Why does losing to a person feel worse than losing to a sportsbook?

[Maslate]

I feel more emotional when I’m betting against a person and I lose, compared to losing on a sportsbook. Have you ever felt something like that?

You know, we have friends we gamble with in real life, so sometimes we make bets against each other, just for fun. I’ve also done it online. But I noticed that when I lose in those kinds of bets, I feel it more, like it hits harder. Compared to sportsbook bets where I can just move on right away.

Have you felt the same?

[Nwada001]

I don't know about others, but one thing about me betting with friends is that the amount we stake, since it's a single bet that appears like a challenge, is always larger than the money we stake on a single bet on any sportsbook, so when you lose a bet where you stake higher, you will definitely react differently.

Another thing is the bet you make with people you are seeing feels different, as you will be looking at someone walking away with your money, without any single hope that you are going to ever get that money back.

[Floxynice]

People really have different personalities. I honestly won't be feeling bad unless I have proofs that the other person cheated to win the bet. Aside that, if the gambler intentionally tries to make me feel bad from his body language or things he says to me to hurt my emotions, I am sure going to feel bad. If all of these stated above are not the situation, I will treat all losses thesame irrespective of who is involved.

But on a normal circumstances, bets with friends are supposed to be fun whether the outcome of the bet was good or bad. Friends are known to cheer each other up when the outcome isn't favourable. As someone betting with an individual, have an open mind towards the bet and you can limit it to betting with friends only, instead of one random person who does not understand your kind of person.

[SamReomo]

I feel more emotional when I’m betting against a person and I lose, compared to losing on a sportsbook. Have you ever felt something like that?

You know, we have friends we gamble with in real life, so sometimes we make bets against each other, just for fun. I’ve also done it online. But I noticed that when I lose in those kinds of bets, I feel it more, like it hits harder. Compared to sportsbook bets where I can just move on right away.

Have you felt the same?

I rarely do anything of betting with my friends and you're not alone, when I lose those bets I get emotionally hurt not because I lost the bet because I lost it against my friend or against a loved one. Anyone will feel some type of insult after losing bets against their friends or loved ones and such type of feeling is fully normal.

However, I personally get 10x more emotional when I lose $100 or more on sportsbetting. I don't bet with huge amounts, I rarely place bets of amount $50 or more, most times I place bets of $10 on sports matches and if I win I enjoy the win and if I lose I don't get sad because in betting and in sports betting winning and losing both happen.

[Vaculin]

I think the problem might be that you’re betting too much. Try reducing the amount and you’ll probably be fine.

I understand that gamblers want excitement, but that also has its limits when it comes to how much you bet. At the end of the day, the rule is still the same, only bet what you can afford to lose. I think that’s where the issue comes in.

You’re probably betting more than you should, and that’s why it feels heavier when you lose, especially when emotions get involved knowing your friends got the better of you.

[Mpamaegbu]

I feel more emotional when I’m betting against a person and I lose, compared to losing on a sportsbook. Have you ever felt something like that?

That's why I don't find it a good idea for friends to gamble together once money is involved. Money can raise emotions and make people become irrational. Those who are short fused with their tempers easily lose it and fight once it's not going in their favour. This has ruined so many friendships.

We can dare friends to do something and stake money on it if they can do that. That's not gambling. It's dare and it's one sided. That's the one I like seeing among friends. Only the person daring stakes money. It's unlike gambling among friends where everyone gets to stake money. As for real gambling, friends should steer clear of it to avoid ruining their friendship through fights and altercations.

I think what makes the loss very painful is the perceived excitement or smug we often see on the faces of winners. We might think they're mocking us. Machines don't show any emotions. So, we wouldn't find something like that which can aggravate a loser's anger.

[SmartGold01]

Such game or bet usually hurt so much because you know that someone you know very well would walk away with your money and you are physically seeing that person, unlike a game or bet you stake on the gambling site. The reason why most people hardly reacts to such bet is that, they had already made the deposit to gambling site and there is no refund from the casino, and then you have no authority or Will power over your money than to let it go. But when betting with a friend you would feels that you could attack such person to have your money back without you undermining how close you both could be. The main reason is that there is no middle man or Decentralized system that could hold the funds between you both.

[Itz-prisigold]

I can actually relate to what you are saying,  and it is understandable even though I have never gambled in real life with a friend.  But I think when you lose to your friends it will be harder, because it feels more personal. In betting against a friend, or betting against someone you know, there will be pride or ego involved,  losing is not just about the money, losing to someone is also about losing competition,  losing respect or even a bit of bragging right and we all know that feelings hurts so much.

Losing a bet at a sportsbook seems more like losing a game to a computer.  It is easier to let go because there is no one to hold accountable on the other side. It is just similar to things we always experience in our everyday life.  When it comes to a competition with a person or a team, emotions will definitely be involved but those feelings will not occur when you are competing against number on a screen.

[Maslate]

I think what makes the loss very painful is the perceived excitement or smug we often see on the faces of winners. We might think they're mocking us. Machines don't show any emotions. So, we wouldn't find something like that which can aggregate a loser's anger.

It does seem that way, you really described how I think and feel in that situation.
So I guess I won’t totally stop doing it, I’ll just limit my bets so it really stays a “friendly bet.”

Before I was betting around $100, now I’ll try to keep it at $10. That’s just 10%, so I’m sure I won’t feel that upset when I lose. 

You’re probably betting more than you should, and that’s why it feels heavier when you lose, especially when emotions get involved knowing your friends got the better of you.

you are not wrong with that. (time to correct my mistake...)

[joeperry]

You know, we have friends we gamble with in real life, so sometimes we make bets against each other, just for fun. I’ve also done it online. But I noticed that when I lose in those kinds of bets, I feel it more, like it hits harder. Compared to sportsbook bets where I can just move on right away.

Actually I know what you feel and I think I may have a reason for that but this is just based on my own hypothesis. In sports betting, you lose your money to the site and you don't know the site specifically, maybe you know the name of the platform but you don't have any connection to it, compared to your friend or to close one. Sometimes, seeing them win and you losing to them can result to bitterness since you will see him become happy and you are devastated because you lose that's why sometimes it's harder to accept, compared to sports betting which is all automatic, it's like you lose to the computer or to the system, no emotions or feelings attached. Not sure if you get my point 

[The Cryptovator]

I feel more emotional when I’m betting against a person and I lose, compared to losing on a sportsbook. Have you ever felt something like that?

You know, we have friends we gamble with in real life, so sometimes we make bets against each other, just for fun. I’ve also done it online. But I noticed that when I lose in those kinds of bets, I feel it more, like it hits harder. Compared to sportsbook bets where I can just move on right away.

Have you felt the same?

Though I am not betting much, yes, I feel the same. When betting with a person like a friend, then it hurts me more if I lose. Because it's in real life and other friends know about it, because likely we aren't alone when betting with friends. You will meet with him every day, and for a few days you will remember about the loss, and that's the reason it does hurt more than sportsbook losing.

In online gambling, if you lose, only you know about it. Nobody else knows you are losing on the bet; nobody asks about it. It's kind of easier to spend online through card or other payment gateways than to spend through cash. It's something similar to betting with a person and betting with a sportsbook.

[danherbias07]

No. Because most of the time it's a friendly game for us. The bet was usually drinks and food for the weekend traditional meeting. The loser will pay for all or buy the drinks and food, and we will consume it in the house of whoever is available.

I think what you and your friend did was a money bet, and I might also get more frustrated if that happens to me. Still, it should be a sport in both the game and your bets. I would not go as far as damaging my budget for the bet we made. If it's money, I would rather ride a bet, and we could both go to the sports bookie and use the total money for one team or player.

[KiaKia]

No string attached, I won't feel any difference but I guess gathering and gambling with friends will bring in more fun for me than placing bet myself, it gets boring at times and I have look away too many times .

We all are different, we surely going to handle gambling in different ways, I feel like mine is easy because of the money I always choose to gamble with, it's always very little.

Gambling with friends is always fun for those who are ready to lose the prize, that's why it's always best to bet only what you can afford to lose, either you are losing to a casino or to a friend it shouldn't have negative effect on you.

[Charles-Tim]

I do not feel like this at all, I will feel better if I lose money in betting to a family member, this is because I think the money is not lost. But just like this one, losing to a friend is not bad for me, as long as I count the person as my real friend and not fake friend. I will still think that I do not lose the money at all. But I may feel like you if the friend is arrogant about it.

[leea-1334]

I would 100% prefer to lose to a friend,,, but I do not even tell my friends I gamble so maybe I am not the best example, but would you not think that a friend is more likely to spend on you as a treat, casino will just take your money and maybe give you a few XP at best!

So,,, tell me OP is this why you support Rollbit but are not participating in Rollbit sponsored pools?

[Zlantann]

Have you felt the same?

You just reminded me of my youthful days when friends placed bets on almost everything. We even had to bet on who could speak with girls in my neighbourhood and get phone numbers. The pain of losing comes not because of the money you lose but the mockery you suffer for losing. My friends will laugh the hell out of you. Sometimes they will use the win to buy stuff for others and you would not get any. My take is that you get emotional because of the verbal and non-verbal messages or expressions you get from your friends after losing. I could remember that some of my friends had to cry or even fight because of this mockery.

[Shinpako09]

Not really, because when I bet in person, whether it’s against a friend or someone else, I only bet small amounts, even less than what I use online. So even if I lose, I wouldn’t care that much, I’d just sigh, and that’s it. Compared to betting online, whether on sports or casino games, it’s more frustrating even if the amount isn’t that big. Maybe one of the reasons is the amount itself, as well as the expectation. But if there is trash talk involved in person and they really mean it, that’s a different story.

[Zadicar]

I feel more emotional when I’m betting against a person and I lose, compared to losing on a sportsbook. Have you ever felt something like that?

You know, we have friends we gamble with in real life, so sometimes we make bets against each other, just for fun. I’ve also done it online. But I noticed that when I lose in those kinds of bets, I feel it more, like it hits harder. Compared to sportsbook bets where I can just move on right away.

Have you felt the same?

For me it doesnt make difference but these are might the reasons on why it hits different.

1. When betting against other people or friends, then when you do lose then someone would tease you up and that could trigger out that emotion on which it worsen up the feeling aside of losing money, or
2. You are hurting yourself on getting some lost on a sportsbook just because there's no one that you can go along with the loses in compared with your do have friend beside you.

Actually it would be just that depending into someones preference in the end of the day whether you are betting against other people/friend or you would be going for sportsbook. If you do find yourself  that losing against other people hits different or harder then go for sports book as simple as that.

[Orpichukwu]

I do not feel like this at all, I will feel better if I lose money in betting to a family member, this is because I think the money is not lost. But just like this one, losing to a friend is not bad for me, as long as I count the person as my real friend and not fake friend. I will still think that I do not lose the money at all. But I may feel like you if the friend is arrogant about it.

People just react differently to certain situations. To family members, I might not feel the loss since I can still somehow get it back even if it's not in monetary terms, but when betting with friends, it depends on the situation and the type of friends. I also feel a different reaction because some circles of friends don't just win you and leave; they can still make you feel pain based on how they will turn the whole situation. Either they want to make fun of it or they don't directly want to get it upset, but the reaction after the game result is known could also contribute to how the person will feel, and let's also not forget the betting amount, as the OP has pointed out to be one of his errors.

[Dunamisx]

The intention of gambling was to be able to see that we have a winning opportunity, but if we are doing it with others that we know and make use of a physical betting strategy, it may not be convenient for us to see others win against us and just lose like that, when we could possibly engage with them and played for pardon or assume they should for feet the winning, not knowing that the same condition could applies to use as well if they were the one that loses and we take advantage of winning.