Is Gambling Evil?: Understanding Gambling Disorder and its Causes

Heywood Broun, a sharp-witted American journalist, once said, “The urge to gamble is so universal, and its practice so pleasurable, that I assume it must be evil.” This statement encapsulates a powerful truth: the irresistible urge to gamble is a universal experience. From neon-lit casinos to online poker games, the thrill of the game lures millions of people into a mesmerizing escape. Each spin of the roulette wheel or even a single pull of the slot machine lulls individuals into a dreamlike state where worries vanish, offering a fleeting moment of relief from life’s troubles.

While gambling may begin as a harmless flutter, an avenue of entertainment, it is not uncommon to see it spiral into a compulsive activity. Gambling gives individuals a sweet taste of victory, making it intoxicating. This often turns a simple recreational activity into an addiction or disorder. Let us understand why something so universally tempting can carry such a huge cost.

What is Gambling Disorder?

When maladaptive symptoms of disordered gambling transform into a full gambling disorder, it leads to functional impairment, characterized by a reduced quality of life and an elevated risk of divorce, financial issues (such as bankruptcy or insolvency), and incarceration. The DSM-5 classifies gambling disorder under Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders.

Read More: Addiction Reconceptualized

It defines gambling disorder as a persistent and recurrent problematic gambling behavior leading to clinically significant impairment or distress. Symptoms can range from the individual frequently becoming consumed by gambling, such as constantly thinking about past gambling experiences, strategizing the next bet, or figuring out ways to obtain money to gamble.

In this disorder, the individual makes failed attempts to control or cut back on gambling. There is also a tendency to gamble with larger amounts of money to maintain a certain level of excitement, especially when faced with a loss. As with other addictions, an individual diagnosed with gambling disorder may gamble to escape crises, relieve stress, or cope with feelings of loss, guilt, and anxiety.

Individuals may even lie to their family members and therapists about the extent of their gambling addiction. When confronted with financial crises or the need to repay money owed, they may rely on friends and family for financial assistance, further exacerbating their problems. The description provided by the DSM-5 highlights impulsivity as central to gambling disorder.

Role of Impulsivity in Gambling Disorder

Impulsivity has been defined as a “predisposition toward rapid, unplanned reactions to internal or external stimuli with diminished regard for the negative consequences of these reactions to the impulsive individual or to others.” Thus, in gambling disorder, an individual may act without thinking things through. Two impulsive pathways contribute to gambling disorder. In impulsive action, an individual finds it impossible to stop themselves from performing a certain action. In impulsive choice, they struggle to wait for a better reward.

In a person diagnosed with gambling disorder, these two phenomena might play out like this: First, they might place a bet without thinking it through, driven by a strong urge to do so even if they know it’s risky—like doubling their bet after losing money, hoping to win it back right away. Second, instead of waiting longer for a bigger payout, they might choose to cash out a small win immediately, focusing on instant gratification rather than a long-term view of benefits.

Risk-Taking and Gambling

Closely linked to impulsivity is risk-taking behavior, another central feature of gambling disorder. Research conducted on university students in 2021 showed that pathological gamblers had a higher risk-taking attitude than social gamblers. This risk-taking attitude is tied to cognitive distortions. These cognitive distortions significantly affect the prediction of gambling disorders. This means that an individual with the disorder is under the illusion of control and gambling expectancy, holding a supremely high belief in their probability of personal success. They might also magnify their gambling skills while minimizing the skills of other gamblers.

One of the most popular cognitive distortions is the Gambler’s Fallacy, a faulty belief that the outcome of a random event is influenced by previous events, even when each event is independent. For example, “observing an increasingly long sequence of ‘heads’ from an unbiased coin makes the occurrence of ‘tails’ on the next trial ever more likely.” Another common distortion is selective memory, where the gambler remembers the number
of wins rather than the losses, leading them to overestimate their success.

Role of Biology in Gambling Disorder

Research has shown that in gambling disorder, dysregulation in certain brain areas is prevalent. These brain areas, associated with reward and emotion, include the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and the striatum. Additionally, there is a dysregulation in dopamine neurotransmission. These alterations play an important role in the cognitive distortions experienced in gambling disorder.

For example, during gambling, when one wins money, these areas of the brain activate. They recognize that money is a key player in the reward system of the brain. Thus, when a win occurs unexpectedly, these areas of the brain activate along with a spike in dopamine release, making one more excited than usual. As one continues to play, the brain begins to predict wins at the sight of certain signals of winning, such as the light that turns on when pulling the slot machine.

However, when a win doesn’t occur, the brain readjusts its expectations. In those with gambling disorders, this readjustment doesn’t occur. Instead, gambling tricks the brain into thinking that the flickering light at every pull of the slot machine is an indication of a win. The individual begins to believe that these “near misses” are close calls to winning. Even when they continue to lose, this faulty belief and malfunction of the reward system cause them to keep playing, thinking they are close to winning when they are not.

Thus, the individual becomes addicted to gambling with constant spikes and drops in dopamine levels and alterations in the functioning of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and striatum.

Technology and Easy Access

With the advent of the internet and smartphones, the way people gamble has changed. Previously, one would have to go to a casino or meet physically with others to win or lose money. However, with technological advancements, there has been a rise in online gambling websites and applications. People can now gamble from anywhere—whether at home, in the office, or even on a bus. This easy access to such an addictive behavior, where one can potentially earn money with a simple touch or swipe, makes gambling more enticing.

Casinos are designed specifically to keep people inside; neon-lit rooms with no clocks are one reason why those who enter a casino often stay until they have won a lot of money or lost all they have. Similarly, online gambling games are designed to keep players hooked. They are fun, exciting, and easy to play, which can lead to the development of a gambling disorder.

Social Influences on Gambling

Gambling is often portrayed in the media and in advertisements as a fun activity to do with family and friends or as a way to build a network of connections. Those with a weak ego may become susceptible not only to the wins of gambling but also to the seeming connections it provides with others. Additionally, individuals who are surrounded by people who regularly gamble may find it acceptable to do so themselves. Mimicking others’ behaviors can become a way of connecting with them, which may sustain gambling practices in individuals.

Treatment

Overall, gambling disorder, like any other disorder, has multiple facets. Various approaches can be used to treat the disorder, depending on the individual. Through a cognitive approach, thoughts can be addressed to break them down into triggers and the resulting feelings and thoughts that lead to gambling actions.

Alternatively, learning principles such as conditioning, reinforcement, or aversion therapy can be employed. Finally, a pharmacological approach may be adopted in cases of severe dysregulation in the reward system.