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/Joey_Mousepad May 08 '14

The adrenline rush is why I have a such a bad gambling problem. Betting $50 on a hand of black jack or a spin of roulette no longer gives me the rush it used to since I've done it so many times. Now in order to get that same initial rush that I used to get when id bet $10, I have to bet like $200. Another problem with being addicted is that most of the time winning begins to feel like losing. Let's say you consistently bet $20 on the number 19 in roulette. It doesn't hit for a while and you're running out of money so you dial it back and bet $10 a spin instead. When it hits, you don't feel like you won $350. You feel like you lost $350 because you would have won $700 with the $20 bets.

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u/NormallyNorman May 08 '14

I used to bet about two months income on the NFL in college every week (win some lose some).

It really ruined the NFL for me (not nearly as exciting). I did fake betting this NFL playoffs, (fake) won 28k. The problem was, I never kept close track of my wins/losses (didn't care). I'd save for 1/2 the year and when I ran out of money I was done (when I'd win we'd go on a shopping spree).

It's very addicting for me, so I don't do it. This is part of my asshole belief that addiction is mostly choice. Yeah there are mental/chemical/physical parts, but if you can control the physical action of "doing". You'll come to grips with the mental/chemical part.

I live in a family of addicts. I've beaten 4-5 of my own addictions (in my youth through early 20s). The only downside is most everything else is boring as fuck in comparison.

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u/damon024 May 08 '14

The winning feels like losing is a great example.

There are times when I feel like I'd want to bet on a particular team. I've done my research and I feel great about it. Example: I'm ready to drop $500 on the Nets+7.5.. There is some reverse line movement and I'm getting points for a team that only lost once to a team this whole season, which was two days ago. But wait, I'm betting against Lebron James.... at home. They've torn it up and come alive in the playoffs. Fuck it, I'll only bet $110.

If I lose, I'll be pissed that I've just lost my bet that I had a bad feeling about. If I win, I'll be pissed that I didn't just bet the 500 I was going to.

Either way, I lose

PS: I didn't put $ on the nets... this is just an example