Bad Bets and Blackjack Busts: Is Your Brain to Blame?

By Marisa Panella

 

Who doesn’t love to win? Whether it is the adrenaline rush that comes from crossing the finish line first or being crowned champion of a debate, humans love to win. But why let the winning feeling stop with personal achievements when you can profit off the wins and losses of others too?  

 

Whether it's sports betting, cards, or virtual slots, online gambling is a multibillion-dollar industry that’s been tailored to target young men who have been indoctrinated into a love of gambling from a young age.  

 

Although the legal gambling age in the United States is 21, corporations have found ways around it by sprinkling the principles of gambling into popular hobbies among adolescent men. Video games have treasure boxes where anyone with a phone can pay $5.99 for a chance to get prizes such as gems on Angry Birds or various loot on Fortnite.  

 

There are also ways to avoid the legal gambling age of 21 through digital platforms like Yotta or Save to Win, which market themselves as financial apps. It is easier than ever to wager money online no matter your age, with young men being the most susceptible, according to AP News.  

 

But what exactly is going on in our brains that makes online gambling just so addicting and why are more and more young men falling into online gambling’s traps? 

 

Gambling is a notoriously high-risk, high-reward activity. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is released inside the brain, which reinforces sensations of pleasure and connects those sensations to certain behaviors or actions, according to UCLA Health.  

 

Addictive drugs like cocaine, heroin, and nicotine also release dopamine, powering the brain’s reward system. However, there is a stark contrast between the addictive natures of drugs and gambling, according to Dr. Timothy W. Fong, a UCLA clinical professor of Psychiatry, via an article by Chayil Champion.  

 

Gambling comes with a dangerous cognitive distortion that stems from an illusion of control; “If I keep gambling, then eventually I’ll win.” This cognitive distortion often manifests in people who have lost large sums of money and pushes people to keep going regardless of what trouble they are already in.  

 

For some, this negative cognitive distortion morphs into a full-blown addiction, which can also be better understood through neuroscience research.  

 

Gambling disorders can be linked to differences in a variety of brain regions, particularly the striatum and prefrontal cortex — parts of the brain that are involved in reward processing, as well as social and emotional problems.  

 

A 2017 study conducted at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior found that subjects struggling with gambling addictions have a smaller dopamine synthesis capacity in the striatum. This essentially means the brain produces lower amounts of dopamine. Gambling then becomes a way to produce additional dopamine since their brains are not processing the same amounts of dopamine as those with healthy striatums do naturally.  

 

Other factors in the brain that impact susceptibility to gambling addiction are impulse-control disorders, mood disorders, and substance use disorders; an estimated 96% of gambling addicts have at least one of these disorders concurrently with their addiction.  

 

According to the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC), young men (between the ages of 18-24) are more susceptible to developing gambling addictions as their brains are still developing and their abilities to regulate emotions and use logic are still being shaped. It is easier for online gambling companies to prey on these young men by promoting sports betting and video game-based gambling. The RCG says online gambling is one of the strongest predictors of a gambling problem among adolescents.  

 

According to The Guardian, unregulated gambling like sports betting and video-game-based gambling are a huge issue. Video game developers have recognized that “casino-like” in-game purchases have increased revenue streams. While this may be good for developers, it has the potential to be extremely detrimental to young users who are being exposed to gambling posing as normal aspects of video games.  

 

They’ve found their own cheat code to indoctrinate youth into risky behavior, essentially taking advantage of their developing brains and inability to hone impulse control for profit.  

 

Companies like DraftKings and FanDuel advertise big wins with low stakes, often incentivizing new users to join by offering big bonuses. Once you're in, they want you to stay and will offer more and more incentives alongside assaults of marketing emails to keep you hooked.  

 

Winning feels good. I know this. You know this. Online gambling companies know this.  

 

They also know exactly how to market to young men, the most susceptible group of potential gamblers and they get away with it. With one tap, you can send away your life savings to online casinos and for some reason, it's completely legal.  

 

The digital world has made it far too easy to throw cash away by the handful and does not have nearly enough regulations. Age verifications are shoddy, and companies don’t care about your age or financial situation; they care about drawing you in and taking your money, a fact that is horrifying when fully thought through. 

 

Gambling is a serious addiction. It is disheartening to see how companies prey on the factors that science predisposes in our brains. 

 

Yes, there may be a multitude of factors and choices that build a gambling addict, but the brain also carries much of the blame.  

 

If you or a loved one is struggling with a gambling addiction, resources are available through the National Council on Problem Gambling, which can be found here.