The Science of Gambling

Sitting down to gamble can be a very pleasurable experience, unless of course you start losing. But what exactly is it that makes gambling so much fun? Is it the thrill of winning? Maybe it’s the hope or expectation of winning? Playing high stakes in an online poker site can lead to high thrills, but surely there must be more to it than the fact that it is a lot of money right? The key to all of these questions may lie in the brain.

The human body is very sophisticated. It can create and synthesize chemicals on its own. One of these chemicals is called Dopamine and scientists believe Dopamine help process pleasure. When you gamble and win, Dopamine is neurological reason why you enjoy the win. Your brain obviously likes this response and tries to figure out when it will happen again. So you see, when you first win it helps the brain anticipate the next time it will win. The reward is nice, but the anticipation of the award is what the brain begins to like. Some scientists believe that this helps explain why unexpected winnings feel even better to people. Playing poker is a perfect example of how this happens. Let’s say you and your opponent both go all-in before the flop, after flipping the cards you see he has two aces and you are only holding two kings. Knowing the odds you are devastated, but after the flop and turn blank, the river brings another king. This unexpected win is very satisfying.

For some people, the amount of Dopamine they have in their body may determine whether or not they develop a gambling compulsion. Some people find it easy to stop, others struggle with it, and yet a smaller percentage of people simply cannot help themselves. It becomes an obsession. Dopamine may not be the only reason people develop a gambling addiction as there are doubtless other factors, but neurology may play a role.