Neurobiology of Gambling Behaviors

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Ever wondered why some people continue to gamble even after long losing streaks? The explanation is straightforward. Every gambler is unique. Some people play slots for social reasons. Some play casino games to gain a reward—money or unlock in-game bonuses.

According to scientists, your brain contributes a lot to your gambling behaviors. Against that backdrop, this article will explain more about how your brain, thoughts, and emotions may impact your gambling tendencies.


Achievers

Some people have an achieving spirit. They strive to beat the odds to win games no matter what it takes. By nature, achievers love challenges. If they pick a slot machine, they will work hard to unlock its bonus features, trigger multipliers, scatters and wild symbols.

When you’re an achiever, you’re never put down by losses. You focus on your goals instead, counting cards in blackjack, beating the roulette wheel or winning a jackpot in a progressive slot.

Ideally, every gambler should be an achiever. Sadly, not every player has the patience or motivation to gamble until they win. You can blame players really. Although you can win casino games, luck is your biggest friend or enemy.

You may have an achiever’s mindset, but it won’t help you in a game of slot or roulette. The only thing you could do to tilt the odds in your favor is to follow good practices. An example is choosing a high-paying slot or using a strategy in blackjack.


Creative Players

Some people play casino games for the social experience. Others log into their casino account to beat the house. Creative gamblers in Canada are always looking for ways to improve their gaming experience and profits.

For example, they will choose the fastest payout casinos in Canada to avoid frustrations whenever they make profits. They also pick websites with high-paying games—payouts determine how often you win or lose.

Every gambler should strive to be creative and disruptive. You should look for ways to beat casinos at their own game. That being said, this is not part of every player’s neurobiology.

Some people simply play slots and poker to pass the time. That’s alright. But it’s not how creative players approach casino games. They treat the industry like a business.

If they indulge in poker, they will spend their time learning how better opponents make their moves. Or, they will focus on identifying the weakness of their fellow gamblers. In doing so, they will have the upper hand. 


Free Spirited Players

Free-spirited gamblers don’t care about renowned strategies and rules. They do what their heart desires, even if this means playing a low-RTP slot that professional gamblers would otherwise avoid.

To be clear, free-spirited gamblers aren’t losers in the game of gambling money. Some of them are highly successful. They succeed by exploring all types of games, and not just the titles recommended to them by experts.

You see, most gamblers choose specific popular slots. They go after games others have played and enjoyed. Nonconformist players pick new games. Or, they go after progressive slots in the hopes of hitting hard to achieve jackpots.

Should you become a carefree gambler? Unless it’s in your brain to avoid rules and precautions, care-free gambling isn’t the best way to enjoy slots and table games. It may work for some, but it is likely to trigger errors that could cost you a lot of money in the long term.


Socially Focused Players

As already mentioned, the majority of players gamble for social reasons. They want to participate in something their friends and family do. Better yet, they enjoy interacting with others online.

Social players love live casino games—these games link you to human opponents through video. Most table games, from poker to roulette, can be played in a live setting.

Compared to achievers, social players don’t care much about upskilling. They don’t necessarily gamble to make money. Their goal is to have fun even if they lose some of their money in the process.

Another popular trait of these players is that they chase badges, rankings and rewards. Social players are more likely to hunt trophies and complete missions than other types of gamblers.


Educators

You’ve probably come across this breed of players. They learn new games and perfect their skills so that they can later teach their skills to others. Educators tend to run blogs, YouTube and Twitch channels.

In a way, educators are caring gamers. They don’t just play to enjoy games. They also love to extend the experiences to new players. And so, they’re highly social on forums and social media, usually by sharing their knowledge.

What motivates some people to educate others about casino games? For starters, these players are social by nature. They love interacting with their fellow gamblers. Secondly, they feel obliged to impart knowledge to inexperienced players.


Compulsive Gamblers

No one wants to fall into this category of gambling. It describes people with little to no control over their gambling habits. Contrary to popular belief, compulsive gamblers are not necessarily poor at managing money.

Some neurobiologists suggest that gambling addiction affects people differently. You may play a slot and like it. But that doesn’t automatically lead to an addiction. Someone could play the same game and develop an urge to play it over and over again.

The explanation: our brains have two experiences whenever we interact with people or things. The brain may like something. Or it may want it. Your brain wanting you to do something repeatedly can lead to addiction even if you try to stop it.

That’s why addiction tends to affect all social groups. It doesn’t discriminate between the rich and the poor, young or old. If you’re susceptible to getting attached easily to different experiences, you have a higher likelihood of getting addicted to drugs.


Conclusion

How you approach gambling depends a lot on your brain activity and personality. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you’re wired to think hard until you solve a problem, you probably enjoy beating the casino in roulette and blackjack. If you’re social by nature, you probably gamble for fun or to socialize.