Psychology of Gambling and The Two Main Types of Gamblers

Slot machines, table games, dice, card games – casinos offer various ways for gamblers to have a good time. Sports betting and lotteries are also alternatives for having a good time, and it doesn’t stop here! Gambling innovations continue to grow with each year, but regardless of your most preferred game type, gamblers will always be divided into two main groups.

On one side, depending on gambling psychology, we have the fun gamblers – players, who usually play for the sake of having a good time. In most cases their bets are small and they play responsibly, careless of whether they’ll lose or win since it isn’t important for them. However, on the opposite side, we have the addictive gamblers – players, who either wager big amounts or gamble frequently with the hopes of hitting huge wins. But what triggers them to bet so often big amounts of money? Stay with us as we’ll have an in-depth approach to gambling addiction psychology!

The Effects Which Gambling Has On Our Brain

People, who aren’t gamblе-oriented, won’t understand die-hard gamblers and their endless thirst for wins. However, the psychology of gambling explains this type of addiction in a better way. Simply put, eating, having sex, using banned substances such as drugs and gambling have one thing in common – all of them are related то big amounts of dopamine release. With the release of this chemical, players have a pleasant feeling, which is why gambling is so often compared to using drugs and can actually grow into becoming an addiction. However, the psychology of gambling has other, more negative effects on people.

Almost Winning Doesn’t Count But Affects Gamblers!

If you have played the lottery or any other gambling game, surely you have come across an almost winning combination. Sometimes all you need to win is just one number or one symbol more for a huge prize, but a lass, it’s not there. This isn’t bad luck, but a precise move by the gambling establishment you’re playing at. Here’s how it works on a psychological basis: when gamblers are so close to the win, they usually continue playing with the false perception that the reward is near and surely will be theirs soon. This is the so-called near-miss effect and it can be seen across almost all betting types. It gives the necessary drive to gamblers to continue betting more and more until anxiety or a complete financial loss are present.

The Chasing-Loss Effect – When ‘Bad Luck’ Takes Over

Imagine that you’re playing on a slot machine and things aren’t going so well. The reels don’t seem to be in the right order and you lose more and more money with every single spin. Eventually, you decide to call it a day and you walk out of the casino, accepting your loss and that maybe it wasn’t meant to be. If that is the case, then you’re definitely a conscious player who plays only for the fun of it. However, things don’t seem that bright on the side of the addicted gambler.

When things are not going their way, addictive gamblers push the pedal to the floor and sometimes even increase their bets. At this point, the satisfaction from gambling is gone, only to be replaced by the feeling that losses should be minimised. Needless to say, the house wins most of the time and players rarely finish even in such cases, although it’s not impossible to happen.

Outside Triggers – How Casinos Affect Gambling Psychology?

While the aforementioned factors depend strongly on the personality of the person, casinos, for instance, go the extra mile in luring you in the trap of gambling. Just take a look around the next time you enter a casino – it looks colorful, doesn’t it? Studies show that bright colors are a big part of the decision-making process in casinos,so it’s no wonder that it’s colorful in those establishments. The same applies to the slot machines, regardless of whether they are online or not – they also offer colorful games to players, tempting them to try their luck on bonus games.

Time is money, so the longer you play in a casino, the more money you’ll spend. Have you ever seen a clock in such a gambling establishment? Losing track of time is just a small trick from casinos, but an even bigger one is hidden in the payout tables of slot games. When you bet smaller on multiple lines, most of the winning combinations will pay less than the wager you’ve made, which will give you the false perception of winning, when you’re actually losing. The free drinks at a casino are also with the intention of making you feel special, so you can spend more time there and come back again. Those are simple but quite effective tricks which have worked for decades!

Psychology and Gambling – More Connected Than You Think!

With today’s technology and the constantly evolving gambling industry, only time will tell what kinds of gambling games will be invented. The factors which affect the human brain,however, won’t be more different than what they are today,so always make a self-analysis on gambling situations you are uncertain about. Deception is gambling’s best friend and many people have fallen victim to it, so make sure you’re always with both feet on your ground. Once you know how the psychology of gambling works, you’ll have bigger chances of not falling in the trap. And what is our final advice after all said? Have fun and play responsibly!