Les Bonnes Choses

I was thinking about gambling, and gambling addictions on my bus ride this morning. Not because I've got a gambling problem, mind you. Quite the opposite, in fact. I am extremely risk averse, and consequently, gambling has absolutely no appeal to me. I have absolutely no interest in ever setting foot in Vegas.

But there are others who quite enjoy gambling - playing cards, going to casinos, et cetera. Some do it responsibly, and budget for it as a form of entertainment. They could spend $300 to go bungee jumping, but instead blow it at a night at a casino instead. Being risk averse, I think that's actually the lesser of two evils.

However, some people are "problem gamblers": they gamble compulsively, often going into considerable debt. I'll preface this line of thinking by admitting I have done absolutely no actual research on the topic. But I think the problem with gambling addiction is that whatever changes to your brain chemistry happen with the thrill of winning, it's like a narcotic to this group of people, whereas for someone like me, the most salient aspect of gambling is the inevitable experience of losing. Because we all know that the odds are stacked in favour of the house. So it seems that problem gamblers have a problem because they don't seem to be reacting appropriately in the face of repeatedly losing. What I was wondering is this: would someone be a problem gambler if they rarely lost?