The phenomenon of gambling is as old as man himself. That is not without reason, we like to gamble.
The moment we bet on something, we have a chance of winning something precious and recovering our wager which can be a cash prize, a trip for two people, or maybe a car.
While casinos exist and thrive thanks to the grace of the house edge, players keep coming. Why do we love gambling so much? This is what we will find out in this article.
What makes us gamble?
Visiting the casino brings a lot of excitement to most people. After all, there is something to gain.
The reason that honest online casino is so popular is perhaps mainly due to the fact that we like to win in life.
Then we are talking about winning in the broadest sense of the word. Profit in that case can be compared with prosperity, happiness.
The online casino then becomes a metaphor for life. As long as you play, something can be won and that gives a kick.
The risk factor
While there is nothing wrong with the pursuit of happiness, prosperity and profit, some people do need to be careful not to freak out later!
There is a risk of addiction among a certain group of people. The moment a player no longer plays for pleasure, but out of compulsion, we can speak of addiction.
The surrounding circumstances
An addiction to gambling is not that different from any other addiction. The pathology is the same.
A player wants to take another chance at all costs, drink a glass of wine, light a cigarette. But why one person is more likely to develop an addiction is difficult to say.
The explanation is partly to be found in predisposition and partly in circumstances. Someone who is less stable in life is more likely to reach out for something to exert an apparent control.
The story of John de Veen: A problem gambler
John van Veen was happily married and had two children. He lived in London where the problem took root when his wife left him.
He was confused and didn’t know what to do with himself. To distract himself from the feelings of confusion and sadness that come with a divorce, he turned to the casino.
Disorientation
“I used to gamble with friends at the Grosvenor Casino, but I never made a big win! I felt disoriented after my divorce. You have to imagine that I suddenly had a lot of time in my hands that I normally spent on my family.
That went away at once!
Isolation
One afternoon, mainly out of boredom, I decided to take a chance online. That turned out to be a whole day and a night of gambling. In no time I was just sitting at my computer staring at my screen.
I felt good about that at first. I was distracted from what I didn’t want to feel. So much sadness. At some point, my friends started calling me. I tried to avoid contact with the outside world as much as possible. I was isolated. That doesn’t suit me.
Sociality
I am normally a social animal, I like to be among people, I have to say that ultimately saved me! After a few weeks, my friends became suspicious.
Simon, a buddy of mine, decided to stop by. He knocked on the door. I remember waiting in silence for him to leave. But he persisted and started calling my name. I decided to open the door if it was still there after five minutes, and he was.
Confrontation
I let him in. Simon said afterwards that he was shocked by what he found. My house was a pigsty. I hadn’t cleaned up or washed the dishes in weeks.
So the whole house smelled of the garbage bag that was now decomposing. Simon sat down next to me on the couch to which I was now rusted in my stained sweatpants.
“What are you doing boy?” he said. He said it in such a way that something broke in me. He said it in a loving way. I didn’t have to explain anything further. I started to cry.
Recovery
Fortunately, I was there in time. I have to say that. You hear stories of people who have been addicted for many years and then get themselves into trouble in every possible way. It never got that far for me and I certainly owe that to my social network. I now realize how important it is to have friends who look out for you. We have to do it together in this life. I have become aware of that.
Awareness
The process that followed had to do with awareness. In my case not only aware of my addiction but also of all kinds of feelings that I had not wanted to feel during the months that I was gone. I use the word ‘disappeared’ because it really felt that way to me. I wasn’t there anymore.
Grieving process
I’ve talked to someone and slowly but surely I’m getting things back in order. I am actually much happier since my divorce. It took me a while to say that. But I have gained much more insight into my own behaviour and now understand better why my marriage failed. It’s a grieving process to process that loss, but I’m on the right track.
