alt Hacker News>The desire to "not waste money" and "get back to even" seems like a huge part of what motivates gamblers to keep gambling.
As someone who had family members go through gambling addiction this is the primary mechanism behind it.
Addicts don't see it as "cool fun dopamine kicks" but instead find it the only way they can get back to normal/where they are supposed to be
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That seems like an incomplete explanation.
Logically, gambling is like going to the movies. You expect to pay x currency for y value of entertainment. If y falls short of expectations you might feel like you wasted your money, but who becomes addicted to going to the movies to try to get even? There is probably someone who has, but I’ve never heard of it and it doesn’t seem to be common; not like gambling addictions. For all intents and purposes it doesn’t happen.
But gambling addictions do happen, fairly regularly. Perhaps it is loss aversion coupled with the aforementioned dopamine hit associated with gambling that makes it so prevalent?
Don’t worry, they have a system, they can’t lose, and honestly, it’s like the outcome is almost guaranteed.