Responsible gambling essentially means gambling in a sensible way to reduce or remove potential harms. It\u2019s a serious topic, and anyone who participates in any form of gambling should always take the appropriate steps to stay safe and in control.<\/p>\n
In this guide, we will explore what responsible gambling is in more detail, why gambling can become addictive, how to gamble responsibly, how to spot someone who is suffering from compulsive gambling, where to seek help, and more.<\/p>\n
Although most people can gamble without developing a gambling disorder, some do end up becoming addicted. So, why is gambling addictive for some? This question has been extensively studied over the years, and while there is no definitive answer, we do have a very good idea.\u00a0An addiction to gambling, much like any form of addiction, is caused by a combination of environmental and biological factors<\/a>.<\/p>\n Environmental factors can include income as studies have shown gambling is more frequent in low-income households<\/a>. Those who are exposed to and participate in gambling at a younger age have a higher risk of developing an addiction. Also, people who are experiencing stress from work, family, or financial problems are more likely to develop problem gambling.<\/p>\n From a biological standpoint, research has shown that gambling stimulates the mesolimbic system<\/a>, also known as the rewards system, in the brain. This is the same structure and neural pathway that alcohol and drugs stimulate.<\/p>\n This reward system releases dopamine into the brain when stimulated and is what gives us the feeling of pleasure. This creates positive feedback in the brain and encourages us to repeat a behaviour.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been shown that both casual gamblers and those with a gambling disorder release similar levels of dopamine levels when they win money. However, those with a disorder release larger levels of dopamine when losing<\/a> than casual gamblers and, in many cases, more than if they win money.<\/p>\n Because gambling addicts get high levels of dopamine released whether they win or lose, the link between gambling and pleasure grows stronger and stronger, and the urge to gamble increases.<\/p>\n Another issue that can strengthen an addiction is that stress can lead to gambling, and gambling addiction leads to stress. This creates an endless loop of being stressed from gambling, so you gamble to get that dopamine hit to feel pleasure and relieve the stress only to get more stressed after, which creates an even stronger urge to gamble and so it goes on.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n Another answer to \u201cWhy is gambling addictive?\u201d is that some people find it hard to accept losing money. Most healthy gamblers can accept the risk aspect of gambling (losing money) without the reward (winning money). However, for some people, this is not so easy.<\/p>\n Both healthy gamblers and pathological gamblers are known to chase losses, but pathological gamblers are much more inclined to chase losses. This is often because problem gamblers are wagering more money than they can afford to. And if they lose, they go into a state of panic and desperation, and their impulse control lowers. So, they keep betting to make back the money they couldn\u2019t afford to lose but lose more in the process.<\/p>\n Chasing losses is always a bad idea. It\u2019s one of the first steps to developing an addiction to gambling. It\u2019s also one of the major harmful effects of gambling addiction and the main cause of financial problems in problem gamblers.<\/p>\n As we mentioned earlier, gambling impacts the reward system in the brain. When gambling, dopamine is released, giving us the feeling of pleasure. As humans, we are hardwired to seek pleasure<\/a>, which\u00a0was essential in the early days of humankind as it helped us seek out things we needed, such as food and comfort.<\/p>\n When dopamine is released in the brain because of certain stimuli, the link between pleasure and the stimuli is stored in a part of our brain called the basal ganglia. This part of the brain is not within our conscious control<\/a>, but the link between a certain behaviour and pleasure is now in there, and our brain will subconsciously tell us to seek out this behaviour again.<\/p>\n Because gambling triggers our reward system and gives us pleasure, and as we said earlier, pathological gamblers produce high levels of dopamine levels, the link between gambling and pleasure in the subconscious brain can quickly become strong. So, the brain will be sending stronger signals to seek out gambling behaviour.<\/p>\n India has a long and storied history of gambling, and a hymn from the Indian text Rig Veda<\/a> may be the earliest account of gambling in the world. It\u2019s still a very popular activity today even though current\u00a0gambling laws in India<\/a> prohibit it in much of the country.\u00a0Let’s look at a few statistics about gambling and gambling habits in India.<\/p>\nLosing Money is Difficult to Accept for Some Gamblers<\/h2>\n
Gambling Can Quickly Become a Subconscious Habit<\/h2>\n
Gambling Statistics in India<\/h2>\n
\n