Are casino games more addictive than sports betting?

We all know that countless studies in neuroscience, psychology, and genetics have time and again shown that the same mechanisms in a person’s brain are at work whether they are addicted to gambling or drugs. When engaged in these activities, neurons in the reward system in the middle of the cranium release dopamine which is responsible for the feeling of satisfaction and the need to repeat the action. The question is, when it comes to gambling, what causes more dopamine release – casino games or sports betting?

Gambling is enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. You can now participate in gambling even when you are waiting for your bus or standing in the line at a bank because the ever-changing technology makes it possible for you to access thousands of online casino games or sports gambling sites on your mobile phone, thus making gambling efficient and easily accessible. Both online casinos and betting sites come with their own benefits and perks that they offer to the customers. For example, many people love using welcome bonuses such as 21LuckyBet Bonus or promotion codes when they are betting online. However, some researches have shown that casinos (both online and land-based) have more customers than the sports betting places, meaning that more people chose to repeatedly participate in this form of gambling.

One reason can be the fact that there are many casino games for which no previous knowledge or experience is required in order to achieve good results, one being video slots for example. You can just let your mind at ease and with a few clicks hit the jackpot – ideally. You do not have to learn any rules and can enjoy them immediately. There are also those that require considerable skill, for example, poker, blackjack and many other card and table games where being knowledgeable is an advantage. However, very few gamblers are lucky enough to make big wins. The majority chooses poker because ultimately, just like in sports betting, they are in control of whether they win or lose. They are playing with other players, there is no house edge, like in blackjack for example, and usually, the best player wins. Of course, there is a little element of luck involved. And this thrill and anticipation of the big win are what makes people addicted to playing the game.

When it comes to sports betting, you do not need a lot of background knowledge to start playing, and hopefully, winning. Ideally, you should understand the basics, and they are pretty straightforward. Nowadays you can place your bets on most, if not all, professional sports, the most popular being football, of course, followed by tennis, basketball, horse racing, rugby, boxing, etc. The popularity of sports betting has even more increased due to televised broadcasts of sporting events and betting on them makes watching these sports even more exciting and enjoyable. Of course, your chances are better if you are knowledgeable about the sport in question, keep track of the statistics, injuries, etc. It is useful to know that there are many different systems of betting for various sports and you should get to know them before you start placing bets. Because there are many things to factor in when it comes to sports betting, chances of winning are much better when playing casino games, such as roulette or blackjack, from a strategic point of view, and it is no surprise that more people prefer casino games to sports betting.

It is reported that some statistics show how online casinos obtained an estimated growth of 10 % during the last 15 years, while sports betting obtained only 5 %. While on one hand sports betting market share has seen a slight decline in the last few years, on the other we have the casinos market share having a significant rise, meaning more people prefer this form of gambling.