First, you should move this to the gambling discussion board.
I’ve read similar posts before, and again this “dopamine” thing pops up, so I bothered to research it. Turns out it’s a chemical your brain produces when you’re enjoying something, that’s why you want to keep doing it. That’s why it’s hard to fight if we’re not disciplined. We just continue what we’re doing and end up not managing the risk properly. It’s probably also the reason why we chase our losses, which later turns into regret.
Yup you are correct.
Dopamine is basically the "happy hormone" that our brain releases whenever we feel good about something. This applies to everything that makes us happy; and we all know that MONEY makes us happy! This is exactly the reason on why gambling is so addicting that you tend to lose your self-control- it involves winning money and taking risk at the same time.
People are usually attracted to uncertainty. One of the major reason for this is the release of dopamine in the brain when we feel anticipation and excitement. This is why even small bets can feel thrilling . The cycle of risk, suspense, and reward, is created through gambling. For alot of people, gambling is more about stimulation and less about the money. The fact that there is an unpredictable outcome keeps the brain engaged. That's another reason why it's easy to get carried away of you don't control your emotions.
I don’t know about you but the only reason I’m taking risk on gambling is for the chance to gain profit on winning bets. Winning against the odds of the gambling is what makes it entertaining while those risk involved is part of the process.
Some people do arbitrage betting which has no risk on bet for the sake of the profit. I doubt they are seeking dopamine when they do that method and that proves that gambler main goal is to gain profit and have fun on the experience.
You are also correct on your statement.
At the end of the day, it depends on the goal of the person but everything boils down to one thing- gambling makes us happy regardless of our purpose. Whether it be for profit; or for experiencing a high-octane scare due to beating the odds against your favor.