1. What factors make people want to play in a casino?

Why do people go to casinos?

Most people go to casino’s purely for entertainment value. They don’t expect to win all the time,
but enjoy gaming with some risks involved. This is no different than you paying for tickets to go
watch a sporting event, where you expect to have a net loss in money in exchange for
entertainment value.

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One often thinks why a lot of people love gambling so much even though it is not a sure thing
that one will always win and take home some money. In extreme cases, you will lose your entire
bankroll for that evening and will go home without anything at all.

Here is what most gamblers' dilemma is: They usually which have a corresponding casino house
edge.

In some games, it is really not that significant. Casino table games like Blackjack and Craps have a
little house edge if played carefully. Games like Roulette, Three-Card Poker, Let It Ride, have a
moderate casino house edge of about 6% percent. But in other games, the house edge is really
big and you will not have any chance to win if not is played carefully and with luck.

Games like slots have a house edge of about 15% percent. The bottom line is that the more time
that you play, the higher chance that you will lose all of your hard earned cash. Not a lot of
casino gamblers know those technical details behind the game and how to win but they do know
that some other way that this thing will happen.

So why do a lot of people still gamble?

Some gamblers say that when they go to a casino, they are just sucked into their own world and
not caring about anything that happens around them. Most of the time, when they lose in a
game, they want to play more because they want to recoup their losses not caring about the
house edge. Some gamblers also love the action, or the amount of cash that players risk in each
of the gambling games that they participate in.

There is really an emotional high or rush of adrenaline according to some gamblers when they
indulge in this because they do not know for certain if they will win or not. Sometimes
customers go to casinos even in daytime like some senior citizens who love playing the slot
machines. They say that they do not have anything else to do, so they can indulge in it all times
of the day.
 So to look at the situation exactly, gambling in casinos basically fulfills some emotional or
physical need in most people who do it. A lot of people will not quit going to casinos even
though they will lose a large amount of cash because they consider it as a form of relaxation on
their part.

People don't just visit casinos in order to gamble, but for a variety of interesting reasons. Like, having
fun, relax, chill, romance, play, and to win.

For the thrill of gambling. What most people do not understand about gambling, especially for serious
gambling, is that it is not the money that is important. Gamblers are chasing the rush of betting and
waiting for the result. The incidental winning or far more often, losing of money is side-effect of their
addiction to the thrill or rush of gambling significant amounts of money and awaiting the result……

The addiction is not to winning or losing money, but to the rush or thrill of gambling.

In conclusion, the ultimate reason people go to casinos is to fulfill a desire that they want whether that
be friends, food, money, women, etc. People will make time for what their heart desires expressed in
actions taken. These actions incluse going to the casino and specific ding loads of time there to get what
they think will make them happy or be the best use of their time. Most of the time, these people are
filling voids in their life that haven't been dealt with.

2. What factors make gamers spend more money in a casino?

Why Do People Get Addicted To Gambling?

Kevin Horridge

2 years ago

problem-gambler-sign

Gambling is everywhere. (Image: snookerbacker.com)

Gambling is one of the most popular recreational activities to be enjoyed by adults across the world, but
sometimes people can become addicted to it. Here is a look at what factors draw people to become
addicted to gambling.

The activity of gambling is such a huge phenomenon across the globe. It comes in so many shapes and
sizes. People gamble on sports, in casinos, online, privately with friends, and in everyday life. It can
involve money, possessions, and even non-physical things such as pride, time, or favors.
However, such is the compelling nature of the gambling beast that it is an activity that can become highly
addictive to certain people. In fact, it is one of the most addictive things that people can be addicted to
alongside the likes of drugs, alcohol, and smoking. The question is, what factors are in play that can force
people to become addicted to gambling?

Early Big Win

One factor that is a reason for gamblers becoming addicted, particularly early on in their gambling life, is
the experience of an early big win. The buzz is winning such a large amount can sometimes be
overwhelming and the fact it arrives so early means that the player thinks it is easier to land such wins
than what it is in reality.

Easy Access To Gambling

Gambling is everywhere. Despite the attempts by certain countries to outlaw different forms of gambling
the rise of gambling online has given citizens all over the world the opportunity to find outlets for their
desire to gamble. If the opportunity to gamble is more readily available then it will make it more
accessible and increase the ease at which players can gamble.

If it is difficult to access gambling opportunities then the effort required to access these opportunities
might put some people off before they even get the chance to gamble. Whereas, if the opportunity to
gamble is as easy as clicking on a link or putting some money into a machine then the odd flutter can
easily turn into a more compulsive activity.

A study by Thomas, Allen, Phillips, and Karantzas (2011) looked into Gaming Machine Addiction: The Role
of Avoidance, Accessibility, and Social Support to back claims that easy access to gambling sources
increases the risk of gambling addiction.

Failing To Monitor Wins and Losses

This is not something that every gambler will do. Not every player hits the tables at the casino and keeps
detailed notes on what wins and losses they endure throughout the course of the session. However, it is
important for players to keep a rough idea of how much they have won and lost. Unless this is done, the
players might put more focus on the wins and soon forget the losses they suffer. This can create a
warped interpretation of how destructive their gambling habits have been.
Personal Stress

In the same manner that turning to alcohol, drugs, or smoking is seen as a release, people can often turn
to gambling to seek escapism from their daily troubles. This is especially true if the person in question
has recently suffered a bereavement, divorce, job loss, or experienced a similar high-stress situation. The
gambling becomes the little bit of emotional freedom they get from the stress that tortures them and
instead of maintaining a control on it, they lose track of their wins and losses that can quickly turn very
cataclysmal.

Financial Problems

To the person on the outside looking in, this can seem like the most ridiculous way to solve a financial
issue. However, to the person in the thick of the predicament, their state of desperation to solve their
financial problems so quickly can mean them believing that gambling is the only way out. Instead,
unfortunately, it only makes their situation works and the person in question is then forever seeking a
loss they cannot make up.

Victims of Abuse

In the same way that gambling is an escapism for those with personal stress, individuals that have
endured mental or physical abuse might see gambling as a short term solution to healing the pain they
are suffering. It makes them forget about the torture they are enduring and the financial knock-on
effects are not considered.

Family History of Gambling Addiction

There is no medical proof that gambling addiction is genetic, but there are suggestions that experiencing
a family member or loved one going through gambling addiction can make individuals more susceptible
to becoming addicted to gambling themselves.

Biological Composition

It has also been suggested by a study, carried out by Alec Roy et al, called Pathological Gambling: A
Psychobiological Study (1988) that certain individuals are born with less amounts of the chemical
norepinephrine and they become addicted to gambling to compensate for this chemical imbalance that
is only secreted when individuals are subjected to high levels of stress or excitement.
It is still not widely agreed whether gambling addiction is more down to the individual and their
biological make-up or if social factors are more of an influence in this day and age. Research led by the
Responsible Gambling Trust on behalf of the UK government in 2011 suggested that more needed to be
done to regulate gambling in the local communities with particular direction pointed towards the fixed-
odds betting terminals.

There is still a lack of conclusive evidence about whether or not gambling addiction is more of a
biological or social condition. The risk factors are beyond doubt, but whether the problem of gambling
addiction lies with the individual, society, or with the gambling industry itself, remains unanswered.

Gambling Creates an Illusion of Control

Our brains are predisposed to be over-confident – for example the illusion of knowledge that can leave
us with a false sense of security about the daily decisions we make, as our brain simply refuses to admit
we don’t know something obvious or are incapable of making a precise educated guess. This confidence
is boosted by the illusion of control that gambling games give us, or the belief that we can use skill to
influence an outcome that is strictly defined by chance. People tend to gamble more when they believe
they can assert some control on the outcome of a game. Psychologists point out two main contributors
to the gambler’s illusion of control: near misses and personal choice.

Gambling Creates Illusion of Control

Near Misses

Near misses appear in many forms of gambling and can be generally described as being very close to the
jackpot but not actually winning – for example, being one number short of winning the lottery, getting a
number that is next to what you had bet on at roulette, or the horse you bet on finishing second.
Medium frequency of such instances instils courage in gamblers to keep playing in the hope that the win
is near and a false sense that they’re honing their skills with these almost-wins.

Personal Choice

The illusion of control is also determined by the idea of personal choice. In situations where the player is
given the option to have an active role in arranging the gamble – like selecting the numbers on the
lottery ticket, rolling the dice on the craps table, or being able to spin the ball on the roulette wheel
instead of the croupier – being given a choice creates an illusion that the gambler is in a way exerting a
skill to control the outcome of the game which in reality is entirely random. Both near misses and
personal choice have been proven to lead to prolonged gambling and increase in the size of bets
gamblers make. Of course, this is well-known by the gambling industry and is often used to their
advantage.

Betting and Winning Gives Us a Natural High

Gambling seems like a very contradictive activity – why would anyone gamble if we know that “the
house always wins” and that we’re far more likely to lose than to win? Because taking risks is exciting.
Simple as that. Plus, there’s a tantalising promise that if we win, we will win big – getting something for
nothing. Scientists have discovered a pattern of brain activity when people win money. The striatum – a
region near the centre of the brain – is a major part in the process of rewarding and it’s also involved in
processing natural reinforces like food and sexual stimuli and even substances of abuse like cocaine and
other drugs. According to a neuroscience research, gambling addiction and drug addiction share many of
the same neural processes. So obviously, winning will instantly create a natural high, but the build-up to
it can be just as powerful and exciting stimulator to some people. The sense of anticipation as you wait
for the final score of the game, the numbers on the lottery, or the next card drawn – these create an
adrenalin rush that many people seek in entertainment.

The Gambler’s Fallacy

Another thinking error behind gambling motivation that leads people to false expectations of predicting
or influencing the outcome of a chance-based game is the gambler’s fallacy. In this case, players attribute
bigger chances of a favourable outcome based on previous outcomes. Essentially, this is what
progression strategies for roulette are based on – the belief that if you keep betting and increasing your
bet on, let’s say – red, you will eventually win. This ultimately leads to maxing your bets on red with
absolutely no guarantee that it’s going to prove to be a win. Even after 100 black spins, the chances to
get black again are 50/50.

The Gambler’s Fallacy Is Part of the Gambling Psychology The most common delusions are that changing
bet sizes (or progression) helps you win and that an eventual win will help you walk away with a profit. In
reality, previous spins don’t influence in any way future spins and you can’t use long-term balance as a
failsafe strategy. If you keep increasing your wagers, you will ultimately reach maximum bet, so the
payout of an eventual win won’t be enough to cover previous losses. The belief of “evening out” or the
feeling that you’re in for an overdue win after successive losses is gambler’s fallacy.

Aversion to Loss
No one starts gambling with the idea of losing. Losing is – to put it mildly – unpleasant. Research has
shown that people who place another bet immediately after losing are actually more irked by the
frustration of loss than the thrill of a possible win. Other studies indicate that women have a bigger
concern being seen losing, so they tend to prefer more private games where that won’t be so evident,
like slots. Men, on the other hand, prefer games where they think they can exert more skill and rely not
so much on chance. For example, they choose games widely regarded as skill-based like poker (although
chance plays a massive role in it, too) where cognitive processes like the illusion of control makes them
feel like they can crack a pattern or devise a strategy to swing the odds in their favour.

Loss Chasing Is Part of Compulsive GamblingMale attitude towards losing is different as well – even if
they lose hundreds of pounds playing poker, their self-assertive nature will focus attention on the fact
that they can afford to lose that amount of money, obscuring the embarrassment of loss. In the long
term, people who suffer immense losses continue to gamble not so much for the excitement of a
potential win but more in an attempt to cover previous losses. One thing that eludes their clouded
judgement is how unlikely to yield a win such strategy is. This tendency is called “loss chasing” and is one
of the key characteristics of compulsive gambling.

The Social Aspect of Gambling

Many children and young adults are exposed to gambling at home. People who have been included in
the card games their parents played with their friends will also organise casino nights for their friends
later on as a way of bonding through shared entertainment experiences that generally help bring people
together. Seeking socialisation often leads people to brick-and-mortar casinos or live dealer tables online
for real-time interaction even if they’re alone at home. The gambling environment is also a way to
escape the mundanity of day-to-day life. An arcade shop, a buzzing bingo hall, or a glamorous casino (be
it online) stirs in people new emotions, as they are exposed to new stimuli and able to interact with new
people.

Jumping on the Bandwagon

Gambling Lets Us Socialise and Fit InThe range of motivational factors for gambling is extremely wide.
While some people seek the adrenaline rush of the risk of gambling, others are pursuing financial gain,
even taking up gambling professionally, there are also those who choose to gamble simply to fit in a
specific group that they would like to be associated with. This is evident in the increased ticket sales
when the lottery jackpots hit record-high – even people who have never gambled don’t want to be left
out, so they go out and purchase some tickets, joining all the frenzy.
The Alluring World of High-End Gambling

Another aspect of what may lure people into gambling (one very well understood by marketers) is the
glamorous image postulated by media and popular culture. The formulaic concept of gambling typically
represents it as the champagne-laden extravaganza of wealthy people in a glamorous setting, with focus
on the stacks of cash laying across the tables. Now, that seems like something everyone would like to be
a part of, doesn’t it? Or, let’s look at horse racing – it has come to be associated with posh people
dressed in stylish clothes sipping on champagne as they discuss the agenda on their busy social calendar
and this gives off a sense of a high-end social standing that some people might be pursuing.

3. Find out what casinos are doing to prevent the gaming addiction of players.

First of all, not all casinos focus on preventing gambling addiction. However, if the resource has a solid
reputation, there undoubtedly will be the Responsible Gaming section. Usually, this section contains the
guidelines for safe play, tests to determine gambling addiction and its extent, sometimes there are
contacts of organizations that help fight problem gambling.

Moreover, decent casinos allow players to set limits on deposits, stakes, and losses, as well as provide
the opportunity to temporarily block the account.

It’s a fine line to walk for any casino.

As an adult making adult decisions, a casino can’t decide for a player that he has an addiction and take
action to prevent him from gambling. It has to be voluntary. Most bars won’t turn away a paying patron
even if they’re identified as an alcoholic.

On the other hand, most casinos understand that long-term play at conservative amounts is preferable
to excessive play over the short-term.
There are organizations, such as the Responsible Gambling Council ( ) which audit and assess registered
casinos for their commitment to responsible gambling. This involves ensuring that staff know how to
look for signs of distress, building relationships that help to identify potential problem gambling
activities, and ensuring that resources are available to those who wish to address such issues.

To be so accredited, casinos must ensure that adequate signage is available to make patrons aware of
the resources available to them, that there is adequate staff and adequate knowledge among staff about
the resources available.

The ability to enroll in a self-exclusion program is available at most casinos, now. The specifics will vary
according to jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions require an assessment by a counsellor upon the expiration
of the term of the self-exclusion before an enrolled guest may be welcomed back. Others carry fines
under local laws.