attraction.ĭopamine, the neurotransmitter the brain releases during enjoyable activities such as eating, sex and drugs, is also released during situations where the reward is uncertain. One of the hallmarks of gambling is its uncertainty – whether it’s the size of a jackpot or the probability of winning at all. Uncertainty as its own reward in the brain And these hooks work on casual casino-goers just as well as they do on problem gamblers. I’ve found that many are intentionally hidden in how the games are designed. What keeps people playing even when it stops being fun? Why stick with games people know are designed for them to lose? Are some people just more unlucky than the rest of us, or simply worse at calculating the odds?Īs an addiction researcher for the past 15 years, I look to the brain to understand the hooks that make gambling so compelling. While these might be reasons why people gamble initially, psychologists don’t definitely know why, for some, gambling stops being an enjoyable diversion and becomes compulsive. When I ask my psychology students why they think people gamble, the most frequent suggestions are for pleasure, money or the thrill. These playful connotations may be part of why almost 80 percent of American adults gamble at some point in their lifetime. To call gambling a “game of chance” evokes fun, random luck and a sense of collective engagement. ![]()
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