How Does Gambling Become an Addiction?

About 2.6% of the whole population, 10 million of them in the US alone, suffer from gambling issues and experience all the hardships that come with it. Gambling addiction is not only about the lack of willpower. We spoke to the winner of the Care To Change competition who filmed a video about gambling addiction with the support of Jet Casino to find out what it really is about.

Gambling Can Change Your Brain Physically. If you try to gamble before the age of 25, you increase the likelihood of developing a gambling problem. Here are the questions we asked.

  1. Are There Specific Things That May Cause People to Become Gambling Addicts?
    Yes, of course. Gambling becomes an addiction because there is a mixture of nature, nurture, environmental factors, and other causes. Some people are just more ready to become gambling addicts than others due to their genetic make-up.

    Since gambling depends completely on dopamine rushes to the brain, it can be inherently addictive. Dopamine is the reward chemical since we get it when we do nice things. However, it is also a craving chemical. If high amounts are released artificially due to things like gambling, it forces you to want to gamble more.  

    To become seriously addicted, gamblers probably have more than one of the following: 
    • The means to gamble or, in other words, the accessibility in their environment. 
    • The genetic make-up to become gambling addicts. 
    • A certain feeling they want to get rid of such as low self-esteem.
  2. How Do Gamblers Think When They Lose a Game?
    It is not only about how gamblers think when they lose a game but also about how they changed their brain chemistry forever. Addicted gamblers experience strong cravings to gamble. These cravings become stronger when they feel stressed, bored, or upset and want to change how they feel.
  3. When Do Gamblers Realize That They Become Addicts?
    An Addiction means that someone cannot stop doing a certain activity no matter how strongly they want to stop doing it. Studies show that it is possible to detect addiction using MRI scans. Certain brain areas light up when gambling addicts become exposed to different gambling situations, which does not happen with non-addicts. It is a pathological process, not a normal or psychological one.
  4. Is Gambling Addiction Associated with Certain Personalities?
    Gambling usually becomes an addiction in impulsive people who want more thrills and rewards than others. Studies show that people who become gambling addicts usually have genetically underactive reward circuitry in their brains, which makes them more vulnerable to all kinds of addictions.

  5. What Is the Most Vulnerable Age to Gambling Addiction?
    People can become gambling addicts at any age, but the younger the person is, the more serious the problems will be. Before the age of 25, the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is involved in controlling impulses and making decisions, is not fully developed. Therefore, people between 18 to 25 years old are at higher risk of developing gambling problems than other age groups. This age group usually becomes seriously addicted in their 30s or 40s.

  6. What Is Responsible Gambling?
    Responsible gambling is one of the most important concepts consisting of several policies and requirements that are applied to gambling stakeholders in order to ensure that they follow the high standards of quality and offer their players the best users’ experiences. Responsible gambling is supposed to protect players from the negative impacts of online gambling. 

    Gambling should be seen and treated as a way to pass time and have fun, not as a way to make more money. For example, in Australia, players spend time at online casino Jet - for fun! because this site offers a huge variety of games , fast payouts, bonuses and much more! The site also offers a great variety of tournaments and contests, including poker and sports betting. There is something for everyone! If players have any questions they can contact the customer service team who are available 24/7 to answer their queries via live chat or telephone. The team works hard to ensure players enjoy their time with the online casino! They also offer amazing bonuses and promotions and run slot tournaments every hour with fantastic cash prizes!

    Most people can deal with gambling the right way. However, for some people, it can be more difficult.

    Both online casinos and software providers that offer online gambling services should comply with the terms of responsible gambling. For example, Jet Casino has a responsible gambling policy that players should read before starting playing for real money. Also, software providers must support online casinos and encourage them to comply with all technical and legal demands. 

    Most online casinos follow the following responsible gambling areas: 
    • Protecting vulnerable gamblers. 
    • Preventing underage persons from gambling. 
    • Safety measures against any criminal activity. 
    • Information policy. 
    • Protecting financial information and online payments. 
    • Creating a safe online gambling environment. 
    • Ethical and responsible marketing practices. 

    Any reputable online casino such as Jet Casino should be responsible for its activities and make sure that responsible gambling practices are followed, respected, and understood by everyone, especially players and game providers.