The Psychological Shift Behind Casual Gambling.

[qwertyup23]

So many peoples start with the idea that they are only playing for fun but the real problem is that the human mind does not always stay emotionally neutral around money whether it is wins or losses.

For example someone may deposit a small amount after work just for entertainment. At first it feels harmless. But after a few unexpected wins the brain starts attaching excitement and emotional reward to gambling itself. Slowly normal activities like work and studies or daily routines can start feeling less exciting compared to the emotional rush of betting.

I agree with you however I do have some reservations that I want to raise.

First, whenever a person enters the gambling scene with the mindset of having fun, it eliminates the need for them to gamble and earn some profit along the way. That by itself is a huge win especially in an industry that involves huge amounts of money in the process.

Second, the feeling of hopelessness and lost are nothing but normal whenever you lose in any area and not just in gambling. That's the initial and natural human response that we feel to the point that we want to fight back or inflict the same injury to the one who did that to us.

Lastly, by considering the factors above, it does not entirely and absolutely eliminate the chance of addiction but it significantly lessens it to a person. At the end of the day, you are still in an industry that involves the risk of money, which is by itself addicting on nature.

[Nathrixxx]

When you ask almost everybody about how they Gamble, we had something like this from them, I gamble for fun, quite alright some are truly gambling without the intention of having some thing attach and they are not too emotional about how the Gamble at this time, while we still have some people that are more desperate about earning from gambling because they see it as an opportunity for them to get some extra earning opportunity, this is how we relate to understand the difference between a casual gambler and someone that gambles with high expectancy.

[jcojci]

The curiosity factor can increase following on the result you get from gambling. If you lose in gambling, that makes you return in gambling as you will hardly accept your losses. You thinks that you will win next days and that makes you keep gambling using more money.

That also affect to your psychology as you might think about the lost money in gambling. You will not consider gambling is an entertainment but that could be your place to revenge. If you wins next days, your brain will tells you that your luck still there so that makes you keep gambling. But the results will not always happens and makes you difficult to leaves gambling.

That slowly turns you becomes addicted to gambling, you don't realize what happens to you as your brain tells you that is normal if you return to casino. In a long term, you will becomes addicted to gambling and even a heavy addicted.

[Zadicar]

When you ask almost everybody about how they Gamble, we had something like this from them, I gamble for fun, quite alright some are truly gambling without the intention of having some thing attach and they are not too emotional about how the Gamble at this time, while we still have some people that are more desperate about earning from gambling because they see it as an opportunity for them to get some extra earning opportunity, this is how we relate to understand the difference between a casual gambler and someone that gambles with high expectancy.

Everything matters about on someones mentality on how they would really be handling themselves when it comes to gambling whether you would be playing for fun or would definitely go for the money that you can make with it, but majority of us when we are just that starting then our mind will definitely be just that tending to play gambling for the sake of fun and entertainment. You would be that still eager when it comes to money making and  thats something a reality on which most gamblers do really get fall into this trap. If you dont have that strong mentality and emotion handling or control then you woudl be ending up on becoming addicted into it on which we know that once addiction shackles you then you would definitely be having the problem on getting out with it. Although there are those individuals who can be able to quit up immediately but majority will really be that failing on doing so and would play no matter what as long they do have the money that they can use on.

[SPIDERMAN008]

Your post brings up an important point but I think the problem is not just gambling but the way modern apps exploit peoples attention and emotions is also a big reason because the same psychological pattern can be seen in social media, short video apps or gaming where people lose interest in the simple things of real life while chasing dopamine. Gambling may be more dangerous because it involves money but the main problem is that the human brain is now getting used to constant stimulation so I think that isolating gambling alone does not capture the whole psychological picture.

You are right. Because they marketing  in such a way that any person can be greedy. Because only the greed of profit is shown there. Moreover, they sometimes use some influencers. Many people fall for their temptation and start gambling on those apps.

There is another risk in this case, where fake and scam sites take people's money. As a result, not only is there a possibility of losing while gambling, but even after depositing money and winning, there may also be a problem in withdrawing that money. Many times, the money cannot be withdrawn due to various issues. In this way, many people are being cheated, being addicted and mentally broken.

[lionheart78]

That is why I personally believe gambling is very different from normal entertainment. Entertainment usually relaxes the mind but gambling keeps the mind emotionally stimulated for long periods of time. And once emotions become deeply attached controlling gambling becomes much harder than most people expect.

I do not think I agree with you that entertainment relaxes the mind. I believe does not because during entertainment, our mind is active, it is actively releasing dopamine due to the satisfaction we get.  It diverts our attention to an activity that gives us happiness and makes us forget our stressful day (gambling in moderation does that), which makes us think our mind feels relaxed.

But we all know that any excessive activity will become toxic.  Prolonged gaming, or prolonged exposure to entertainment, can trigger something that is far beyond just "relaxation".  For example, we can observe kids mimicking their favorite superheroes after watching entertaining videos for a long time (repetitive action).  Kids getting short tempered after engaging in certain games for a long time. 

So I think any kind of entertainment can have a gambling-like (addiction) effect when engaged irresponsibly.

[Pandu Geddon]

This is where psychology becomes more important than money. Most people are not actually chasing profit anymore. They are chasing the feeling they experienced during previous wins. That is why many gamblers continue playing even after losing heavily because emotionally they still believe the next win will bring back that same feeling again.

Some call it the satisfaction of playing. But perhaps the satisfaction in the game wouldn't be enjoyable if you don't win. So actually, gamblers are only chasing the feeling of that win. If they haven't achieved a win, or only a small win that doesn't give satisfaction, the gambler will continue playing. 
If a gambler is like that, I think there is no more casual gambling. What happens is gambling for the ambition to make money.

[Junii]

I do not think I agree with you that entertainment relaxes the mind. I believe does not because during entertainment, our mind is active, it is actively releasing dopamine due to the satisfaction we get.  It diverts our attention to an activity that gives us happiness and makes us forget our stressful day (gambling in moderation does that), which makes us think our mind feels relaxed.

But we all know that any excessive activity will become toxic.  Prolonged gaming, or prolonged exposure to entertainment, can trigger something that is far beyond just "relaxation".  For example, we can observe kids mimicking their favorite superheroes after watching entertaining videos for a long time (repetitive action).  Kids getting short tempered after engaging in certain games for a long time. 

So I think any kind of entertainment can have a gambling-like (addiction) effect when engaged irresponsibly.

You make a very good point and i actually agree that any form of entertainment can become unhealthy when done excessively. I mean excess of everything is wrong.Whether it is Gaming or social media and even sports can affect behavior and emotions if someone loses control over it.
But i personally believe gambling has an extra psychological layer compared to normal entertainment because money and uncertainty are directly involved in gambling.  Even many psychologists saying our brain loves the what if game . In most entertainment the dopamine comes from enjoyment itself while in gambling the brain also becomes attached to reward anticipation and financial outcome at the same time.

That combination of risk reward and unpredictability can create much stronger emotional conditioning in some people. Even small wins can train the brain to keep chasing the same emotional feeling again which is why many gamblers continue even after losing a lot.

So i agree addiction is not exclusive to gambling but i believe gambling can affect decision making and emotional control faster than many other forms of entertainment because it mixes psychology emotions and money together.

[letteredhub]

Snip

Gambling is a rewarding activity even though the rewards that tend to follow with it isn't guaranteed to anyone regardless of how much efforts and funds you put in to it. But then, it's a matter of self control whether it was initially about the rewards or for fun which later turned emotions towards rewards as a result of unexpected wins that was made, being in control is what should be the ultimate goal as not to drain oneself mentally, physically and financially.

[rachael9385]

The curiosity factor can increase following on the result you get from gambling. If you lose in gambling, that makes you return in gambling as you will hardly accept your losses. You thinks that you will win next days and that makes you keep gambling using more money.

That also affect to your psychology as you might think about the lost money in gambling. You will not consider gambling is an entertainment but that could be your place to revenge. If you wins next days, your brain will tells you that your luck still there so that makes you keep gambling. But the results will not always happens and makes you difficult to leaves gambling.

That slowly turns you becomes addicted to gambling, you don't realize what happens to you as your brain tells you that is normal if you return to casino. In a long term, you will becomes addicted to gambling and even a heavy addicted.

When people start seeing gambling as something they can recover their money from once it's lost it becomes more of a psychological trap than a source of entertainment. Even for those that claim to gamble for fun and chase their losses when to recover. This could lead to gambling addiction in a lot of cases and sometimes people find it hard to recover from this mental trap.

[Bityar]

Your ideas perfectly match how the brain actually works . What you are describing is exactly what happens inside our brain . When we gamble our brain gets a huge rush of excitement Since wins are total surprise our brain gets hooked on trying to guess that what will happen next.

I think the most dangerous thing which happen is that after a while when normal life start it feel boring by comparison. Doing work or relaxing can not compete with that high gambling Thats why people get moody lose sleep and change how they act with friends or family . Their brains are just too tired from all the winning and losing

[Woodie]

Honestly this looked like a TL:DR but forced myself to read.. and after going through the write up, honestly there is a lot that I connected and is very much relatable... That line of small bets not really leaving a mark ..was a knock out for me because his is what happens to everyone, the small bets hardly leave a scratch but you keep playing the scratch starts to be visible and you can't ignore it any more..life really is all about the experience!!

[Makus]

Not every gambler moves from using gambling as a source of excitement to chasing losses or getting addicted, even though it's a psychological trap it's still a choice to go down that line because as someone that is principled you can decide not to do that. Some people's idea about gambling can suddenly begin to shift mostly when they make profit, when your brain starts getting used to winning this can be very dangerous and in the long run this is one of the major things that can cause gambling addiction. Without self control or psychological discipline one should not even get involved in gambling.

[Cryptomultiplier]

Let's just be honest with ourselves, because from the way I see it, once a potential gambler gets to download the app on their device and fund it regularly just for the entertaining nature of it, that's the biggest lie to be told to oneself.
It is better to give a huge space between gambling and the location where we gamble for entertainment or fun purposes, in my opinion.

I believe once we can restrict gambling activities to going to the live center only when we got the chance to, when we use the web browser version instead of downloading the app itself, when we only gamble on important events and matches, and for those who prefer casino games, when we gamble on these casino games, it should definitely be done once in a while when the boredom is much and no companion or friends to hangout with.

[danherbias07]

Well, gambling also relaxes our minds if we are not aiming for that big win.

I mean, look at me. I have been betting on the playoffs, and I will be winning and losing. The winning part will, of course, hype me and share my thoughts about the game. But when I am losing, I'd rather be silent about it.
For me, it means that I am still excited about every game that will come out. I get hurt when I lose, I get joyful when I win. That's the true purpose of gambling. It's to have an emotional fluctuation that will make us either excited or frustrated.

As long as we are not going too far to bet a high amount that we will regret after the results, then I think we are fine.

[Akbarkoe]

That is why I personally believe gambling is very different from normal entertainment. Entertainment usually relaxes the mind but gambling keeps the mind emotionally stimulated for long periods of time. And once emotions become deeply attached controlling gambling becomes much harder than most people expect.

That really happens when part of your motivation is to make an extra buck or beat the house. When your mindset is focused on having fun, your mind relaxes, and you don't expect to win.
Yes, it is possible to have a relaxed mind and enjoy the game, but only gamblers who have matured and put gambling in the right perspective in their lives can do so.

You are right that only mature and responsible gamblers can only feel pleasure in gambling, gamblers who are looking for profit and or looking for money will certainly not feel calm, relaxed and fun playing gambling because they feel that each of their gambling must be profitable just like the stress of doing business where we will be challenged with the thought of making strategies, making analysis, and making all the ways like doing business to get profits, and that is not the place for gambling where luck can be a thing that they cannot take into account.
I am also not hypocritical there is a sense of wanting to profit but I have a limit of realization that gambling is not forced for that.

[suzanne5223]

So many peoples start with the idea that they are only playing for fun but the real problem is that the human mind does not always stay emotionally neutral around money whether it is wins or losses.

It is natural for the human mind not to always stay emotionally neutral around money and gaming, especially when it involves staking money. But what the gambler already learned about the game concept, how to gamble profitably, and prepared for is what will prevent the gambler from having the problem when it occurs.

For example someone may deposit a small amount after work just for entertainment. At first it feels harmless. But after a few unexpected wins the brain starts attaching excitement and emotional reward to gambling itself. Slowly normal activities like work and studies or daily routines can start feeling less exciting compared to the emotional rush of betting.

This is where psychology becomes more important than money. Most people are not actually chasing profit anymore. They are chasing the feeling they experienced during previous wins. That is why many gamblers continue playing even after losing heavily because emotionally they still believe the next win will bring back that same feeling again.

Money is never important from the getgo in gambling, and there's no way a gambler will ignore gambling psychology and won't have a problem with addiction, or chasing losses during their gambling session.

[ZeroVinsonN]

Control is an integral part of gambling and not becoming addicted to it, most people don't see it but the simple truth is that even though it started as something fun to do it will eventually start attaching itself to your psychic as something you absolutely have to do, you brain tells you you have to do it for your day to feel fulfilling and that's where the addiction starts, this is exactly why gamblers shouldn't just treat gambling as harmless, they need to understand the risks that comes with it if they are planning on having any chance to not fall into it.

[Achalugo BTC]

Not every gambler moves from using gambling as a source of excitement to chasing losses or getting addicted, even though it's a psychological trap it's still a choice to go down that line because as someone that is principled you can decide not to do that. Some people's idea about gambling can suddenly begin to shift mostly when they make profit, when your brain starts getting used to winning this can be very dangerous and in the long run this is one of the major things that can cause gambling addiction. Without self control or psychological discipline one should not even get involved in gambling.

Its true that it depends on one to go down there but there people who is incapable of controlling their emotions, and people like this do fall for traps that will make them to become addicted to the game, at first its not in their plan to become addicted but as time goes on and as they are not that disciplined, makes them to lose their guard so easily and this is the issues that most people do have in our society today. That is why people are always told to ensure that they are emotionally ready before they can gamble because if they are emotionally stable, they will find it difficult to sustain good and smart gambling.

[Dr.Bitcoin_Strange]

Gambling is a different kind of entertainment, it stimulates the mind and makes one have fun, every gambler to the different games that they enjoy playing because the game is fun to them, so it's a different kind of entertainment, personally I think that there are people who are not supposed to gamble, those set of people that can not control their self no matter how hard they try. I was not like that, else I would not have been able to come out of the addiction that I was falling into when I newly started gambling.