r/todayilearned • u/thebigchil73 • 22h ago

TIL that the ‘high’ from gambling isn’t connected to winning - the dopamine rush peaks at exactly 50:50 probability. Gamblers get a rush when the roulette wheel is spinning but their pleasure is largely unaffected whether they win or lose.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12649484/
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u/gladfanatic 18h ago

You have to be a little stupid to enjoy gambling, because statistically you’re going to lose. Everyone knows this, so you have to convince yourself that the slim chance of winning somehow makes it worth it. I really think that only happens if you’re a bit stupid.

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u/Theseactuallydo 18h ago

But undeniably smart people become problem gamblers.

Not saying there isn’t something off with gamblers however. I can’t understand why they enjoy it at all myself. 

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u/Heavy_Weapons_Guy_ 16h ago

Even the smartest person in the world is a little bit stupid.

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u/Whole_Mongoose1854 4h ago

I think there are different kinds of smart. I find it hard to accept when smart people with a math oriented brain get taken in by gambling, because for a brain like that it’s not a vague sense of being a sucker or in a losing situation, it’s more like the experience of just literally handing someone money for no reason. I suspect a good amount of people who do have brains like that, that still get into it, got a little full of themselves and got convinced they figured out an edge, and, I suspect, a few actually have.

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u/BookkeeperBrilliant9 18h ago

Read OP's post again.

Gamblers aren't playing to win, they're playing to play. The reward comes from gambling itself. Gamblers know it's a horrible vice, but they can't stop doing it because their brain craves it like a drug. Even when they lose, they got what they were seeking.

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u/SwashAndBuckle 8h ago

I wonder if that occurs over time, with addiction. I was in Vegas the first time not long ago for a work conference, but hit the casino floors while I was there and tried a little of everything. Most stuff I was either losing, or just kind of floating around break even. Didn’t really feel much.

Then one night a craps table got “hot”. I think at one point we went 40 rolls without a 7, so the money I had out on the numbers just kept paying over, and over, and over again. Money just kept piling up. As a statistics guy I was just kind of mind blown at the sheer improbability of it. And somewhere in there I got a pretty powerful high, felt like I was buzzing. And I remember thinking “oh, this is how it starts. This is what addicts cling to”.

So for a first timer, it was absolutely about winning. But I’ve heard addicts operate differently, where they are chasing the feeling of when the dice are in the air, so to speak. So either I’m not predisposed to gambling addiction because I respond to different things, or the brain kind of shifts over time in how it responds to gambling.

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u/BookkeeperBrilliant9 1h ago

My guess is that you’re not susceptible to problem gambling. 

But it’s hard to say when gambling addiction starts. If someone gambles every weekend, but they don’t lose too much, are they addicted? Or are card games just their hobby? What If someone only finds sports interesting when they have money on the game? What if someone goes to Vegas with a plan and blows their bankroll on the first day at the tables?

There’s no chemical dependency, no physical symptoms. It’s basically only when someone’s gambling is having severe negative effects on their life and they still can’t stop, then we’ll call it a gambling addiction.  

I think you just had the thrill of the win. But if that hasn’t gotten you back to the craps table to lose your winnings, then you’re good. For now. 

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u/Maurice_Foot 4h ago

Ah, sorta like standing right at the edge of a long drop, feeling the frisson of fear and excitement?

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u/psxndc 13h ago

Eh, you seem to have a narrow view of what's enjoyable about gambling. Have you ever played craps? It's a very social game, where if one person is doing well, everyone at the table is doing well. The enjoyment there is more than just about winning or losing, it's the communal experience. I've had people slap me on the back and tell me I made their whole weekend.

Contrast that to Black Jack where the guy next to you can "screw it up" for you by playing a way you don't like.

I'm just saying when I go to the craps table, winning is nice, but I'm mainly going to have some laughs and good times with compete strangers.

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u/lmNotaWitchImUrWife 14m ago

Same. Literally in Vegas right now and spent 6 hours at the craps table last night. I had a great time with people I'll likely never see again (other than if I see them at the table again tonight) and a lot of that was due to the fact that we all won a lot of money but in general it's a ton of fun to interact and be social with people and leave regular life stressors far behind.

I'll never bring more than I'm okay with losing and I don't crave gambling when I'm not here, but I do absolutely enjoy the game and definitely enjoy it more when we're all winning and screaming and having a riot together

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u/StanleytheSteeler 9h ago

You have to be a little stupid to be this naive

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u/The_Northern_Light 15h ago

No, just because it’s a bad idea doesn’t mean that the people who do it are stupid. That’s simply not how addiction works.

In fact, some addictive behaviors are more common among smart people.

https://www.prescotthouse.com/blog/intelligence-of-gambling-addicts

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u/bobdiamond 18h ago

I have a system

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u/Prior_Rip_1178 13h ago

projecting your values where they just don't apply. very intelligent, you will never be the subject of an article that crass detached Redditors will comment on. because of your intelligence.

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u/TripleDoubleFart 12h ago

Or I'm smart enough to find ways to make money doing it?

Then again, it's not fun for me, so maybe you're right.

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u/Cipwork 11h ago

Lots of people a lot smarter than you have been addicted to gambling, it is not primarily an intelligence issue.

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u/TeaInASkullMug 15h ago

Poker and blackjack have favorable odds