Illusion of control

[viljy]

Well, if a person does not have the illusion of control, then what is the main reason? As they say, the casino always wins. For most gamblers, yes, the casino wins. But the casino loses to a small number of gamblers. So, any gambler is motivated by the hope of being among these lucky ones. This is the main incentive for any person. The illusion of control is already a secondary incentive, and more likely for a regular gambler. For people who gamble only occasionally, the illusion of control is not in the first place among the incentives.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

Well, if a person does not have the illusion of control, then what is the main reason? As they say, the casino always wins. For most gamblers, yes, the casino wins. But the casino loses to a small number of gamblers. So, any gambler is motivated by the hope of being among these lucky ones. This is the main incentive for any person. The illusion of control is already a secondary incentive, and more likely for a regular gambler. For people who gamble only occasionally, the illusion of control is not in the first place among the incentives.

You've spoken really nicely, you are correct about any gambler being motivated by the fact that there are always a small group of persons whom that casinos will some times loose to, and any gambler will be hopefully trying to be among that group..

But this is actually different from illusion of control based on my personal understanding of what illusion of control simply means, the gambler who is gambling with the hope of being among the few persons that could get lucky and beat and beat the casino already understand that their winning is under probability, they are only trying and hoping they get lucky, with this self awareness, it is expected that they will still apply caution to how much they spend gambling so they don't lose money they will end up regretting just incase they do not win.

But things are far different for a person with illusion of control, they feel it's their right to win and when they don't, they likely will accuse the casino of manipulating the game to their advantage and causing him(the gambler) to lose money.

[crwth]

With all the things mentioned by the members here, even if with different perspectives, it's most likely that discipline and self-control are one of the key things that you need to have to have a good gambling experience. It's just that, that's not the only story.

There are elements, even in the design of the casino, such as the UI/UX, that make it feel like you're in control. The manipulation that visuals and sounds give is part of it. I think it plays a part as well.

We should always gamble responsibly.

[lovesmayfamilis]

I would describe the concept that OP discusses as an illusion of the next step. We often fall into this trap, as if by making another bet we will get what we want for our persistence. Self-deception draws us into continuing the game more and more, and the more this illusion works, the more we play, and unfortunately, we lose. Therefore, I try not to experience such illusions, thinking that I am special and I am destined to beat the system. As soon as my deposit runs out, I force myself to stop playing and come back after some time, without turning the passion for games into an obligation.

[danherbias07]

You are right. I always thought that there was a right button where I could win a slot game, but there's really none. It's just a superstitious belief that I created for myself to make me think that I can win the game. In short, it's just an illusion. Sometimes, it does work, but it's all in my head. Maybe I just got it at the right time, or it's just a coincidence.

Still, I believe this makes a gambler boost his confidence and try to win games, but the truth is that the house will always win no matter what we do.

[m2017]

What really makes a gambler lose? Is it greed?

The desire to win.

Well it is the illusion of control. Illusion of control leads to continued gambling and the more a gambler plays the more the casinos win, right?

This is the manifestation of RTP, which is 95% (no more).

What kind of control can there be when you are in a casino with rules that are unfavorable for the client in advance?

As a gambler, you should be able to identify these illusions so you can at least get a hold of yourself.

It seems to me that gamblers have many illusions: the illusion of winning (that he will definitely win), the illusion of uniqueness (that everything will be different for him), etc.

We often think, deep down, that we can control how we win. No matter how many proof we are presented with that the casino always wins we always think that we can overthrow this theory that applies to everyone. Then it gets justified when we actually win so we will continue playing thinking we can actually decide when to win.

These are illusions. Every gambler is "at the mercy" of the casino.

[purple_sparkles]

When we play in a casino, we already understand from the start that it’s a game for money, and most likely we will lose rather than win. If a person is going only for winnings, they will most likely be disappointed. But if they’re going for emotions, that’s a different situation, with a different end goal, and the game will unfold differently. We all have different kinds of dependencies besides gambling, and it all depends on the role they play, whether they harm us or help us feel satisfied with life.That’s when control of the situation begins, understanding why we need this in the first place.

[Die_empty]

The illusion of control has kept so many people on a mental trap for a long time and this even results to addiction because they might tend to think that they can find a way to always make profit from gambling...one illusion that clouds the minds of gamblers is the thought of getting rich through gambling, this is just something that drives them to get addicted even more...No one can control the outcomes of gambling, you can either win or lose

Everyone who gambles has a mindset that they will win. I don't think anybody has the intention of just throwing money at casinos. Illusion of control could be seen as hoping that one day you could beat the house and win, so I am not giving up. It's not bad to believe that you will win but it becomes a problem when you go to the extreme.  

Indeed, we cannot control the outcome of games but we take risks to see if we have beaten the house. Addiction comes when you start chasing losses and gambling with amounts that will affect your finances negatively.

[giammangiato]

The illusion of control, and I would also add the illusion of making quick, easy money, changes if you play for fun. You're playing without any purpose; you're just trying your luck, and that's it.
But if you play with the intention of using a strategy and imagining it as a job, meaning you have everything under control, you're literally fooling yourself.
You'll realize you have no control from the moment you start losing and can't get your losses back.

[Cantsay]

If you get statistical and logical, you will remove these thoughts and you will not become overconfident or superstitious.

It’s been long I actually talked about this kind of stuff, but back then I got really curios about the psychology behind this whole gambling thing and why do gamblers come back or continue gambling despite the amount that they have lost to the casino, I discovered that casinos usually use the “near miss effect” method to make them want to continue gambling.

So basically, what happens is that the casino will give the gambler a result that is very close to the actual winning result and that will trick the gambler into believing that if they should gamble a little more they'd be able to get the actual result they need to win that huge price, so they’ll keep at it and eventually run out of money.

[Alex077]

What really makes a gambler lose? Is it greed? Well it is the illusion of control. Illusion of control leads to continued gambling and the more a gambler plays the more the casinos win, right? As a gambler, you should be able to identify these illusions so you can at least get a hold of yourself.
We often think, deep down, that we can control how we win. No matter how many proof we are presented with that the casino always wins we always think that we can overthrow this theory that applies to everyone. Then it gets justified when we actually win so we will continue playing thinking we can actually decide when to win.

Good point however it is not just greed it is just old-fashioned brain hiccups.  Engineered near misses, gamblers fallacy, hot hand & illusion of control all encourage you to keep shooting wtf.  also as you play more your results get closer to the house edge, math is always bigger than mojo.  i have seen most pro gambler fall into these biases, though knowing others stories helps. so I always treat wins as variance rather than evidence that I am unique & I always pre-set stop-loss/time caps, which destroy systems.  If you failed to do that, you are nailed by the long-term loss expectation, lol.

[Hispo]

...

If you get statistical and logical, you will remove these thoughts and you will not become overconfident or superstitious.

Though, gambling relies much on feelings rather in logical thinking and mathematics, simply because the majority of people who try their luck in gambling do not have the basic knowledge in statistics and mathematics to do some analysis on the chances they actually have to become millionaires in the short and long term. If all gamblers on the planet had that knowledge and were able to use it, then casinos would struggle financially.

Since there is a lack of knowledge, many gamblers rely on superstition and magical thinking (even trying to find non-existing patterns) in order to see if they can make profits from gambling. In that way, it is just matter of time before losses start to pile up.

[cryptoaddictchie]

What really makes a gambler lose? Is it greed? Well it is the illusion of control. Illusion of control leads to continued gambling and the more a gambler plays the more the casinos win, right? As a gambler, you should be able to identify these illusions so you can at least get a hold of yourself.

Its not just greed its the illusion of control. Gamblers often believe they can influence outcomes, and a few wins reinforce that false confidence. This makes them keep playing, but the longer they play, the more the casino takes back. Once you understand its all probability and not skill or luck you can control, the illusion fades and so does the trap. So in any case I tend to consider gambling like in slot as form of enjoyment for myself at least that way Im noy expecting a lot of frustrations from losing.

[Akbarkoe]

What really makes a gambler lose? Is it greed? Well it is the illusion of control. Illusion of control leads to continued gambling and the more a gambler plays the more the casinos win, right? As a gambler, you should be able to identify these illusions so you can at least get a hold of yourself.

We often think, deep down, that we can control how we win. No matter how many proof we are presented with that the casino always wins we always think that we can overthrow this theory that applies to everyone. Then it gets justified when we actually win so we will continue playing thinking we can actually decide when to win.

If you get statistical and logical, you will remove these thoughts and you will not become overconfident or superstitious.

In my opinion, you are absolutely right about this. I agree that the illusion of control is indeed dangerous for gamblers, as they will continue to gamble because their minds believe in something that is difficult to obtain, namely luck.

Essentially, casinos always win, and everyone knows this, but the desire to break the cycle is hindered by the hope of luck, which then leads to overconfidence that one can always win again and again.

[Shinpako09]

Be it because of illusion, greed, or something else, we gamblers are very persistent. Despite continuous losses, we still believe we can recover or win big, even if we already know it’s nearly impossible. Maybe it’s because of how big our losses are that we just wish to recover it all. Those winning moments create wishful thinking, that we can overcome our struggles in gambling. Every good run boosts our confidence, and maybe that’s what gamblers are really clinging to, that little bit of hope.

[Beparanf]

What really makes a gambler lose? Is it greed? Well it is the illusion of control. Illusion of control leads to continued gambling and the more a gambler plays the more the casinos win, right? As a gambler, you should be able to identify these illusions so you can at least get a hold of yourself.

Its not just greed its the illusion of control. Gamblers often believe they can influence outcomes, and a few wins reinforce that false confidence. This makes them keep playing, but the longer they play, the more the casino takes back. Once you understand its all probability and not skill or luck you can control, the illusion fades and so does the trap. So in any case I tend to consider gambling like in slot as form of enjoyment for myself at least that way Im noy expecting a lot of frustrations from losing.

I experienced this many times as I joined many casino tournaments in the past. I happened to experience this kind of illusion when I’m on winning streak both on games and tournaments that result to me chasing more wins from tournaments and gambling games.

Because of this confidence I often lose everything both profit and bankroll with just one mistake of being out of control in the presence of losing streak.

Illusion of control sucks because it will make you ride on win then bust instantly.

[DaNNy001]

If gambler's dont lose cassinos wont be in business, where do you think those gambling sites generates revenue grom, off course from the loses of their players, so dont think that losing is not a part of gambling and as long as you win you definitely lose also that is what make gambling a risky thing.

Let take it that all what you mentioned above are correct bit yet even with the applications of all of this, if luck is not on your side, you will still lose.

That's true, gamblers don't really know the psychological trap of casino sites, if you are not mentally mature and disciplined you might be falling right into a trap without realizing it... Casinos were designed to make profit, they make profit off gamblers that are irresponsible...if we had more gamblers that are keeping their gambling activities moderate these companies wouldnt be making much compared to what they are getting now

[Patikno]

What really makes a gambler lose? Is it greed? Well it is the illusion of control. Illusion of control leads to continued gambling and the more a gambler plays the more the casinos win, right? As a gambler, you should be able to identify these illusions so you can at least get a hold of yourself.

We often think, deep down, that we can control how we win. No matter how many proof we are presented with that the casino always wins we always think that we can overthrow this theory that applies to everyone. Then it gets justified when we actually win so we will continue playing thinking we can actually decide when to win.

I completely agree with you, basically a greedy gambler can be said to be experiencing an illusion, where they usually think they will always win if they play continuously, when in fact we know that no one can win continuously in every time they open a gambling or betting session. I think people, especially for gamblers, need to be aware of this illusion of control, so they can control themselves (especially for gamblers who have indications of addiction). Furthermore, the mindset also needs to be instilled that we can actually decide when to win, meaning that when someone makes a profit while gambling, then he can take a break to stop gambling or betting at that time, and can do it again at the right time (without disrupting other productive activities), so that means we can actually decide when we will win as you said.

[programmer3666]

What really makes a gambler lose? Is it greed? Well it is the illusion of control. Illusion of control leads to continued gambling and the more a gambler plays the more the casinos win, right? As a gambler, you should be able to identify these illusions so you can at least get a hold of yourself.

We often think, deep down, that we can control how we win. No matter how many proof we are presented with that the casino always wins we always think that we can overthrow this theory that applies to everyone. Then it gets justified when we actually win so we will continue playing thinking we can actually decide when to win.

If you get statistical and logical, you will remove these thoughts and you will not become overconfident or superstitious.

This is one good point you have made the illusion of control is one of the biggest traps in gambling because it tricks the mind into thinking you can outsmart a system that has been designed for the house to win at all level.... many gamblers convince themselves that if they play a certain way!! use a lucky number or follow a pattern,they can change the outcome of the odds but in reality the chance is the only real factor... and greed kind of plays a role too!! but greed is always fueled by that false sense of control...a small win convinces the brain that have figured it out in a way, then boom you feel like i can do it again and before you know it!! you are chasing losses... that cycle is what keeps casinos and gambling platforms profitable.

[mirakal]

However, without illusion of control, we will never feel the thrill and excitement when gambling. This is the only thing that makes our gambling experience very much lively. Although I have to admit that having illusion of control will push us to gamble more, but if you only know your stance in gambling, that no matter how confident you are, the house will always win in the end, then gambling addiction will be prevented.

My point here, while it’s for our good sake having no illusion of control, but I believe this is just inevitable. There are actually gamblers who feel overconfident especially if they get overwhelmed with their winnings, and I think it would be hard beating this kind of emotion.