What causes gambling addiction?

[Naza]

The quest to make more money has made a lot of people lose out on a lot of good things of life. I have seen people become soaked in gambling, and it is one thing that is messing up the society. If you are asked, what would you say is the reason for people becoming too addicted to gambling?

 

[Suba]

Many factors can cause someone to become addicted to gambling, so the cause of gambling addiction in each person is different, although basically it is the same doing repeated gambling activities to get the same satisfaction. The first factor is that greedy people want to get money easily and a lot, so they try their luck. The second environmental factor where if we live in a gambling environment then we will be brought into the world of gambling and become addicted etc.

 

[Shortie]

It is very difficult to say what causes a gambling addiction for each person as it can be something different for each person you speak to who has a gambling addiction.

I have always said that lack of willpower and not being able to tell yourself no is the biggest factor in a gambling addiction.

 

[uptrendfinancialsignal]

Environmental factors like easy access to gambling or social pressures can cause addiction to gambling. Mental health also plays a role in it too.

 

[BRANSOL]

I would say that gambling has a way to make you feel good every time you hit a small jackpot and keeps leading you to think you could hit that major jackpot, but in most cases you will hardly see that major jackpot or when you do you have spent about the jackpot or more to attain. But then you lead in again thinking you can make more....
Its a sad trap to those who can't stop on their own or have support of family or friends, they get swallowed up.

I have met people who have went from owning profitable businesses to now working as an employee with 0 in their bank account thanks to gambling. So gamble smart, have a budget and know when to call it a day!

 

[Kennysplash]

Many have the urge to make money at all cost. They want to be rich by putting in little efforts. So they try to win a huge sun of money with little stakes. But in the end they lose this little gradually and they still haven’t won anything.

 

[ken_gitahi]

Gambling addiction is a very complex issue driven by a combination of psychological predispositions, neurological factors, and environmental influences, with studies finding that it has genetic components as well.

Studies show some people are more impulsive, while others have a higher tendency towards sensation/thrill seeking or difficulty managing emotions. All these and other factors make them more prone to developing "compulsive gambling behaviours".

Also, gambling often causes the brain's reward system to become overly sensitive. This can lead to dopamine-fuelled "highs" that keep the gamble-reward cycle going.

Environmental factors like easy access to gambling opportunities, social influences, and high-stress life events can also increase the risk of developing a gambling addiciton.

Additionally, gambling addiction often co-occurs alongside other mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, or substance abuse, which can make the problem worse.

Addressing gambling addiction typically requires a multi-step, multipronged approach that includes therapy, support groups, and sometimes medication to target its underlying drivers.

As @Shortie has said, gambling is different in everyone, which is why there are guidelines for treating it but no wide-scale treatments because they have to be personalised and individualised for each person who seeks help depending on their addiction's underlying driving factors.

 

[Cedric]

When I was a teen, I used to visit some bars where you could win money playing an arcade-like system with multiple games such as wheel of fortune. You could bet 0.25 to 6.25 per game. Where you could win up to 500 per game. I was never really addicted but it was fun to pass some time with friends. Drink a beer, play a few games and hopefully win something. We had times where we lost 50 to 100, and other times where we won a 1000 and called it a day.

For me, it was the time passing with friends, and the excitement of winning money without doing much. But it's important to be able to call it a day. Whereas I've seen other spend their entire month wages and didn't win a thing. Or they spent like 1500 and won 500 and be happy. Not realizing that they still lost over a grand.

 

[uptrendfinancialsignal]

When I was a teen, I used to visit some bars where you could win money playing an arcade-like system with multiple games such as wheel of fortune. You could bet 0.25 to 6.25 per game. Where you could win up to 500 per game. I was never really addicted but it was fun to pass some time with friends. Drink a beer, play a few games and hopefully win something. We had times where we lost 50 to 100, and other times where we won a 1000 and called it a day.

For me, it was the time passing with friends, and the excitement of winning money without doing much. But it's important to be able to call it a day. Whereas I've seen other spend their entire month wages and didn't win a thing. Or they spent like 1500 and won 500 and be happy. Not realizing that they still lost over a grand.

I like how you highlighted the key factors that can lead to gambling addiction. What I like to harmer on is the distorted perception of winning/losing. Recognizing the importance of self-control and financial responsibility is very crucial in combating addiction.