Gambling and the Brain

Gambling and the unpredictability of the roulette wheel stand at the center of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Gambler. Despite the fact that it is not a very rational activity, gambling captures the enthusiasms of many in The Gambler, enthralling those characters that are intoxicated by the feelings of victory. Experienced gamblers often work out strategies to ensure success, or at least a greater chance of success. Unfortunately, these types of patterns and strategies simply do not apply in games of chance like roulette. As Jeff Love describes, there is not a “fixed constant or indubitable ground permitting a deductive determination of the results of each turn of the wheel” in the game of roulette (Love 373). Put more simply, roulette is a game of

The Gambling Experiment run by the University of Iowa was a fairly simple experiment. They placed four decks in front of a person, two of them were blue and two were red. They then asked people to pick cards from each deck one at a time. The card could either give the people money or penalize them by taking money away. Also the red decks had more penalties then earning while the blue decks were the other way around. They tested to see how long it would take for people to figure this out and it took about 50 cards for them to have a hunch about the pattern. After 80 cards most people were sure that the red decks were a minefield. The Iowa scientists also

The purpose of this paper is to examine the article, “The Brain’s Rewarding System & Addiction” (2004) by Katharine P. Bailey, MSN. In this article, I did not find a general hypothesis. Studies in this article show that most drugs directly or indirectly cause selective elevation of dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens (NA), the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and the limbic system, consequently called the reward center of the brain (Bailey, 2004). Behaviors that bring pleasure and are also crucial to existence (eating, drinking, and sex) also activate the same reward circuitry, however, activation of this circuitry by addictive drugs can be much

This research paper is a compilation of information gathered during lectures and through the web on the Nervous System and the Reward Pathway. This paper examines the structure of these systems, their discovery and the effects that drugs have on influencing these systems and how addictions are formed.

McLellan. David Nutt is a professor at Edmond J. Safra Fundation. Besides, David Nutt is the Director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit in the Division of Brain Science. Thomas M. McLellan is the Chief Executive Officer and cofounder of the Treatment Research Institute. In addition, Thomas M. McLellan is a substance abuse researcher. Moreover, McLellan served as Deputy Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. “Can Neuroscience Improve Addiction Treatment and Policies?” is a research that explains that the brain is the primary objective of psychoactive drugs. In the paper “Can Neuroscience Improve Addiction Treatment and Policies?” the authors state, “drugs are self-administered because they make people feel different – usually better”. They explain that the majority of the modifications related with drug consume are fast changes. The alterations produced by drugs are faster than most changes created by natural stimulus. Numerous activities that produce amusement feelings release neurotransmitters such as dopamine. The consume of drugs manufacture quickly and higher levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine. An important fact about the ingest of drugs according to the authors is that “this rapid release of reward-inducing experience is a significant part of the transition from exploratory, to regular, to compulsive use (addiction).”

Intermittent reinforcements is a conditioning schedule in which a reward or punishment is not administered every time the desired response is performed. There is an increased likelihood the desired behavior will continue with intermittent reinforcement conditioning and the behavior last longer. Gambling is a great example of intermittent reinforcement because you do not win every time or the same amount, which is exciting and fun for lots of people. The reinforcement is intermittent, and causes a positive and euphoric response in the brain that in some circumstances can lead to gambling addiction. Although, gambling can lead to addiction, the purpose of this is to paper is to acknowledge ethical stance against lotteries and the economic value it brings.

Although social and cultural factors are sometimes acknowledged within the field of neuroscience as contributing to addiction “the brain reward system” is the focus of the new approach to addiction.

The harm principle states that the actions of individuals should only be limited to prevent harm to other individuals. The harm principle applies to Sarah Jones due to her negligence of her (3) minor children. Sarah had been a gambler for over three years, and that time she’s a slightly stressful situation into a major problem addiction. She began betting on bingo but soon that wasn’t a satisfying high any longer. So, Sarah started going to the casino’s. Gambling is an addiction for some, and for her, it was just that. For her to lose $85,000, and have to take out a second mortgage on her house; or to never be at home during the afternoon or evenings that's a serious problem. The fact that she is gone so often that her children aren't getting

Addictions are known to activate the culmination of sites in the brain that make up the ‘reward centre’ which is responsible for feeling happiness or pleasure through the release of dopamine (Linden, 2011). After repeated exposures, receptors in the brain build a tolerance towards the addiction meaning that there is a need for increased stimulation to provide a similar ‘high’. Eventually behaviour patterns develop so as to avoid withdrawal. At this point addiction is occurring and symptoms should be observable. Like other addictions, it is believed that IAD causes a release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (Ko et al., 2009).

The lasting effect cocaine has on the brain’s reward system can lead to an addiction in individuals. Cocaine addiction is a brain disorder that affects the health of millions of people across the world (Homberg et al., 2013). However, understanding the mechanism behind this addiction and the underlying reasons behind an individuals craving for a drug can help us distinguish the different responses males and females exhibit to an abusive drug, such as cocaine. Even though a higher prevalence of cocaine abuse is found

There are a lot of dangers when it comes to gambling, since gambling is a legal vice with a profitable basis that drives the development of the industry. Usually, a gambling addiction is commonly considered a hidden problem; a gambling addict does not display the obvious physical signs and symptoms of a drug or alcohol addict. Loved ones are often blindsided by the consequences of a gambling addiction, realizing the problem only after the person has spent huge sums of money and incurred significant debts. In the Article “How Gambling Can Kill You Faster Than Drug Abuse or Alcoholism” from the website AlterNet, Author Chris Write claims “The suicide rates among gambling addicts are staggeringly high. The National Council on Problem Gambling

The drug Cocaine alters chemical levels in the brain which can lead the user to have the ‘feel good’ factor.

The debate on whether or not gambling should be regarded acceptable from a moral point of view has been ongoing for quite a while. However, one aspect of gambling that has been overlooked frequently has got to do with individual freedom. Ordinarily, people should have a right to choose whether or not to engage in gambling. Indeed, the freedom accorded to individuals to engage in activities of their choice as long as they do not interfere with the freedom of others can be regarded one of the key determinants of a truly free society.

There are several concerns regarding the ethics of gambling whether in an online setting or in a public setting. Gambling has many benefits for both gamblers and casinos, but it’s crucial to acknowledge the psychological repercussions of gambling as it isn’t always just “harmless fun.” We can consider the negative and positive implications of gambling on non-gamblers as well. However, how would ethical theories and perspectives differ in their approach to the effects of gambling? When people think of gambling, they usually see flashing Vegas casinos and large sums of cash. The gambling arena is much larger just as the significance of the effects gambling has on the casinos and people involved. Gambling addiction is a very prevalent factor

But before that one must ask whether these games increase brain function to a beneficial point by examining the effects on one’s brain, one must also examine the changes in their performance periodically and lastly the practicality of the “brain games” (how easy and simple are they?)