Science of Gambling

David Brill looks at the psychological, biological and social factors that drive people to gamble.

Photo courtesy of David Brill What draws people to the poker table? Gamblers seem to thrive from the thrill of playing and the hope of a big win

Gutshot is London's first dedicated poker club and now the biggest of its kind in Europe. In a little over two years it has acquired some 15,000 members, expanding from a few tables in a dingy basement to take over the spacious bar complex next door. The success of Gutshot is symptomatic of a wider trend - and it's not just poker that is on the rise: gambling is everywhere and spreading fast. Britain is on the verge of opening its first 'super-casino', in addition to over 130 existing casinos. Fruit machines, blackjack, roulette - even bingo is becoming more popular.

So why do people gamble? What makes it so enjoyable? Why do some people become addicted while others simply enjoy a flutter on the horses every now and then? And could drug therapy be the answer to problem gambling?

John Ioannou is the card room manager at Gutshot. With a firsthand experience of gambling, Ioannou understands the emotion that accompanies success at the poker table. "The elation of winning, obviously, is great. It's a buzz you can't tell anybody about unless they've actually done it themselves. You're on cloud cuckoo land for a little while."

But losing also involves its fair share of emotion. Ioannou remembers feeling sick after losing up to £1,000 ($1,898) in one session. Gambling involves abandoning self-control and he says that even if a gambler limits the amount of money he will gamble, once at the poker club, his mindset often changes. "You go to the card-room, you do your 200 quid ($380), pull up another 200 quid, then another 200 quid. Now your mind's not straight, it's not as clear as when you left home", he says.

Gambling psychology

So what exactly is going on in a gambler's mind? Professor Peter Collins, director of the Centre for the Study of Gambling at Salford University, does research related to ethics and gambling, problem gambling and internet gambling. "Why people gamble is a good and puzzling question," he says. "On the face of it, it looks very strange that people should stand in front of machines and pour money into them, knowing that they're going to lose."