Reasons Why The Brain Loves Gambling

Gambling is something the human civilisation has been involved in for thousands of years and there are some very basic yet significant elements that are universally true for gambling and its subsequent results, irrespective of why people gamble. The three cornerstones of wagering, primarily the player’s position, the element of risk and of course the exhilaration of winning all contribute to its entertainment value. Here are some reasons why the brain loves to gamble!

The element of Randomness

Call it luck, chance or unpredictability, the element of surprise is an exciting reason behind the need to gamble. Games of luck offer people the opportunity to excel at figuring out the odds and then leave it all to fate. The brain is wired to like being astonished and when something unpredictable happens, the pleasure centers within the brain light up more brightly! It’s like playing your favourite game on JackpotCity online casino like you always do and never winning, but just when you deviate a little by picking a random game and win it, that makes your gameplay exciting!

Dopamine

The pleasure centers inside the brain are controlled by a chemical called Dopamine, which is essentially associated with activities that make us feel gratified, like listening to music, eating, drinking or exercising. There are many facets of gambling that can contribute to the release of dopamine in the brain, like the slot’s bright lights or fun sounds, the mental prompt of placing a bet or the element of risk involved. And when you end up winning, the reward feels like a dopamine flood!

The element of risk

All over the world, there’s an abundance of people who won’t acknowledge the fact that they like taking risks. But, deep down there’s something in all of us that gets the heart-pounding and the mind racing! One of the most important reasons why people like gambling is because of the element of risk. It may not be as adventurous as an extreme sport, but no matter how big or small a bet you place, there’s some kind of rush that follows for sure. According to popular research, despite all odds, most gamblers love playing, simply because even if they suffer a few losses, they still end up having fun.

Entertainment and the exhilarating wins

People gamble not only for being financially well-off but also to have fun and escape the rut and routine of their daily lives. Gambling acts like entertainment which engages the tired mind in something other than responsibilities and life’s problems. It doesn’t matter for some players if they win or not, as long as they can extract some good form of entertainment by taking some risks and placing some bets.

For every player who loses, his brain starts preparing for a win as well. With each loss, there’s a cache of delight building up that becomes evident in the thrill, excitement and adrenaline, when he finally wins, making the impact even more powerful than what he would have felt on the first win.

Author

  • Owner/Administrator/Editor/Writer/Interviewer/YouTuber - you name it, I do it. I love gaming, horror movies, and all forms of heavy metal and rock. I'm also a Discworld super-fan and love talking all things Terry Pratchett. Do you wanna party? It's party time!