Why is it so easy to fall into the addiction to online gambling?

Gambling and gambling have been with us for generations, as a form of entertainment or as a way of trying 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 have developed an addiction problem with these games of chance over the years. Why is it that so many people fall into this process of dependency? Let's see it.

• Related article: "The 14 most important types of addictions"

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

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

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

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

1. Accessibility

They practically give us a mobile phone when we start reading, Anyone in our country has access to a smartphone with Internet access.

No need to drive to far places, or even go down to the corner betting parlor. It is only necessary to connect to one of the online betting house platforms to start playing. In addition, these platforms usually give players facilities to encourage the game, such as "giving" them welcome credits so that they play more at the beginning.

• You may be interested in: "Pathological gambling: causes and symptoms of gambling addiction"

2. Anonymity

Traditionally, if a person had to go down to the machine in the bar below, maybe they would think about it, for what his neighbors and acquaintances might think when they see him very often playing and betting his salary.

However, that barrier no longer exists. Anyone, even a minor who falsifies their identity, can create an account on a betting page or application and start their adventures with very little money. You could be in your living room betting from your mobile, and the people around you would believe that you are simply on the most innocent social networks.

3. variable ratio reward

When a person consumes, for example, cocaine, he can predict when he will feel the "high", within a few seconds of consuming. However, with gambling you cannot predict exactly when the reward will come (win a game, for example).

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

4. Powerful marketing campaigns

The big bookmakers handle unimaginable amounts of money, so they have enough resources to create mammoth marketing campaigns, and 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 betting, it is easier for people to look at them with different eyes and be more likely to play.

5. Acceptance by the population

In a similar way to what happens with alcohol and tobacco, being legal drugs, a large part of the population does not perceive them as such a health risk. “If it was really dangerous, it would be prohibited” or “if it is legal, it is not a drug”.

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

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 greater openness towards games of chance in general.

What to do in case of problematic gambling?

So far the article. If you think that you or someone close to you is developing a problem with gambling, of any kind, it is best to consult a specialist as soon as possible. It is important to see a professional as soon as possible.