The games we know to today as casino games have been popular for hundreds of years, and gambling games going back thousands of years before that. Aside from the obvious appeal of a potential immediate gain in wealth for little work, humans are hardwired to find risk exciting – the thrill of the unknown encourages us to explore and find new horizons for growth. So, how do these two factors interact – the societal and the biological – to make gambling the big business it is today?
Well, first off, don’t ever let anyone tell you can’t be a winner. Sure – the house has an edge. But you might get lucky, and there are ways to improve your odds or grind out an edge. If at least some people didn’t win big, casinos wouldn’t have thrived for as long as they have because the legitimate winning potential is key to its psychological appeal. However – the house is almost never a long-term loser, and everybody knows Vegas wasn’t built on winners. So why do so many people still find gambling appealing?
The Brain Chemistry of Gambling and it’s Key Players
The neurotransmitter dopamine induces feelings of pleasure and reward, as well as being linked to motivation. This, evolutionary speaking, goes back to our ancestors who first explored out of the jungle. The feelings of dopamine release motivated them to explore and take risks that could have benefits.
In the modern day, gambling is one just many things that stimulate the same dopamine system – hitting 21 in blackjack or a straight flush in poker feels good in the same way your ancestors in the jungle would have felt good finding a new berry bush after climbing a tree for a better view.
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One interesting thing about dopamine, is that it often spikes in anticipation as well as the reward. That’s why some people feel a small stakes spin just as much as others do with much higher stakes. It’s also why some slots give you many smaller wins, that are actually less than your stake, but they still feel like win. And why many slots now play an animation and slow the reels down when two out of three scatters land. When you see it, you’ll know it.
How Casinos Keep Players Engaged with a Sensory Experience
Casinos, and nowadays casino games, are designed to play across all your senses. Fast paced action, from cards to spinning wheels or reels on slots, often accompanied by piped-in music and the sounds of people laughing, chatting, losing and winning. Depending on where you are, you might even catch someone smoking at the table, or be offered a complimentary drink. It’s a lot, but also a riot of entertainment if you’re that way inclined.
Traditional gambling games are appealing not just because of the potential financial reward, but also the entertainment of trying to make the correct play while balanced with a little luck. They’re games, with all that entails. People play gambling card games like bridge and gin rummy, for no money at all. Just for the thrill of the game. In fact, you might be surprised how many people play free money online poker every day.
On the other side, it’s probably a safe bet few people would play slots if it wasn’t for potentially winning. Which doesn’t mean their not also fun, in their own way – they’re just different to traditional gambling games. Slots have even more bells and whistles to keep you engaged, such as music, animations, bonus rounds, art and sound effects and big jackpots.
The Psychology of a Professional Gambler
A lot of the above is not just for engagement. The house doesn’t make its money off of people who concentrate hard on making the exact correct blackjack play or find the perfect edge on a sports bet. A lot of things about a casino – from the multicoloured carpets to the up-tempo music or the lack of clocks – is made to keep you engaged but also keep you slightly on edge.
A professional gambler knows how to filter out all this noise, and understands the pure numbers. It’s very hard to do – and not for most people, as there will be times luck goes against you and you lose. If that’s your income, it can be a tough stretch to run through. But, some professional gamblers, like top poker players and card counters, really do have an edge. It just takes a lot of dedication and smarts to get there.
At the end of the day, gambling should be fun. If you walk away from the tables or put your phone down having got your money’s worth of entertainment, then you’re golden. Casino gambling, unless you’re willing to put in the serious study and work to become a professional gambler, is a fun form of entertainment. With a small possibility you could go on a hot streak and win big. The odds are against you, but some people do….
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