Why Gambling addiction?!

[bitbollo]

In real life, I have a good friend that is totally addicted to gambling/sportsbet and he has really no intentions to quit gambling even if he lose a lot of money each year (no he is not "rich").

Why some people get addicted and others no?
People get addicted with drugs because it's like math. If you smoke cigarette .... after a while your body will crave for nicotine.

This is a question that I have a lot of time in my mind while following this section/reading history of other players.
Despite I am placing bets since a while I am able to not bets without any doubts for several months.
Sometime "I feel better" if I don't place bets nor I place bets.
I have my opinion about this argument but can't fit with all players / users addicted.

.. What happens with gambling?

Please post here in this topic your (serious) opinion about gambling addiction.
Topic self-moderated to avoid spam/useless comment.

[swogerino]

Let me make an analogy with your body craves for nicotine.That is scientifically proved while what I am going to say it is not but I believe to be the case from personal story.I was once addicted to slot machines not that long ago,during 2020 through first months of 2021.I believe that our brain produces endocrine an hormone that makes us feel good during the session that we are playing and because we feel good most of the time during our game play except the end of the session which a mix of emotions guided by sadness changes things a bit we want to be back for more.

I think because our brain tells our body that it want to feel good again it is continuously telling us that we should gamble again to get that feeling again.This comes from my personal experience,I always wanted to play again to feel that good feeling that we have during the initial phase of our session game play.That is otherwise known as addiction.

[madnessteat]

We are all completely different and each of us has our own preferences. Some like fried meat and some choose to live a vegetarian life. Some people like black and some people like white and you can't change that at will. I believe that everyone's brain is unique so someone gets addicted to gambling by playing slots a couple of times and someone can control his gambling activity and play gambling only when there is free money and gets great pleasure from it.

[coco23]

In real life, I have a good friend that is totally addicted to gambling/sportsbet and he has really no intentions to quit gambling even if he lose a lot of money each year (no he is not "rich").

Why some people get addicted and others no?
People get addicted with drugs because it's like math. If you smoke cigarette .... after a while your body will crave for nicotine.

To addictions there is a physical and psychological component. For smoking, drinking, drugs, ... your body can physically become addicted to the substance and crave for it. However, more often the psychological component is more relevant where the body becomes addicted to the habit or the feeling.

.. What happens with gambling?

For gambling obviously there is no physical addiction, as it is also the case for many other things people get addicted to, e.g. computer games, work, sex, ...
So for gambling people get addicted to their habit of gambling, or some aspects of it, for instance the feeling of winning a risky bet. This might give people such a rewarding satisfaction that winning becomes less important. However, other might be more addicted to winning lots of money than to gambling itself. This is probably different between people

[Beparanf]

Both addiction to drugs and gambling is almost the same since you are doing same things because you feel satisfied and seek comfort by doing it. People became addicted on gambling because they want to win to satisfy there cravings. This become a habit especially if they don't have other things to do to spend more time. Most the addicted are those who don't have much social life interaction or has an anxiety issue.

[Wexnident]

I'm guessing it's more of an impulse? Or a force of habit rather. Smoking has an addictive substance, hence why most people who start smoking get easily addicted and won't really be able to leave it at once EVEN with the proper mindset. Gambling, on the other hand, is purely an activity that really has no influence on your mind. It's more like the body itself craves it due to the emotions felt when doing that activity? I'm not particularly sure since I'm no scientist and all, but that's how I feel anyway when I feel idk, "hyped" up to do something? (Not just in gambling, you can actually feel it in other activities as well afaik).

[rhomelmabini]

I think it's on the individual itself that they suffer addiction, more often than not it is totally subjective since we are all unique. I can say myself that we are like in common OP and I still happy about it. When it comes to addiction or having a problem gambling as what others called I think there are factors for an individual that triggers them to behave this way e.g. family problem.

I asked you OP, what could trigger the good friend of yours to get addicted?

[Oasisman]

Gambling addiction is just like cigarette and alcohol addiction just like what you said, and yeah that is correct It is because people have different types of interest. People finds interest and passion in shopping, adventures, sports, and other kinds of activities. Gambling is among them. An individual becomes only addicted once he became excessively engaged into the said activity like gambling. It's not the amount of money that defines gambling addiction, instead it is the amount of time an individual is willing to allocate to gambling.

The saying is always right "everything in excess is not good."

[sarmrakib]

I have many friend who are also addicted on gambling .I have asked them many times why you guys not give up it they said the can't .They are serious gambler some of the has earned a lot and some of them has lost everything the have .Its a risky way of earning they said always the see a win chance and they sometimes they won and if get a win they have feel that they will win the next .After loosing the next one they try to recover and loose once again that's how they get addicted .I have able to make understand some of my friend and they ave give up this and some will never be changed their path .Its very dangerous addiction which can make street poor .However sometimes i try to place few bet though i got win a few but after seeing their addiction and loss i have decided to give up this way of earning .Now i try to change my mind into trading its another way of earning though have risk but more better than betting .

[Smartvirus]

Just yesterday over a transistor radio, I was listening to a comment section against the AFCON kick off between Egypt vs Nigeria hours before the game and it was a section that centered on an extremely risky bet from a serious addicted gambler. This gambler has just put out the only property of real value to both himself and the family on a bet that, Nigeria was to win.

It became an real issue to be talked about because, the wife didn't go easy with it. The wife actually reported the case. At first, she thought he was joking to have said, he was putting it out for a stake, after carry documents to summit to an escrow and she followed up then saw how serious it was. When she quarreled him on it, he simply recounted that, 'its through gambling he owns most of the properties he has today and even married her'. Should he loose,t the family would relocate to a smaller rented apartment and should he win, they would own two houses!

Now, thats some serious addictive gambler right there and his reasons counts for some gambling addictive behaviour. How could someone take such risk! What happened to the principle, 'stake or invest what you could afford to loose'. He took shelter on the means to what his wins or what he has gotten out of gambling and not taking notes of what he has lost. Big and little wins comes with promises that addictive only addictive gamblers see, they fail to recognise the caution their loses put out to them.

[Oshosondy]

In real life, I have a good friend that is totally addicted to gambling/sportsbet and he has really no intentions to quit gambling even if he lose a lot of money each year (no he is not "rich").

You will know a lot about gambling, he/she needs your help. Give him life experience and what gambling has done to people, there are lot of news like that how some people even commit suicide. Your friend will only think there is possibility to make it in gambling, but it is draining his/her money as gambling does to addicts. Even if he will not change, he always needs your advice.

Sometime "I feel better" if I don't place bets Grin nor I place bets.

I feel comfortable if I place bet, I used small amount of money, I have nothing to worry about. It is even fun to watch the match or to check the livescore for update.

Please post here in this topic your (serious) opinion about gambling addiction.

I was addicted before but not again when gambling almost destroy my life to the point I wanted to commit suicide, just that I was not bold enough to do it and I really appreciate I did not do anything stupid. This is what will happen to addicts and they may take their life themselves, this is the reason we need to make sure we let our family and friends that gamble too much to know what could possibly happen. I did not gambled for a year and I later blend.

[Cling18]

We can't blame those who are experiencing gambling addiction since we're not in their shoes but I think the main problem is greediness and lack of self-control. We have different principles but we have to put limits on everything that we do. Some players are aiming too high though they're having a hard time reaching the target goal that leads them to losses. As for me, allocating enough funds for gambling is a better option for us to put control over it.

[ChiBitCTy]

Well as you’ve stated gambling is like drugs to a lot of people. The more you do the better you tend to feel up to a certain point. When you hit your best points it feels really good, however most of the time your best points are fewer and far between.  Personally it’s nothing I’ve been addicted to nor could be but I absolutely understand those whom are. I think they have to hit rock bottom first before they’ll ever change their ways unfortunately.

[xSkylarx]

This is similar to depression, in which we, as people who are not depressed, can easily say that the reason they became depressed was because their problem was too simple, and that depression is kind of stupid.But the truth of this is that we are so lucky that we are able to control our emotions, but when we put ourselves in their situation, they cannot control it. That is why they need help. This is the same with addiction. Mostly the cause of this is greediness to get back all the losses and the feeling of winning money. That is most of the reason we get addicted if we can't control it. If we can, then we are lucky. Anyone could get addicted to gambling because of the feeling that it is unexplainable.

[bittraffic]

Could we say being an alcoholic is addicted to alcohol?  
At some point in our lives, I think we become addicted to something like playing badminton or chess. It's just unfortunate for someone who got addicted to gambling which is drug addiction. Both destroy lives not just thier own but the rest around them.

What happens to people when they start placing a bet is just like dopamine, placing bets also makes them happy and the happier it gets when they win of course.

[madnessteat]

Both addiction to drugs and gambling is almost the same since you are doing same things because you feel satisfied and seek comfort by doing it. People became addicted on gambling because they want to win to satisfy there cravings. This become a habit especially if they don't have other things to do to spend more time. Most the addicted are those who don't have much social life interaction or has an anxiety issue.

I believe that these are completely different addictions and although the process of getting rid of these addictions is not different at first glance it is not. Drug addiction causes very different feelings in a person (from peace to anxiety) and it mainly depends on what kind of drug a person uses.

Gambling addiction is caused by greed which constantly makes a person return to gambling and lose even more money. 

[bitbollo]

thank you for all contributions. I know this is a delicate topic and isn't easy talk about that issue in a public forum.
please find below some replies, but again, thank you all for your messages.

I believe that our brain produces endocrine an hormone that makes us feel good during the session that we are playing

Yes this is true, but this is not for all players. otherwise an huge amount of people get addicted to nicotine.
the same didn't apply with football or any kind of games. You didn't get addicted to play, but you get addicted to gambling!
There is something more in that case.

We are all completely different and each of us has our own preferences. Some like fried meat and some choose to live a vegetarian life.

Some foods are proven to get people addicted.

So for gambling people get addicted to their habit of gambling, or some aspects of it, for instance the feeling of winning a risky bet. This might give people such a rewarding satisfaction that winning becomes less important. However, other might be more addicted to winning lots of money than to gambling itself. This is probably different between people

interesting point

I asked you OP, what could trigger the good friend of yours to get addicted?

I think he is searching the "emotion" to win one month of salary with just a couple of euro. I know it's a beautiful satisfaction but isn't easy to achieve (I calculated he can win 1 each year so far) since it's really rare to achieve I am not searching this emotion (I feel better win little amount but little or no risk involved).
but in this case also this is true:

...After loosing the next one they try to recover and loose once again that's how they get addicted ....

Big and little wins comes with promises that addictive only addictive gamblers see, they fail to recognise the caution their loses put out to them.

Agree with you

@Oshosondy
it has been completely useless. I tried in all way, even explain and showing my "bets". nothing has changed his mind.
butnow he has a "limit" so he can play only a certain amount each week. this is at least a first result

[coin-investor]

In real life, I have a good friend that is totally addicted to gambling/sportsbet and he has really no intentions to quit gambling even if he lose a lot of money each year (no he is not "rich").

Why some people get addicted and others no?
People get addicted with drugs because it's like math. If you smoke cigarette .... after a while your body will crave for nicotine.

Addicts always deny that they have too much of it, even they are over on what they consumed, that's also true in gambling, a gambling addict thinks that it's ok to spend 5 hours or more in gambling and spend a lot of money, their alibis are they are having fun and they only lose what they can afford to lose, which is a big lie if you check their activity and money they eventually lose, they will fight anything that will stop from having to spend enough time in the casino they are playing, only a professional intervention can stop them.

[wheelz1200]

In real life, I have a good friend that is totally addicted to gambling/sportsbet and he has really no intentions to quit gambling even if he lose a lot of money each year (no he is not "rich").

Why some people get addicted and others no?
People get addicted with drugs because it's like math. If you smoke cigarette .... after a while your body will crave for nicotine.

This is a question that I have a lot of time in my mind while following this section/reading history of other players.
Despite I am placing bets since a while I am able to not bets without any doubts for several months.
Sometime "I feel better" if I don't place bets nor I place bets.
I have my opinion about this argument but can't fit with all players / users addicted.

.. What happens with gambling?

Please post here in this topic your (serious) opinion about gambling addiction.
Topic self-moderated to avoid spam/useless comment.

It's like any other addiction, everyone's mental and physical makeup is different.  Depending on personality and tendencies some people can gamble and walk away some can't.  Same with drugs, work, sports,etc..all the same.  Gambling is a brutal one since you can lose a fortune an an instant.  Lives are completely destroyed for people who cant control themselves

[dothebeats]

People find pleasure on such things, and the brain works in such a way that once the individual is exposed to a certain pleasure, the brain's reward center rewires everything in such a way that they'd exert 'more' feelings of pleasure from that certain thing. It could be drugs, sex, alcohol, or even gambling. On gamblers, they find the act of gambling as pleasurable, hence why their brain craves for more of it, leading up to the addiction of individuals to the said activity.

Addiction is, IMO, not discriminatory on what activities you do or substance you consume. The question is not "why gambling addiction" but rather "why people let themselves get hooked so bad?"