Why is it so easy to become addicted to online gambling?

The combination of the Internet and gambling has made it easier to become addicted.

Gambling and gambling have been with us for generations, either as a form of entertainment or as a way to try to get rich. When we talk about gambling, most people think of slot machines, roulette and other casino games, bingo or even the lottery.

And as everyone knows, many people over the years have developed an addiction problem with these games of chance.Why do so many people fall into this process of dependency? Let's see it.

What makes it so easy to become addicted to online gambling?

We can simplify the concept of addiction as the case in which a person loses control over a certain conduct. It can be consuming alcohol, Smoking tobacco or snorting cocaine for example (the classic chemical addictions), but we can also talk about non-chemical or behavioral addictions.

Gambling addiction (also known as pathological gambling) is an increasingly common form of addiction in our society, unfortunately. And the fact is that technology, just as it brings us many benefits and opportunities that we could not even dream of years ago... it can also contribute to aggravate a certain problem.

Online gambling is here to stay, and it is changing gambling addiction as we know it. In the following lines I'm going to tell you the main reasons why online gambling addiction is more dangerous than traditional gambling addiction.

1. Accessibility

We practically get a cell phone when we start reading, anyone in our country has access to a smartphone with Internet access..

There is no need to drive to faraway places, or even go down to the betting parlor around the corner. It is only necessary to connect to one of the online bookmaker platforms to start playing. In addition, these platforms usually provide players with facilities to encourage them to play, such as "giving" them welcome credits so that they play more at the beginning.

2. Anonymity

Traditionally, if a person had to go down to the machine in the bar downstairs, he or she might think about it.Traditionally, if a person had to go down to the machine in the bar downstairs, he might think about it because of what his neighbors and acquaintances might think when they saw him gambling and gambling his paycheck very often.

However, that barrier no longer exists. Anyone, even a minor who fakes his identity, can create an account on a betting site or application and start his wanderings with very little money. He could be in the living room at home betting from his cell phone, and the people around him would believe that he is simply on the most innocent social networks.

3. Variable-reason rewards

When a person consumes, for example, cocaine, he can predict when he is going to feel the "high", within seconds of consuming. However, with gambling, however, one cannot predict when exactly the reward will come (winning a game, for example). (winning a game, for example).

It has been observed in a multitude of scientific investigations that, in the moments when the "unpredictable" reward arrives, the dopamine rush in the brain is greater than even other drugs. That is, this makes people who gamble more likely to develop an addiction than even other people using drugs.

4. Powerful marketing campaigns

Big bookmakers handle unimaginable amounts of money, so they have the resources to create massive marketing campaigns. they have the resources to create massive marketing campaigns, and to pay celebrities and celebritiesand pay famous people and celebrities to promote their betting platforms. It is very common to see popular soccer players starring in advertisements and betting campaigns.

By associating celebrities or characters we admire with gambling, it is easier for people to look at it with different eyes and be more inclined to gamble.

5. Public acceptance

Similar to what happens with alcohol and tobacco, since they are legal drugs, a large part of the population does not accept them, a large part of the population does not perceive them as such a health risk.. "If it were really dangerous, it would be prohibited" or "if it is legal, it is not a drug".

In the same way, since gambling is legalized and has so few limitations, many people normalize gambling in their environment, so it is more difficult for them to perceive all the risk involved.

Specifically in Spain, it is the country in the world where the lottery moves the most money. Culturally, we are much more permissive with gambling than other European countries, and that conditions us towards a more permissive attitude towards gambling.This conditions us to be more open to gambling in general.

What to do in case of problem gambling?

So much for this article. If you think that you or someone around you is developing a gambling problem of any kind, the best thing to do is to consult a specialist as soon as possible. It is important to see a professional as soon as possible.