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High Stakes, High Risk, and a Bad Bet: Inside the Brains of Gambling Addicts

           Gambling is a serious addiction that is often overlooked. New studies have taken a closer look at the brain’s activity in a gambler. The studies have shown that areas in the brain that are associated with risk and reward have been modified in someone who is a gambling addict. This gave the researchers insight that gamblers have a difficult time at evaluating and adjusting to uncertain, risky situations. The researchers also found that gamblers in their study often had mood and anxiety disorders that likely assist in their struggle with adjusting to risks. The study had some participants who gamble and some who don’t, perform tasks to earn credits. Gamblers assessed the tasks much differently, taking higher risks even when it didn’t match the level of risk the task held.  

            In class we discussed that reward is a core foundation in addiction. While gamblers are not necessarily taking a substance to cause their habit, their addiction is real based on the extreme obsession and uncontrollable habit of gambling. This study makes sense because gamblers become so addicted based on the rewarding effects. The mesolimbocortical dopamine system is responsible for the satisfying effects in addiction. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) increases dopamine when an abused drug is taken. While gambling is not a drug, the VTA could have a dopamine increase when gamblers whom are addicted partake in gambling.  The brain rewards the gambler with reassuring, addicting feelings. 
http://neurosciencenews.com/gambling-addiction-neuroimaging-6413/

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 29, 2017 at 4:30 PM

    I found this topic to be interesting because I have had experience with gambling addiction in my extended family. Based on my personal experience I agree that it is much more complex than it appears on the surface level. This is an addiction that is prevalent on my dad's side of the family which furthers my understanding that there is a genetic component that may explain why gambling addicts have higher levels of mood and anxiety disorders (which can be hereditary). I felt this article was not very clear on how they came up with their conclusions but I feel this is a field of research that is important for understanding why particular people are not able to successfully access risk and why some people are. Due to fact that often times, gambling addictions lead people to do things that appear selfish and reckless such as using your child's college fund to gamble, makes it clear that there is a biological component that is not preventing the person from being able to recognize risk and walk away when the risk is too high.

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  2. AnonymousApril 29, 2017 at 9:14 PM

    I agree with Kendall; this is an interesting topic. It was interesting to read that the way a gambler assesses a situation is different and may lead to higher risk taking. I wonder if there is a certain "bar" at which gambling addicts would not cross. For example, a father might make a joke and bet a can of soda to another father who happens to be a gambling addict. Would the gambling addict raise the bet or keep it the way it is? I guess it might depend on severity. Also, I hoped this article would specifically state their experiment a bit more rather than stating that the participants went through tasks to earn credits. I was wondering if the participants either gambled like one would at a casino or if they gambled by other means. If this experiment was to be conducted in a different way, then it would be interesting to see a study done on men and women gambling addicts separately to see which is more likely to make higher risks and the kinds of risks that are being made.

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  3. UnknownMay 1, 2017 at 5:47 PM

    I found this topic interesting because, I use to think that addiction was only related to drugs, alcohol, or some type of substance. But anything that gives off a rewarding sensation can turn into being addicting. I also thinks its interesting to access how gamblers evaluate a situation and raises the desire to be involved. Gambling addicts get the high release of dopamine due to the exposure of risk. Gambling is a risk, the more money they win, the higher the risk they could lose all their money or win even more money. I also agree with Joyce, it would be interesting to see an experiment to show the differences in men and women gamblers. I'm thinking men would be more likely than women to make higher risks. But I think men would be more attracted to risks that could bring danger to themselves, or getting involved with the wrong people.

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