Why is Gambling Addictive?
As an ethnic Chinese, I know a thing or two about gambling addiction - growing up, I was fortunate to have parents responsible enough to wind down the windows before leaving me locked in the car that was parked outside of the casino for a couple of dozen hours a day. I don't really know why Madonna and Angelina Jolie bother travelling all the way to Cambodia to adopt Asian children when they can just go window shopping at their local casino car park.
They really need a multi-ball round to spice this game up
What exactly is it about gambling that makes it as addictive and destructive to the point where it can turn otherwise loving parents into neglectful zombies? Surely it can't just be punishment for that one time when I only managed a B+ in a 1st grade maths test?
The Draw of the Casino
Walk into any casino and you'll notice just how strangely lifeless the place is. The bright lights and opulent decor stand in stark contrast with the solemn, constipated expressions of regret on the faces of its inhabitants. If you're expecting the place to be filled with glamour models smiling gracefully by the craps table like in the adverts you'll have to settle for a bunch of middle aged Chinese folks grimacing painfully as they're now in the unenviable position of needing to explain to their kids why they'll have to settle for community college even though they were just accepted into Harvard. I honestly think the reason you rarely see homeless Asian people is because casinos are open 24/7.
Now while casinos are generally seen as philanthropic homeless shelters, they're actually profit motivated companies. To this end they employ a number of underhanded techniques to keep you throwing your retirement fund at them:
- Lights and fast paced music are bombarded at you, which increase arousal and reduce sensible inhibitions like not accepting that high interest loan from the guy who'll come collecting next week with a baseball bat
- Free drinks are sometimes offered to impair your judgement so not only do you lose a shit tonne of money, you can send embarrassing messages to your ex while you're at it
- Trap you in a windowless, timeless environment to keep you in there for so long, when your gamblers' anonymous sponsor comes looking, they won't be able to recognize you from how much you've aged, to be able to help
- Hand you little rewards - for each $5000 you lose you get a free upsize at the local buffet, only redeemable the next day when, hopefully, you'll bring another $5000 with you
But why are these methods effective?
I got one just like this at home except without the vest and with her mouth open
The Psychology of Pleasure
It turns out our minds (humans, not just Asians) are wired in a way where we get the biggest dopamine hit not from receiving a reward, but from its anticipation. So we experience the greatest pleasure in the pursuit of our desires rather than actually having them satiated. Perhaps the path to greater happiness is to harness the additional pleasure in the pursuit of the pursuit of happiness ad infinitum and presto: I've just unlocked the secret to unlimited happiness without ever needing to achieve a thing.
Additionally, dopamine levels in anticipation of a reward skyrocket when the reward is not guaranteed - As soon as chance is introduced into the equation, we're somehow genetically programmed to appreciate it a lot more. This is why marriages tend to last longer when the wife suffers from a 'headache' from time to time. Ok that last part is bullshit as far as I know, which isn't very far at all, so it could be true.
This is why flipping a 2 sided coin is more fun than flipping a 1 sided coin
Unfortunately, we as a species are genetically drawn to uncertainty in rewards and gambling organizations naturally exploit this predisposition in our psychology. It is not so surprising then, that a lot of us can develop addiction problems. On the bright side, this is scientific evidence that Russian Roulette is more fun with a revolver than a crossbow.
Ah, I see my parents on their way back to the car now, and just in time as I've finished up this article, so you'll catch you guys next time.
If you enjoy this article please Upvote, Resteem and Follow me @trafalgar for more satirical pieces
I used to be director of surveillance for casinos. Another angle with no real facts to back it up. As I would watch people put their coins into a slot machine and stare a that line to see where the reels would stop I would think this phrase by Karl Walenda founder the“Flying Walenda.”, the famous daredevil stuntmasters, best known for walking on wire without safety net.
“Life if on the wire (line), everything else is just waiting”
You watch their faces and can see that for them, their life is on that line. Some really need to win, down to their last dime and the rent is due.
For other I think it comes from comes nature. Many years ago the possibility of death was always present. I think that in the comfort of the world today people feel a sense of lose of that emotion.
WoW! Great post, you gave me a chance to express this for the first time.
thanks for the robust reply
ya i think part of it is chasing a thrill
there's so much on the line
but it can be so destructive
I was thinking after I sent the reply that I forgot to mention that the the article was also true. However, reading some of the comments I could see that a lot of people do not really understand much about casinos. I just always tried to explain everything so that people who like to play could do so without hurting themselves. It is a valid form of entertainment but you must understand it. Climbing mountains is also great entertainment but if you do not educate yourself about it chances are it will turn out well. Again thanks for the post.
One reason, beside the ones you named, is that in gamling you get the reward immediately after the event has finished (and in case you have won) ... and humans enjoy such direct rewards more than for example getting paid once a month (without a direct correlation with what they have achieved).
Actually I like to place different kinds of arbitrage and also value bets, but also wouldn't call that 'gambling'. I may write another article about it when I find enough time ...
yes that's a good point, instant gratification
i certainly would consider arbitrage to be gambling either
For me the term 'gambling' expresses that a certain degree of luck/coincidence is involved. At least in theory arbitrage betting (and in the long run also value betting) is not about being lucky, but instead its pure mathematics ... By this definition it isn't 'gambling'.
I swear I read all the way to the end... but that intro about adopting Asian children made me yell (not just laugh) out loud. (which is kind of a problem as I'm in church right now... no I'm not. I'm a dirty liar. Now I need to go to church).
Nice pinball reference Easter egg in there.
Also, I can tell you from experience that "getting a headache" is never a good thing. Its when these "headaches" occur that I find myself at the casino losing the mortgage money.
Finally, here's a handy tip. Stash a bottle of water under the seat. that way when you parents abandon you, you won't die of thirst and you have a wonderful "bathroom".
hahaha
Also, I can tell you from experience that "getting a headache" is never a good thing. Its when these "headaches" occur that I find myself at the casino losing the mortgage money.'
Or that's where you tell your wife where you've been you naughty boy ;p
So remember when I told my wife you were the world's greatest divorce lawyer...
Thanks for the personal story @trafalgar and the great piece. I actually know where you're coming from (different place, same kind of story).
Love the analysis too. I actually wrote an Econ paper in college once that was all about cognitive biases and heuristics relating to entrepreneruship and startups, and went into rational decision making under uncertainty, asymmetric value functions, prospect theory etc.. Indeed, cognitive neuroscience studies demonstrate that reward anticipation under probabilistic events and risk exhibits non-linear neural responses - suggesting probability distortion at the level of the brain’s reward processing mechanism! Was so excited reading your post I actually dug up this specific reference from that paper many years ago lol
Hsu et al. (2009), Neural Response to Reward Anticipation under Risk is Nonlinear in Probabilities, The Journal of Neuroscience, 29(7), 2231-2237
Also recall reading some relevant research (maybe from HBR?) showing that entrepreneurs are actually WIRED (relating to the above) to be entrepreneurs, while managers are quite the opposite. Anywayy
Thanks again for great content, Steem on!!
thanks for checking it out
sounds pretty interesting, obviously would be far more in depth that my facetious piece
some of the personal accounts here are exaggerated for comedic effect, but the message is the same
I hear you! At any rate, we're definitely all better off staying away from casinos - including my Statistics professor from Europe, who tought us the 'optimized roulette bet' (it's a bet on color and a similar amount bet on the 2nd or 3rd column with the opposite majority color) ha :P
haha ya that way you only lose a lot in the long run :)
hey @trafalgar , I actually wanna direct a question to you, an experienced Steemian, if you could spare the time to answer.
So I have been trying to figure out how the blockchain exactly works in relation to post frequency and payout reductions if you exceed them. I searched a lot and found about the 4 posts / day, but also about them being spaced out 6 hours apart from each other. So, my question is, as long as I post 4 or less posts a day, could they be closer to each other in time (say an hour apart) without affecting payouts? Or do I need to keep the 6 hours? The only guideline posts I found were quite old so I am not sure what the current status quo is, and decided to ask you since I couldn't find a definite answer anywhere.
I posted a 3-part series today and I kept the 6hours apart (although this practice can compromise the exposure of some of the posts throughout the day given the time in different time zones and what not ), and I wonder how things exactly work such as to plan ahea moving forward.
Thanks a lot in advance for your help!!!
I think posting limits were taken out since last hardfork (patch) so you can post as much as you want without suffering reward penalties
That being said, I find that people people who spam the space generally don't do as well as the quality of their posts suffer greatly. Voters may also be more reluctant to upvote people with multiple posts a day. In the end it's about quality content.
I myself post a maximum of 1 post every 2 days, and on average less than that. I figured even though I'm relatively new myself some restraint on my part is fairer for the community at large.
Oooooh I see!! Nice, thanks for letting me know!! Don't think I would have easily found this elsewhere. And I hear you, makes perfect sense, I don't expect to be posting at such high frequency myself, I agree with the quality element for sure. (my post today was broken into 3 distinct pieces given the volume of info and I thought about getting them all up as closely as possible for cohisiveness purposes). At any rate, good looks again I appreciate the help :) :)
Gambling is just amazing, currently i switched it to trading though - similar ;)
i've only been in crypto for like 2 months and my heart can't handle the market movements :p
lol fr tho!
I bet you $10 that this article will receive at least 500 votes by 1 week from today. Come on man, I will give you 2 for 1 odds. I need my fix!!!
hahaha :)
Interesting post :) I once played in Las Vegas lucky me I don't get addicted at least not yet :D always set limits! Doesn't matter what you do, never break that rule! That's the one and only rule to follow so you don't get addicted!
I enjoyed your writing, thanks! following you! keep it up
haha good to hear you set limits and follow them
I mostly just write satirical pieces, hope you enjoy them
I was a btc gambling addict and i quit and became a steemit addict.. you have to replace your addiction with another one, prefferbly something postive, like steem :)
haha it's not gambling if you believe in the underlying product
People want money fast. I have work for bookmakers and online casino's. Clients don't take into account the risk, all they look for is the reward. Another classic version of this is lotto - everyone fantasizes about winning millions overnight.
Horse racing is very popular as is sport. To be honest I do not mind that type of wagering, if it is done in a controlled environment and for fun.
Poker machines on the other hand are a degenerative cancer that will suck more money, the more you play. I have examples here in Australia of people who have lost >$2m in 6 months on machines. All they are is a licence to print money as they are set to take between 7-12% of revenue based on turnover.
yeah that seems very problematic
especially now that youths are getting into online gambling and sports betting
these habits will be hard to break if they're too in grained into our culture
Llamas
good point
I make a living dealing cards. I can't fathom how some people can lose so much money day after day and keep coming back.
hmm who knows, I don't think its the rational part of their minds making them return
The pschology of addiction is truly fascinating. It really hijacks our brains and drives us towards unproductive behaviors. It's a bit strange that risk is so thrilling, but it is and it's part of our human nature. I'm sure this gave our species a huge evolutionary advantage back in the day and allowed us to spread an conquer the globe, but now some of us are facing some unforseen consequences of that getting engrained in us.
yes it is a very interesting topic
it's like part of the subconscious is fighting against itself
Absolutely, very well put!
Very good post. You write interesting articles!!!
Thank you very much bugavi, I just write light hearted comedy articles on sometimes serious subject matters
Please!!!
You are a gambling addict if you gamble more than what you can afford.
haha :)
@trafalgar, you're the next in my line for the comic dedication
thanks a lot, very much looking forward to it
I'm not much of a gambler, but I know that the thrill of winning or losing, with actual stakes can be quite an adrenaline burst. And when you win you want to feel that again. When you lose you want to get even. I can see how that would become addictive.
yep, thrill seeking behavior is part of the addiction and also exploited
The same way stock markets and crypto exchanges are addictive. It's greed and disappointment that push one individual into the abyss. But, it all depends on a persons personality. Steemit is already addictive stuff...
haha sounds like you have a personality prone to addiction
stay away from heroin :)
Will do my best sir. :)
Perhaps I can use your casinos as a way to raise the funds needed to install an exhaust port cover on the Death Star. I believe with my mastery of the Force, I could guarantee that I would win that game with the colorful spinning wheel and tiny ball. I think I could even handle many balls at once.
Wait. Why is Dennis laughing? Shut up!
haha you're going to have to use the force to handle many balls and force choke all the would be laughter out of everyone
To add to this, the random interval training method is by far the most effective in retaining behavior. Its the best method for training animals, so this is hardly a trait that is unique to humans. When the reward is given at random intervals (i.e. by chance) the behavior persists for far longer after rewards are stopped than if the rewards are given at a set interval.
Yes, this is a really interesting piece of information that I found when i was researching for this piece, awesome that you know about it off hand :)
biggest problem with gambling is that you loose perception of money. One can make so much in such a short time, this degrades the value of money earned with hard-work
yes you do, the chips make it feel like it's play money
Congratulations @trafalgar!
Your post was mentioned in my hit parade in the following categories:
i vote you thanks for your information
thanks for having a look
Amazing piece my friend, I wish most people could see this considering the fact that gambling and ponzi schemes have taken over in most places and my country as well with most ending up with a wrecked life and career as a result, I am of the opinion it's better to avoid such practices because the moment you delve into it, backing could be very difficult.
yes, it can be really costly indeed
thanks for having a look
You are welcome friend, thanks for the help so far as well, I really appreciate it.
ALL IN sensation. When u got 1st All in time and u gotcha win..it the first time u addicted with that game.
haha suppose it does feel pretty badass saying i'm all in
Lol wkakaka..Many of them put earphone and listening for "Pokerface by Lady Gaga'.
:) love reading your posts, they always put a smile on my face, I can see you reallllly love what you doo :) inspiring
haha thanks a lot, i'm just fighting through all the charts and cryto news posts to get something that's more general out there :)
Wow! You just admitted to having an inflatable doll at home? 😈 I live in Nevada and I know my limit when I visit casinos, dont part with more money than you are comfortable with. Too many people make donations than receive a payday.
haha I think in japan there's a very niche subculture of people who take their dolls out on dates
I love Japan, its quite a unique country. I haven't seen anyone out on dates with dolls, and I haven't seen any of those naughty vending machines either.
it's a great place, and these tings are exaggerated, but they do exist
i was careful enough to say very niche hehe, not limited to japan either, I seen reports of this in china too
I suppose we all have weird subcultures if it's niche enough though, at no level was i implying this is somewhat representative of mainstream japanese culture
Excellent written story again, never ever been to a Casino, i am boring
trust me, you're not missing out on much
and thank you
I certainly agree with you @trafalgar
It's almost an odd coincidence that you wrote this post since a casino literally just opened about fifteen miles from my house a few weeks ago. It's on Native American land, and actually the tribes in my area have been fighting with the government in my area to get it approved for years.
Annnddd I'm pretty excited about trying out those slot machines, even knowing that the chances are pretty darn huge that I will be losing what I bring, haha! Though I will be wise and only bring with me what won't hurt to lose. I think another reason why people like casinos are all the flashing lights, it's the children that still live within us responding to that 'carnival' like atmosphere :)
You do make excellent points.
haha i think a lot of people have good self control and can just have a bit of fun, but a small % end up having their lives ruined
Everyone has a gambling addiction where I'm from too. Also, everywhere I've been. I think humans just like the rush. Good ol dopamine, adrenaline or whatever...
ya it seems the push all the right buttons but can be quite destructive
Asian are unfortunately the target client for casino operators. Just look at Macau, it has now surpassed Las Vegas as the mecca for gambling.
ya i think it'll only get bigger too
Incredibly interesting! I know I have a gambling addiction and have stopped early enough before I lost too much. I have lost probably $100 (worth maybe $350+ now) in crypto. This article drew some light into why I acted like I did
hope you're doing better these days, thanks for checking out the article
nice....you deserve resteem and upvote...
thanks a lot :)
wow....u r welcome..
Nice post...Upvoted
thank you glad you enjoyed it
You must welcome...dear Followed...
cool article your writing style kept me interested. What does monkey mean? When I played black jack some Asians at the table would yell it "monkey" ha ha ha. oh and does your blow up doll deal single hand...
hahaha it mean they want a face card
it's meant to be monarchy which denotes the royals, but we just pronounce it monkey :p
Oh I see now . Thank you for the info my fellow steemer
Two words STEEM DICE 🤦🏻♂️
haha i'm not getting into that :p
This article is great! I especially like the comment about Madonna and Agelina Jolie window shopping at the local casino. Pure gold humor!
thanks a lot swenger :)
Awesome post @trafalgar I will follow you
thank you :)
Great post mate but I can't stop looking at that second picture. Super creepy lol
haha ya there needs to be a horror movie set in a casino
excelente post
thanks
Great post!
If you ask me then this information should have been common knowledge.
Like we can learn that since kindergarten.
They should have learned kids how to live with the reward system, instead of setting up a system to activate the reward system.
That is basically school.
But look now, many grown ups are addicted to anything.
And it's almost impossible to explain them who they got addicted.
I got a brother who gambled since he was young, it when from bad to worse and he never stopped.
When i talk about it with him, then he looks at me, like i am talking nonsense.
This is a huge problem, because if they don't understand how the system work.
Then it's almost impossible to recover from the addiction.
It's easier to learn kids the right path, then to heal broken adults.
That's almost mission impossible.
Yes i think teaching children about gambling is a good idea, considering kids are picking up on sports betting and online casinos on their phones from a very young age
Yes indeed, but i thought more about the information of how to get addicted to anything. Because the chemical process of all addictions and run by the reward system. If they taught children how to understand and control it, then they will master that skill.
But now many grown up don't know how to return from a dead end.
Iv heard about many people lost there homes, work or even there partners.
In a way, that the woman have to paid the bet, with there body.
Or complete homes are destroyed, i think gambling is underestimated.
And there for it would be better to teach children in the right way, then to heal grown ups.
yes you raise an interesting point
be good to know to what extent to addiction can be overcome with training and if age makes a difference
Indeed, keep up posting interesting subjects.
Will keep an eye on them!
Cheers
I used to play poker, which is a game of skill and not gambling.
The difference between the two types of personalities (gamblers vs poker players) which I noticed is that gamblers focus on their victories, while poker players focus on their losses.
Focusing on the few times you won (and forgetting all the money lost to get to that point) keeps the gambler coming back for the promise of another rush. Poker players trust in their skill, instead of hoping for luck/dopamine, to keep them coming back for more.
yes there's a skill element in games like poker than, say like craps
it can still be very risky though, you need very good bankroll management even if you're a good player otherwise
You are a gambler unless you focus on proper money mgmt techniques. the reason most fail at gamling is becuz they place too high of a bet on things that offer a very low chance of paying off. That's why the stock market beats ANY form of gambling. You can actually see what people are thinking via the sentiment readings. I know what you are thinking about crypto currencies right now just by looking at this. :-)
http://bigcharts.marketwatch.com/advchart/frames/frames.asp?show=&insttype=&symb=gbtc&x=46&y=16&time=18&startdate=1%2F4%2F1999&enddate=2%2F18%2F2017&freq=7&compidx=aaaaa%3A0&comptemptext=&comp=none&ma=0&maval=9&uf=0&lf=1024&lf2=2&lf3=8&type=2&style=320&size=4&timeFrameToggle=false&compareToToggle=false&indicatorsToggle=false&chartStyleToggle=false&state=9
In my blogs about Wall St crypto vs "actual" crypto I tell you what you "shoulda" been thinking. Hope you will follow along.
high rollers enjoys the excitement hehe, hope I have a lot to spare
didn't know about the chinese gambling stereotype. thanks for enlightening me. can't wait to showcase my newly gained knowledge in the most ignorant way
haha that's what i'm here for: casual racism :)
Very insightful article. I live near a major casino city and I have been many times to the different casinos but don't do much gambling at all. The odds are too against me. My group likes the restaurants and shows. During the holidays the decorations are lavish.
thats awesome, ya just have fun and stay away from the tables
haha I sound like a parent
i enjoyed your writing, thanks! :)
thank you for checking it out
The Chinese men at my casino pee on the carpet as they don't want to miss a trick at the table! [And I just came for the free coffee and cheese on toast!] :)
haha the wonderful casino brings together people from all walks of life :)
I blame the banned gambling laws in China - it drives this compulsive behaviour. Take away cause, and all effects cease right? Bloody governments!! :-)
Gambling will always ruin your life because as people fail to stop.
Wow, you write well!
A serious message delivered so lightly. Do you write outside of Steemit also?
Just to add, the gambling dopamine hit also applies to cryptocurrency trading- it's just a new casino which you can play from home (or from inside your car)
thank you very much
the only writing i'd ever done before this was tweeting/hashtag games on twitter
this is my first attempt at long form writing
Well, it's awesome!
Looking forward to reading more :)
I spent a lot of years working in the industry (not casinos) and would alway see the same faces day in day out that would gamble what they could looking for a win. There are people that make a living from gambling although I should say investing from their point of view as they see it . Gamblers unfortunately will remember the winners more than the losers. There is a social side to it at least in UK betting shops, those same gamblers will quite likely see each other in the pub as well.
I've spoken to ppl working at casinos and some of them feel it was quite depressing watching all these guys they know are destroying their lives piss away all their money
Casinos are much more addictive and this is manipulated by casino's giving gamblers at the tables /slot machines 'comps' to keep them playing. The UK government have an initiative where all of the offline and online bookmakers clearly display a banner 'When the Fun stops, Stop' and a support number to call.
it would be good to see the rest of the world adopt that policy too