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1. Psychology Behind Problem Gambling Definition
2. Psychology Behind Problem Gambling Addiction
3. Psychology Behind Problem Gambling Problem
4. Psychology Behind Problem Gambling Winnings

The combination of risk, anticipation and adrenaline rush makes gambling so exhilarating, but what is it in the brain that compels us to bet? And how do game designers use psychology to deliver an engaging and thrilling experience to players?

Carpenter Darren Yates was over the moon when, ignoring his wife’s instructions, he placed a £60 bet on Frankie Dettori winning all seven races at Ascot in 1996.

Guess what? He managed to bag himself a tidy £550,000!

Over the years there have been many more like him, both casino players and sports bettors, some compulsive gamblers and others not. But one thing they all have in common is they undergo similar chemical and psychological processes when they bet and win.

Here’s how the human brain responds to events like this:

Gambling is an interesting psychological phenomenon, and there has been extensive research on how psychological processes affect gambling behavior. Here are five interesting gambling phenomena. And in a finding that offers insight into problem gambling, the brains of problem gamblers react more intensely to near-misses than casual gamblers do. The psychology behind this seems to be.

Mind games: what happens to the brain when you bet?

THE BRAIN'S REWARD SYSTEM

Betting effectively combines entertainment and expectation with the thrill of rewards.

Our brains have a series of circuits to cater for this, known as the reward system. These connect with various regions of the brain, including those that produce feelings of pleasure and motivation.

When something good happens – such as receiving a compliment, winning a prize or successfully completing a task – our brains send signals via neurotransmitter chemicals, predominantly via the opioid system, which makes us feel pleasure.

Dopamine is also released and is involved in the incentive salience – or “wanting” aspect of gambling.

This gives us the motivation to seek out and acquire specific rewards, as well as helping us distinguish which events lead to rewards.

As with all pleasurable experiences, we're wired to want to repeat them over and over again.

Unfortunately, if activated too often, dopamine levels become weaker and weaker to a point where serious gamblers are constantly looking for their next win to appease their dopamine deficiency.

REWARD PREDICTION ERROR (RPE)

Dopamine neurons respond to the difference between our expectations and the actual rewards we receive.

This so-called “reward prediction error” is strongest when we receive a larger reward than we are expecting – like a random jackpot prize – leading to higher dopamine levels.

At a less extreme level, Professor Ron Riggio, from Kravis Leadership Institute, California, says: “the process is pretty much like anticipating any positive outcome – getting an affirmative response when asking someone out on a date, getting applause and kudos for a speech, etc.”

Reward prediction error triggers reinforcement learning, a process which essentially motivates our brains to repeat rewarding activities.

So it’s easy to see how casino games at the best uk online casinos are so hugely popular: slots players know that they will get a reward sometime but they never know exactly when… which motivates them to keep on playing.

Meanwhile, near misses simply induce feelings of regret and the only way to erase them is to keep on playing until the next win. Once players feel the thrill of winning again, they “need” to repeat the rewarding activity, and the cycle continues.

Psychology Behind Problem Gambling Definition

The rush of a win or the fear of a loss: what type of gambler are you?

RISK VERSUS REWARD

Risk and reward are further elements that lead many of us to the thrill of placing bets while anticipating the positive rush of winning.

This could be why Darren Yates risked the wrath of his wife to win £550,000.

Reward is all too obvious a motivation but what about those gamblers whose overriding emotion is not anticipation of winning, but fear of losing?

Many gamblers invest time and money in chasing losses in order to alleviate past disappointments. At this point, winning becomes less about thrills and more about making up for lost money.

Dr Alison Harris from the Department of Psychology at Claremont McKenna College says:

Psychology Behind Problem Gambling Addiction

Take this easy-to-imagine analogy:

You're invited to bet £10 on a coin toss. If the coin lands on heads, you lose your money. If it lands on tails, you receive £15. Is this an attractive bet? Do you accept?

For most people, the fear of losing £10 is greater than the hope of winning £5.

Daniel Kahneman, the Nobel Memorial prize-winning Israeli-American psychologist notable for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision-making, has conducted several studies on this. He concludes:

His studies have also shown that most people don’t bet if they can't win about double more than they would lose.

Others believe that gambling has never been and will never be for them. However, studies also show that we can change our perception of betting by mentally regulating our emotional response to the prospect of loss.

In one notable example, laboratory participants who were instructed to “think like a trader” showed considerably less loss aversion in a gambling task.

The illusion of being in control: why we believe we can beat the odds

'THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS'

Whether you’re spinning slot machines, betting on the horses, or playing blackjack or roulette, the odds are stacked to ensure the casino or bookmaker doesn’t lose out.

Why then, do so many people continue to play despite the overwhelming likelihood of losing money?

Dr Luke Clark from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of British Columbia examines how gamblers overestimate their chances of winning.

Psychology Behind Problem Gambling Problem

He also studies the effects of near-misses and personal choice. He confirms that people enjoy the 'illusion of control'; the belief that they can somehow use skill to create an outcome that is, in fact, solely defined by chance.

Despite the reality, gamblers are still compelled to win. Dr Clark measures activity in the brain’s reward circuit as volunteers experience near-misses and the effects of choice during gambling tasks.

He has found that both near-misses and personal choice cause gamblers to play for longer and to place bigger bets to try recouping their losses.

Why? Because it’s human nature to want to feel in control.

The frustration we feel from the unpredictability of gambling can often lead us to convince ourselves that we can gain some control over it.

This is akin to superstition: throwing dice in a particular way, wearing a 'lucky' item of clothing or sitting in a particular place.

Essentially, in the mind of a serious gambler, the brain yearns to find a pattern in the game's structure, so much so that it keeps on playing in the firm belief that it's only one step away from becoming rich.

“Professional” casino and sports bettors devote most of their time to evaluating risks and mathematically calculating probabilities associated with their preferred games.

In 2008, professional poker player Peter Eastgate beat 6,843 rivals to become the youngest player ever to win the Main Event at the World Series of Poker, at age 22.

He earned $9,152,416. But Eastgate did not achieve this just by chance.

Unlike slots, some strategically played casino games like poker and blackjack, along with sports betting, require a level of skill – plus a bit of old-fashioned good luck – for players to win.

While all casino games involve probabilities and statistics, only skill-based games enable players to win in the long run. To do this, they must analyse the probabilities and statistics to guide their decisions and actions.

Successful sports bettors must also diligently study things like underdogs, injuries and odds comparisons with the same fervour.

SKILL-BASED GAMES VERSUS GAMES OF CHANCE

A game of skill is a game, contest, or amusement of any kind in which the ruling factor of the outcome is the judgment, skill, or deftness of the participant in the contest and not chance.

In skill-based games, the outcome is determined mainly by mental or physical skill, rather than by pure luck.

Examples of skill-based games:

• Poker
• Blackjack
• Daily fantasy sports
• Sports betting

A game of chance, on the other hand, is governed exclusively by chance. In chance-based games, the skill of the player has no influence over the outcome of the game.

Examples of chance-based games:

• Roulette

Grand designs: how game developers capture our attention

Understanding the psychology behind making a bet is important to game developers, who use this knowledge to make their games as fun and exciting as possible.

GAMES THAT ENGAGE

Game developers design slot machines in such a way as to encourage people to keep on playing. Part of this involves offering them rewards on a somewhat regular basis.

Using a technique called clustering, they program more near-wins than wins, meaning players can often miscalculate their winning probabilities.

In short, dopamine-charged gamblers who nearly hit the jackpot keep on playing because their brains are led to think they have a good chance of winning.

Kevin Reid, chief operating officer at 1X2 Network, reminds us that control is key:

Mobile casino patrons demand more engaging game experiences than those made for desktop, laptops or tablets.

Limited time and capabilities on mobile dictate the need to manufacture compelling, mobile-friendly games that snatch players' attention and keep them coming back for more.

GAME DESIGN

First-time user experience is usually key to the long-term success of a game. Good developers ensure they create games that are not only visually striking but also soothing to the eye during repeated play – both vital elements to player engagement.

Reid adds that in addition to graphics, he looks to:

Sometimes designers incorporate tie-ins, normally involving popular cultural elements such as a specific movie, character or event.

Stringent copyright rules can turn this into quite the professional challenge. Non-branded games are equally challenging as game designers have to brainstorm ways to make them stand out from hordes of others in the marketplace.

Psychology Behind Problem Gambling Winnings

Designers are bound by a memo for unique and exciting games that aren't too complicated in terms of project execution.

Careful consideration of demographics ensures that game designs appeal to their target audiences.

Psychology is also important when offering a particular demographic the kind of rewards it expects – whether that’s fixed prizes or a long sequence of small prizes.

In terms of maths and mechanics, 1X2 Network, a UK provider of slots, table games and virtual sports, tells us that analytics of demographics and probabilities enable them to produce games that suit player and operator requirements.

The math can be complex and varies from game to game, be it a simple framework for games like its Football 3x3 title or more complex for the multiple paylines of its Rainbow Wilds slot.

While stimulating players with fun, easy gameplay and rewards, game developers must carefully take on board the issue of responsible gaming.

With features that prompt players to stop gaming after a select amount of time, as well as alerts received for a selected decrease in cash value, these games enable and encourage people to play responsibly.

When the fun stops, stop: staying in control of your play

HOW GAMBLING ADDICTION DEVELOPS

Gambling addiction is now classed as a disorder by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The symptoms listed by WHO echo those for other addictive disorders: lack of control, prioritising gambling over other interests and activities, and continuation of or increased gambling despite negative consequences.

It’s important to bear in mind that after isolated instances of gambling, no harm is done and the brain’s dopamine levels return to normal without difficulty.

However, with repeated activity, gamblers’ brains develop a strong, long-lasting resistance to dopamine, bringing on the urge to bet more to rekindle the same dopamine kick of the start.

Yet no matter how much they gamble, it doesn’t return. You might liken this to playing a game on your phone that was great in the beginning but after several game sessions, it stops being so much fun.

In this state of limbo, gamblers try to avoid depression by continuing to bet which, instead of leading to euphoria, simply precipitates feelings of withdrawal and sadness.

HOW ONLINE GAMING SITES AVOID HABITUAL GAMBLING PATTERNS

Gambling need not be problematic if it’s kept under control.

Just like other addictive behaviours, gambling is conducive to positive emotion association in some people's brains.

To combat this and break the cycle, you can 'unlearn' the reward associations with gambling.

To help keep excessive gambling in check, online operators have established responsible gambling features and procedures that keep players within the realm of safety.

• Session limits: reminders appear on-screen after a set amount of time to alert players about how long they’ve been gambling for. They also come with options to continue wagering or to log out immediately.
• Deposit limits: player accounts come with default deposit limits on how much can be deposited per day or per week. The limit can be decreased or increased by players.
• Loss limits: players can limit the amount of money lost per week.
• Wagering limits: players can set a limit to how much they can bet per week. When the limit is reached, an on-screen notification announces that no more wagering is allowed.

Limit increase timeframes are also enforced to ensure players don’t regret a limit change instantly.

So to guarantee continued safe play, limit increases and removals do not take effect immediately and can take up to seven days to be applied.

• Time-outs and self-exclusion: players can self-exclude if they're worried their betting is getting out of control. This suspends their account while they take a breather, during which time they won’t receive any communications from the casino to tempt them back. Players are also blocked from depositing funds and playing casino games or sports betting. They're temporarily barred from logging into their account (for a self-determined number of days) or permanently. In both cases, players should withdraw any remaining funds before being locked out of their accounts.
• Underage gambling: registered players must be at least 18 years of age, or the legal gambling age of their country of residence. Casinos and sportsbooks carefully check players’ details against known third party databases to ensure customers are of legal age before they're issued with an account.
  
• Filtering: installing internet filtering software such as Net Nanny or Cyber Patrol on your computer or smartphone adds another element of protection. These programs prevent you and others from using your devices to access online gambling sites as well as other content that’s unsuitable for minors.

Gambling is often viewed as a negative experience, but in reality, it's an entertaining pastime enjoyed by millions of people around the world.

From betting on your favourite sports team, to playing a hand of blackjack, to hitting the jackpot on the latest blockbuster slot, there are many different ways to gamble healthily and have a good time.

By understanding the process that takes place in the brain when you bet, what makes it a thrilling activity to undertake, and the tools available to manage your gameplay, you can now enjoy the highs and lows of gambling in a safe and controlled way.

Humans are interesting creatures. We tend to be superstitious. We often act in ways that are contrary to our best interest and while we think of ourselves as individuals, our behavior is actually quite predictable. Gambling is an excellent example of this and provides some insight into how we think and how we are motivated. In this post, we will take a closer look at what happens in the minds of gamblers and how casinos use psychology to design games, floor layouts and other aspects of their business.

Inside the Mind of a Gambler

There have been countless studies on why gamblers make certain bets, what factors influence their confidence in their wager and other phenomena. Here are a few interesting facts about the psychology of gambling:

Placing a bet actually makes you more confident that you will win. One study surveyed horse track gamblers before and after they had placed their bet. It turns out that their confidence increased once they had put money down. Committing to the outcome of the race made them feel like they had a better chance of winning.

People who are in a good mood gamble more. In fact, studies have found that both good weather and winning local sports teams lead to people to take more risks. Essentially, a positive mood makes people feel like everything is going to turn up sunny and they are more likely to win.

The gambler’s fallacy is a well-documented process. It describes the belief that if a certain number or pattern has come up frequently, then it is inevitable that a different outcome will happen soon. This is the logic that motivates roulette players to put all their money on red after there has been a long series of black numbers. In reality, the odds don’t change based on previous events.

Despite the fact that most forms of gambling are completely random and the final outcome is unpredictable, people continue to believe that they can beat the system. For example, slot machine players will often stick with a machine that has paid off more frequently or they will find a machine that hasn’t had a big win in a while because they think it might be due. If you have frequented casinos, you have probably also noticed people with lucky charms and rituals that they perform. While these superstitions might bring some sort of comfort, there is no way to predict or influence outcomes.

Losing is just exciting as winning. Research shows that even gamblers who are losing are still experiencing an adrenalin and endorphin high. This means that even people who walk away from the casino having lost more than they won, report having an overall positive and enjoyable experience.

How Psychology Influences Casino Design

From grocery stores to hotels, a lot of thought goes into designing public and retail spaces and the same is true with casinos. Specific casinos designs have been shown to increase visitors and make people feel more relaxed as they gamble. Bill Friedman was the first to write about casino design in the seminal work: Stripping Las Vegas: A Contextual Review of Casino Resort Architecture. He used psychological insights and an exhaustive analysis of casino performance to identify 13 design principles that became known as “gaming design.”

This approach to casino design includes:

• Immediately placing gambling equipment in the lobby
• Creating a maze-like floor that encourages visitors to wander and always brings them back to gambling
• Focusing on gambling decor as opposed to opulent decorations
• Low ceilings are preferred to high

While Friedman’s work was the standard for some time, the past few decades have seen a design shift that reflects a new understanding of psychology. The latest design trend has been dubbed the “playground design” and flies in the face of what we used to think about how visitors respond to design. In fact, playground design is almost the exact opposite of gaming design.

Instead of the maze-like design, which could make people feel trapped, confused and anxious, casinos now have a more direct layout with clear paths to certain destinations. There are clear sight lines and wayfinding tools so that people can easily navigate the entire casino. The thought is that the more relaxed people feel, the more likely they are to enjoy their time and make bigger bets.

The low ceiling principle has also been left behind in favor of high ceilings covered in fabric. This approach adds a feeling of openness and warmth. The fabric helps to absorb sound, add softness and prevents the space from feeling too cavernous and overwhelming.

Perhaps most notably, casino lobbies and entrances have received a complete makeover. Gambling equipment has been removed and the decor has been upgraded to provide a more sophisticated and elegant look. This approach welcomes visitors to a unique experience and makes them feel transported to a different place. Today, the decor is being more expertly used to set a mood rather than simple reinforce gambling.

This shift in design principles signifies a new understanding of the psychology of consumers and gamblers. Today’s casino visitors are more interested in the overall experience. They want to try their hand at winning a big pot, but they also want to enjoy a new experience that takes them away from their daily life and allows them to relax and enjoy the natural high that comes with gaming.

In order to meet these changing needs, casinos are revamping traditional designs, incorporating more restaurants and entertainment venues and working to create a more seamless and convenient experience. This can be seen in everything from more direct floor layouts to new management tools, like Casino Schedule Ease, that improve processes and operations. While people will remain hopeful that their lucky charm will work and the next big jackpot is just around the corner, consumer behavior and preferences will continue to evolve. That is why understanding the psychology behind gambling and casino design provides valuable insights into the future.