I’ve always been fascinated with how the human brain works, why do we do what we do. Believe it or not, there is a subconscious or conscious reason for each little daily step we take. And while it’s a no-brainier why people love to travel, sleep or eat good food, it’s not so easy to know why others love to jump off cliffs, airplanes, swimming with sharks or just place bold risky bets. In the next paragraphs, I will make sure to give you the reason behind each risky move we do and explain why it feels so damn good.

The Chemistry of Joy

And, yes! The secret lies somewhere deep in the chemistry of our brains. To be more precise, the secret behind all gamble actions is DOPAMINE. If you’re not familiar, this is the brain’s feel-good chemical responsible for making all of us feel happy. The pleasure cell sits somewhere in the mid-brain and provides you with that zest for life, a good mood, and motivation. Luckily for us, it’s the most extensively studied neurotransmitter, simply because it is linked to many aspects of the human behaviour. The more active dopamine system we have, the more risks we are willing to take. That is why people react differently to various risk opportunities, some hate and avoid it while others seem to depend on it as the air they breathe. And when it comes to gambling, there are two alternatives. Many studies show that expecting a win increases the dopamine level while expecting a loss, decreases it. Even though it sounds logical, both of these generate more taking chances.

Uncertainty is Attractive

Although this statement is 100% valid in all aspects of life, gambling is that activity which seems to make it easier for me to understand. Here is the short version – unexpected rewards are always way more tempting than anything else. The brain’s response to those is much greater than those you’ve been preparing or waiting for long. The uncertain outcome is exciting as opposed to predictable wins which lose some of their shine because of how easy they come. Just like in a detective movie, the storyline keeps you intrigued until the very end when the killer is finally revealed. People love this mystery filled circumstances and there’s nothing to prove that wrong apparently.

The Winner Effect

If you’ve never heard of The Winner Effect, I highly recommend reading Ian Robertson’s book with the same title. It will give you an insight of how the brain reacts to success and failure and how winning changes the chemistry of the brain making us smarter and more focused. The physical and mental changes are transforming us to be both, confident and aggressive at the same time. In general, knowing the science behind why we love to risk, and win is something everyone who loves to gamble must read. Coming from my experience, it will give you a power you never knew you had.