Yet the research and analytics point towards people gambling more when they are betting or playing in groups.
Casino games do not have the same jot down of social interaction as sports bets.
Just anticipating what may happen can make your brainrelease dopamine, stimulating and motivating you to take the risk.
Perceiving the dangers, we also feel the effects of ahigher level of cortisol, the stress hormone.
When you add in a social element to it, these emotional responses can be amplified tremendously.
That is the key word here, amplified.
It becomes even more exciting to share and brag about your wins with friends.
Losing can also become a source of bragging for all the wrong reasons.
Especially when people we know are playing games.
It is theSocial Proof, a phenomenon where we assume something is correct because it is accepted in society.
Now we aren’t saying it is necessarily bad to bet on sports or play the occasional casino game.
But you must know the dangers.
But it is a fallacy, as blackjack relies on chance.
And as soon as the dealer reshuffles the cards, you have to start counting from scratch.
In sports betting this is more palpable.
However, sports betting is also something that completely boils down to chance.
The sportsbook has no influence over the result, and anything can happen.
It could be in taking riskier bets, such as largerparlay wagersin sports.
Or, increasing your stake when playing blackjack,baccarator slots.
It goes back to misconceptions.
This may also buildpeer pressureon you to make a similarly outlandish or risky bet.
And this can trivialise the risks and thus distort your understanding of the odds.
Winning is not the only area that is amplified by social gambling.
Thepsychology of losingis also made more potent.
The sense of remorse after a loss can feel far more crushing when you see someone else winning.
It becomes a source of embarrassment to some, putting the pressure on to redeem themselves with a win.
Especially when you throw in that misconception about how gambling is a skill based endeavor.
Of course, this is not the case.
Or better yet,chase the lossesand win back the money.
This kind of risky behavior can build extremely dangerous gambling habits, that can easily spiral out of control.
Let’s just go through the main types of gambling and analyse their social aspects.
Sports Betting
Naturally drives high social engagement.
you’re free to make predictions, share tips, celebrate wins and consolidate losses together.
Some sportsbooks create betting pools, player contests, or leaderboards to encourage the social aspect.
Slots
A solo game, the social engagement in slots is quite low.
Live Games
There are two reasons players head to live tables.
The other, is because of the community feel and atmosphere of the games.
The presence of areal dealerbreathes life into the games, and makes them more interactive.
You could have anoptimism biason your friend’s sports betting predictions.
They got 3 parlay wins in a row, so I will copy their next bet slip.
Another classic one is thegambler’s conceit, where you think you might quit while you are ahead.
But this is a very common undoing of gamblers and something quite prominent in social gambling circles.
We tend to overplay the chances of winning and underplay losses.
Or, chase the losses and return to square one.
The social aspect can mask the reality about gambling odds and probability.
You must set some boundaries.
Don’t play casino games or take your sports betting to excess.
They are intended for entertainment purposes only.
And when casino games or sports bets stop being fun, its best to take a break.
Daniel has been writing about casinos and sports betting since 2021.
