All-in on Addiction: The Destructive Rise of America’s Gambling Obsession

“A gambler has to be resilient if anything. They knock you down and you’ve got to get back up.” – Jim McIngvale

 Infamous for his lucrative gambling decisions, Jim McIngvale has built an established reputation by wagering absurd sums of money on major sporting events, namely on Super Bowl LVI. After losing an enormous 9.5 million USD betting on the Cincinnati Bengals, he delivered the quote above surprisingly nonchalantly, highlighting the tenacious attitude required for renowned gamblers such as himself. Unlike McIngvale, the average gambler is not equipped with the resources to brush themselves off after suffering a nearly 10-million-dollar loss. Nonetheless, his unyielding mindset — an indomitable resolve in the face of adversity — has become a touchstone for the gambling population. This steadfast perseverance is what often entices gamblers to enter the positive feedback loop known as problem gambling: a self-perpetuating cycle resulting in nothing but addiction, loss, and an unrelenting pursuit for dopamine.

Inside the Mind of a Gambler

Whether it be in the form of casino games, sports betting, lottery draws, or horse racing, gambling is broadly defined as the following: the act of risking something of value on an uncertain outcome. For many, the pursuit of such uncertainty is simply a recreational activity — an innocent yet periodic pastime that holds little to no consequence. For others, it is the principle on which their entire lifestyle is hinged. Regardless of where someone may fall on this spectrum of dependence, the neurobiology associated with gambling remains constant. Its addictive nature is built on the stimulation of neurotransmitters — a meticulous mixture of hormones and chemicals responsible for one’s feelings of arousal, pleasure, and excitement. These emotions among others are the building blocks that construct our internal reward system.

Now, imagine that system being locked within the odds of a slot machine, a lottery ticket, or next Sunday’s football game. Over time, one’s brain develops a tolerance to such rewards and consequently, demands an even stronger stimulus to experience that same level of pleasure. To satisfy such cravings, many individuals must intensify their gambling habits by augmenting the stakes of each consecutive session. This cycle is further accelerated by the appeal of loss-chasing. Being one of the critical features of gambling disorder, loss-chasing is based on the idea that you can recuperate your losses by investing more into your wagers. In other words, you can be exempt from the laws of statistics as long as you sacrifice the remnants of your time, energy, and money to gambling.

The pursuit of reward, whether in the form of a dopamine rush or a jackpot, is the foundation on which gambling is built. It is promoted as an opportunity to win big, as an opportunity to realize your dreams. So, where better to gamble than the land of opportunity itself?  

The Land of Opportunity

On May 14, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States opened the floodgates to what many claim to be responsible for America’s current gambling obsession. By striking down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992, states were now free to legalize sports betting without requiring national approval. All across the country, state legislators were rushing to take advantage of the new legislation and within less than a month, Delaware became the first post-PASPA state to legalize sports betting. Many states followed suit, and as of early 2023, over 30 states have legalized sports betting in some way, shape, or form.

 In today’s digital age, sports betting is more accessible than ever – and the numbers show. In 2022, American sportsbooks handled a record 93.2 billion USD in wagers, generating 7.5 billion USD in revenue. Super Bowl LVII was projected to handle a record  16 billion USD in wagers, over two times the previous year’s estimates. Moreover, American commercial gambling boasted a record 60.4 billion USD in 2022, a staggering 7.3 billion USD increase in revenue compared to the precedent year. With every year’s records being far grander than its precedents, there is no denying the escalation of America’s gambling problem, and like many of the country’s most lucrative industries, the gambling business model is built off human exploitation.

The House Always Wins

While often advertised as havens for individuals to indulge in harmless fun, gambling establishments are, at their core, businesses, whose underlying objective is to generate profit. Rather than the typical approach of cutting operational expenses to increase profits, gambling businesses attain their objectives by minimizing the requisite amount paid out to customers. Historically, blackjack has paid out a 3:2 ratio to successful players, meaning for every $10 bet, a gambler would win $15. This past year, more than two-thirds of blackjack tables in Las Vegas casinos cut their payouts to a measly 6:5 ratio – meaning that same $10 bet would yield only $12 in winnings. At first glance, this change may appear insignificant. As the year progressed, however, blackjack players would struggle to stay afloat, with the collective player base losing a cumulative 1 billion USD on the Las Vegas Strip alone, the second-highest recorded loss since 2007. By leveraging the dopamine-fueled rush of anticipation and uncertainty, gambling businesses possess a predatory nature that empowers them to exert significant control over their profit margins. As long as gamblers rely on these establishments as sources of dopamine, they can manipulate the odds in their favour without fear of a substantial loss in their customer base. It is this exploitative model that ultimately allows gambling businesses to thrive in today’s high-octane society.

Everyone’s (not) a Winner

Gambling capitalizes on the human need to feel the excitement, joy, happiness, or any emotion that would distract individuals from the dull reality they would otherwise be facing. For problem gamblers, a life without a constant feeling of adrenaline is a life far too miserable to tolerate. Possessing the highest suicide rate of any other addictive disorder, nearly one in five problem gamblers will attempt suicide at least once in their life. Nevertheless, obsessive gambling is not only neglected amidst America’s pantheon of problems but even propagated as a harmless and exciting mode of entertainment. This past year, TNT’s Charles Barkley, who has had a notoriously unhealthy past with gambling, partnered with and even promoted the sportsbook monolith known as FanDuel. But is that really a surprise? Advertising simply serves as a reflective mirror for consumer needs. Due to consumers becoming increasingly driven by dopamine-filled entertainment, the gambling industry has deftly engrained itself into the roots of modern-day consumerism. So long as there is a demand for entertainment, there will always be fuel for the destructive rise of America’s gambling addiction.