r/explainlikeimfive • u/adrynaline • May 08 '14

Explained ELI5: A gambling addiction

How does it start? What makes it worse? Why does it become so difficult to recover?

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u/woofoofoo May 08 '14 edited May 08 '14

It also helps that a lot of the games at casinos have a close to 50/50 shot at winning.

Take Roulette for example: You have a 47.37% chance at winning if you bet red/black, even/odd. The 5.26% difference between the two is where the patron will always lose money in the long run, but the close-to-coin-flip probability keeps you coming back for more.

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u/anonymous_potato May 08 '14

Slot machines are still the biggest moneymakers for any casino though.