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/DerKleinerKiffer 14h ago

That cant be true for everyone. I get my high from winning. Like if im there for an hour and only lost money, my mood is gonna be a lot lower than if I had doubled or tripled my money in that same amount of time.

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u/Lawlcopt0r 14h ago

I think the title is specifically referring to gambling addiction. The kind of person that is drawn to the thrill and the uncertainty is more likely to keep gambling even without luck

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u/mbmiller94 13h ago

You learn those bursts of pleasure/dopamine are completely independent from "mood" if you've ever met someone really into Call of Duty lol. They can be pissed off yelling at the screen and still be getting those bursts of dopamine that keeps them playing.

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u/DerKleinerKiffer 10h ago

That could be. Ive an addictive personality so ive always been real careful around gambling. I always go with just 100€ and whatever happens happens. Sometimes the casino buys me dinner and drinks and send me home with a few hundred extra. Sometimes I leave with empty pockets and only a few drinks in me. Main thing is on my worst days im only down 100 and I still get like 1-2 hours of 'enjoyment' from it.

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u/Lawlcopt0r 9h ago

Sounds smart, knowing your own weaknesses can be very helpful

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u/StinkyBrittches 1h ago

I've read Norm Macdonald's book several times. He's a classic, old school gambling addict, and this is how he describes it. The high isn't from winning, it's from the moment the dice are thrown but before they land. The uncertainty, the possibility.

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u/walksonfourfeet 8h ago

That’s why you don’t have a gambling addiction

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u/Whole_Mongoose1854 4h ago

Sounds like you need to level up your inner degenerate gambler

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u/4inodev 13m ago

You see, that's because your brain starts believing it's not 50/50 and more like 95/10 that you'll lose the next one, too

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u/DoYouKnwTheMuffinMan 12h ago

Amount must also factor in. Like if I win enough to buy a house, I’m going to be significantly happier than if I just win enough to buy a drink

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u/Danjah419 12h ago

You two are focused on satisfaction from winning, a gambling addict is focused on the dopamine rush from the POSSIBILITY of satisfaction from winning. They get their rush / kick from the chance that they might win, it doesnt matter if they do or not. They keep chasing that high from the possibility. Think of the Family Guy joke -

"a boat is a boat but the mystery box could be anything, it could even be a boat!"

They know the boat is a boat, thats not super exciting, but the mystery box could be anything and that is pretty exciting in that moment right before you open where your anticipation for "What if" peaks.

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u/Alarmed_Guarantee140 4h ago

Right but this is talking about gambling addicts. Anyone would get a rush from winning, addict or not. It’s saying for a gambling addict, the pleasure of gambling itself is unaffected by the outcome.