How Gambling Affects Our Decision Making

How Gambling Affects Our Decision Making

Gambling addiction is a recognized health condition that alters brain chemistry, behavior and wellbeing. However even those who gamble recreationally can see subtle shifts in risk-taking and gambling behavior without experiencing significant negative consequences.

In this lesson we’ll take a look at what happens in our brains when we gamble, and how that can help inform our behavior.

A Recent Study

Recent research by Verbruggen, Chambers, Lawrence, and McLaren (2017) sheds light on the complex interplay between gambling outcomes and decision-making processes in the brain. The study reveals that both wins and losses can influence behavior in surprising ways, even in casual gamblers.

This finding challenges the common assumption that people slow down and become more cautious after negative outcomes. Instead, it suggests that losses in a gambling context can actually increase impulsivity and the desire to continue playing, rather than encourage more careful decision-making.

Interestingly, the study also showed that this loss-induced impulsivity effect was most pronounced when the potential win was large, but the probability of winning was low. This indicates that near-misses in high-stakes gambles may be particularly effective at encouraging further play, even in non-problem gamblers.

What's Actually Happening in the Brain?

Research using neuroimaging techniques like fMRI has shown that gambling activates key regions involved in processing rewards, including the ventral striatum and medial pre-frontal cortex. Verbruggen et al. propose that the increased drive to gamble after a loss may arise from the motivation to recover the lost reward and eliminate the negative emotions associated with losing.

However, it's not just losses that affect subsequent gambling behavior. The study found that after a win, participants had a reduced probability of gambling on the next round compared to non-gambling trials. This suggests that people may be momentarily satisfied after a win and become more risk-averse, opting not to push their luck.

These findings paint a complex picture of how gambling outcomes shape behavior and brain activity. Even in individuals who gamble casually, small fluctuations in impulsivity and risk-taking can arise from the elaborate dance of reward and emotion happening behind the scenes in the brain. It's important to be aware of these subtle influences, as they may gradually nudge a person's gambling behavior in one direction or the other over time.

Why Does This Matter?

So what's the key takeaway for the recreational gambler? Maintaining awareness of your own behavior and emotions is crucial. Pausing for a moment after a loss to collect your thoughts, rather than impulsively jumping into the next round, may be helpful in keeping your gambling enjoyable and sustainable. 

And if you notice your gambling behavior start to shift away from what feels healthy or manageable, don't be afraid to take a step back and reevaluate. Understanding the hidden forces that motivate us to gamble empowers us to make more informed choices and keep gambling fun and healthy.

Let's Reflect

Reflect on your own gambling experiences. Have you noticed any patterns or changes in your behavior after wins or losses?

Thinking back on past gambling sessions where you may have acted impulsively, what is something you could have done to slow things down?

Closing Thought

Understanding how gambling affects the brain sheds light on the intricate dynamics behind our gambling behavior. By staying mindful of these influences, we can make more informed choices and ensure our gambling remains enjoyable and sustainable.