Quote from: serjent05 on August 31, 2025, 10:39:22 PM

I am really intrigued by how a normal gambling session can lead to gambling addiction. I read people saying winning in a gambling session can lead to gambling addiction, while I read in articles that losing also leads to gambling addiction. Does this mean that whether a person gambles for fun or for profit will be a gambling addict, since both winning and losing are experienced by the same group.

Maybe we will ask, "Why does winning contribute to gambling addiction?" or think that since winning leads to gambling addiction, losing shouldn't be. But I was surprised when I read that both winning and losing contribute to gambling addiction. This makes us think that there is no way out for gamblers but to get addicted, right?

Before that, let us see the reason why winning contributes to gambling addiction.

Winning makes us think that we can beat the system, so our feeling is high, and with the brain reward system, dopamine is excreted, making us feel good, and our brain hungers for it, so we tend to gamble more to recreate the feeling of euphoria and excitement. With continuous activity like this, we end up breaking the control, thus leading to uncontrol urge to gamble.

Quote from: https://immunizenevada.org/the-neurobiology-of-gambling-addiction/

Over time, the brain’s response to dopamine changes. In chronic gamblers, studies show that the dopamine system becomes less sensitive to rewards, a phenomenon known as tolerance. As a result, individuals may gamble more frequently or take greater risks to achieve the same level of satisfaction, perpetuating the cycle of addiction.

But wait, how does losing contribute to addiction?

According to this site the more a gambler loses money the more they persevere gambling activity which lead to chasing losses creating a trap for the gambler. It is also stated that there is a release of dopamine in both losing and winning, and study shows that those gamblers who lose have a more pronounced release of dopamine.

Quote from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3845016/

Determining the exact timing of subjective feelings or how losses spur on a gambler's desire to play during gambling episodes is difficult because different emotions and cognitions constantly overlap. Nevertheless, Linnet et al., (2010) were able to measure mesolimbic DA release in PG and HC winning or losing money. Unexpectedly, they found no difference in dopaminergic responses between PG and HC who won money. Dopamine release in the ventral striatum, however, was more pronounced for the losses in PG relative to HC. Given the motivational impact of mesolimbic DA, Linnet and colleagues argue that this effect could explain loss-chasing in PG

This is the reason why playing for fun is no different from playing for profit. Both groups experience wins and losses, which makes our brain release dopamine that can trigger addiction.

So the question is, "Is there really no way out for gamblers to stay fit and in control?" Is gambling addiction inevitable?? If winning and losing lead to addiction, how can we maintain our sanity?

Before that, I think this video can help us understand how gambling addiction develops.

Quote from: https://brainconnections.ca/

What Is This Video About?

This video features a brain character called ‘BE’ going through the phases of a gambling problem. It shows how the brain gets hooked on gambling, how its functioning can be hijacked but also how the brain can be restored if the gambling stops. Key concepts in the ‘Clinical Handouts’ and ‘BE Briefs!’ are introduced.

I doubt it that winning adds to gambling addiction, it is only losing that makes gamblers get addicted to gambling because they keep chasing losses and thereby playing over over again trying to win back what they have lost. I'm a gambler to an extent though and I can gladly say that I'm not an addict because I don't chase losses, and of course discipline and self control are involved in my gambling journey, for any gambler it is very important to check your confidence level and ask yourself questions about the way you gamble and always apply self control while gambling.