It isn't inherently addictive. Gambling addiction is significantly less common than alcohol addiction, and has no properties that make it inherently addictive to someone who is not predisposed towards that addiction (unlike drugs, for example, which are inherently addictive to all humans).

Some slot machines/casino games are designed to appeal to problem gamblers. DK and co, however, do not design these games, and state regulators do already control aspects of their design. For online operators, this doesn't represent most of their revenue and, I suspect, most would be quite happy not to provide these products.

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ZeroGravitas 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I've seen this "it only affects problem gamblers" thing so much that I suspect it's an intentional strategy to shift blame that takes advantage of people's natural tendency to believe the just world fallacy (bad things only happen to bad people).

	▲	bigfishrunning 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Nobody's life is ruined by gambling unless they've made a bunch of irresponsible decisions. Bad things certainly happen to good people, but problem-gambling is self inflicted.

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garbageman 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Gambling is absolutely inherently addictive as it's essentially perfectly paired with your brains reward system and hijacks it. There's literally dopamine cycle and tolerance happening. And when compounded by algorithms and notifications which are designed to amplify this even further I'm not sure how you can think it's not inherently addictive.

	▲	cindyllm 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		[dead]

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triceratops 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> unlike drugs, for example, which are inherently addictive to all humans

Define "drugs". Alcohol is a drug. Most users aren't addicts. So is tobacco. Most users are addicts. Cannabis? More like alcohol than tobacco in terms of addictiveness.

There may be some selection bias. Smoking tobacco is an unpleasant sensation. There's no reason to do it other than the addiction and the effects on your brain chemistry afterwards. Whereas many alcoholic drinks taste great in their own right and would be consumed even if they had no chemical effects.

I suspect gambling is like alcohol or cannabis. Engaging in it affects brain chemistry. For some people that's addictive. Most people are able to enjoy the activity without being hooked.

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icantevenhold 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

>Smoking tobacco is an unpleasant sensation.

I disagree but maybe I’m just addicted.

	▲	eikenberry 4 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		I stopped smoking 15-20 years back and still remember it fondly. It is definitely a pleasant, if smelly, experience.
	▲	dmd 5 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		There’s no “maybe” about it.

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jlarocco 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

As a former smoker (I started and quit twice), I strongly disagree that "Smoking tobacco is an unpleasant sensation."

It's terrible for your health, it's "burning money", it literally makes you stink, it makes you winded walking up stairs, and is generally terrible.

But the little head rush you get starting the day with a coffee and a cigarette feels great.

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triceratops 5 hours ago | parent [-]

> But the little head rush you get starting the day with a coffee and a cigarette feels great.

That's the effect on brain chemistry I referred to.

Do you actually enjoy the smoke in your mouth, burning your eyes and lungs?

A cold beer on a hot day is refreshing just for its temperature alone. A fruity cocktail tastes good because sugar tastes good. What's enjoyable about the physical sensations produced by smoke?

I mean maybe we're arguing semantics, because the pleasure of eating sugar is possibly also an alteration of brain chemistry. But there is a difference.

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ifwinterco 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Most people don't actually like the taste of alcoholic drinks when they first try them as a teenager.

The reason you like the taste of beer is in large part because your brain has learned to associate that taste with good things happening (the alcohol feeling).

Same with coffee, it's bitter, objectively should taste bad, but you learn to like it.

It's the same process

	▲	triceratops 18 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		> The reason you like the taste of beer is in large part because your brain has learned to associate that taste with good things happening (the alcohol feeling). Explain the popularity of non-alcoholic beer. > Same with coffee, it's bitter, objectively should taste bad Many fruits, vegetables, and foods (cheeses, unsweetened chocolate) are naturally bitter and widely enjoyed, even though they don't give you a high. People also enjoy bitter caffeine-free herbal teas. > Most people don't actually like the taste of alcoholic drinks when they first try them as a teenager. Many children don't like vegetables either. Adults more often do. Our tastes change as we grow older.

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imzadi 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

As a former smoker (quit in 2009), I absolutely LOVED smoking. The whole thing. Opening the pack, packing it down, pulling out the cigarette, lighting it, the first drag filling my lungs, the fullness in my chest. The only thing I didn't like was that it made me smell bad. When I started a job where I was working close to people and the smell made me insecure, I decided to quit. I still miss the ritual.

Anyone who has quit smoking will tell you that the habit is the hardest part about quitting, not the physical addiction.

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somehnguy 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> Do you actually enjoy the smoke in your mouth, burning your eyes and lungs?

Many years ago when I smoked - yup, sure did. I loved the entire experience, except maybe going outside in the middle of winter.

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redsocksfan45 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

[dead]

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dcss_gardener 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The real number we want evaluate is "what percent of the revenue comes from people experiencing significant negative consequences from the product."

For alcohol that number is something like 2/3 revenue from the top 10% of drinkers, who drink an order of magnitude more than the decile below them. I doubt gambling is very different but if you have more info I'm happy to hear it.

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cynicalkane 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Gambling is proven to be addictive in the same way many other things are, and the harm of severe addiction is comparable to that of the worst drugs. It's very common for severe gambling addicts to lose everything they have, to lose everything they love, to never psychologically recover, to kill themselves.

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georgeburdell 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Addictions spontaneously can turn on. For me, it was age 27. To classify people as inherently susceptible vs not is not accurate