Potential for addiction
Potential for addiction
Not all gambling have the same effect on gamblers. The risk of playing too much or becoming addicted depends on the features of gambling. It is called the potential for addiction. This potential for addiction is very different for individual gambling and can be evaluated with various characteristics:
Quick order of play
The decision on win or loss of a quick gambling takes place within seconds as e.g. with slot machine games or with roulette. The
faster a gambling is, the more exciting it is for the gambler. The potential for addiction of such gambling is also clearly higher than
e.g., with lotto, where it takes days (or at least hours) until one learns the outcome.
Payment interval
Payment intervals are short when winnings are paid out immediately. Money can be invested in a new game right away. Loss does
not last long because the next bet can be placed within seconds. The same applies for winnings.
Active inclusion of gamblers
If gamblers have the impression of influencing outcome of gambling, the appeal of the game is greater. Winning seams to be closer,
since it does not seam to be dependent on pure chance but on one’s own ability. This is the case in sports betting or poker
particularly. It is easy to lose sight of the fact that one’s own influence is being overestimated and chance decides.
Nearly win
If, e.g. four of five cylinders on a slot machine stay on the same motif or if in blackjack the bank is only one point closer to 21, this is
identified as nearly win. Therefore, gambling is not perceived as ”lost“ but as ”nearly won“. Nearly wins reinforce the expectation
that winning is certain in the next game. The probability of winnings is always the same, whether an almost win has preceded it or
not.
Type of betting
If chips or the like are used to gamble and/or payment is possible by credit card, monetary value gambled away is trivialized. Inhibition thresholds are lowered or quickly lost; gambling becomes riskier and more money is bet.
Sound, light and colour effects, atmosphere
another world. Additional effects allow winnings to appear more frequently than losses.