As gambling has been around for centuries, it is no wonder that everybody knows what it is and that everybody has tried gambling in some form at least once in their lifetime. A great pastime can, however, turn into a vice, especially if you do not control how much time you spend at either real-world or virtual casinos. To best understand both pros and cons of gambling, read on.
Gambling: Pros
Considering how exciting gambling is, it is no wonder that many people take it up as their favorite pastime activity. At BestCasinoPlay, you can find out about different online casinos and read detailed reviews about them so that you can choose the one that suits your needs and your schedule. Gambling, like video games, can have beneficial effects on your mental health, such as:
Higher Self-Esteem
The sense of achievement with each new round can improve your self-esteem, at least temporarily, a new study finds. Being able to win in a competitive environment is no different than getting a small raise or even competing in real life. For this reason, some time spent in a virtual gambling room can show improvement in self-esteem and general mood.
Better Risk Management
Once you place (virtual) tokens on the table, there is no going back. There is always some risk involved. Being able to understand how risky your ‘All In’ can be and deciding how much to bet in each new round is of crucial importance in gambling. Once this skill has been mastered, taking it to real life is a matter of habit and choice, and it can show improvement in real-life risk management.
Short Serotonin Boost
The sense of achievement and victory can produce a short boost in your serotonin levels. The same effect can be noticed with shopaholics, but with gambling, there is the upside of not cluttering your home and not spending any real money if you do not want to.
Gambling: Cons
As always, being careful with the time spent and the risk taken is important, as not being able to control yourself can lead to gambling addiction. This is just one of the cons of gambling. While a great pastime, gambling also presents a risk, especially for those prone to bad habits.
Low Self-Esteem
In the same way that winning can boost your self-esteem, losing can bring it to new lows. Studies have found that repeatedly losing while gambling can lead to lower self-esteem, as losing in the virtual world is no different than losing in a real-world environment. Being able to stop and take a break is essential, as being able to control yourself can have the opposite effect.
Stress
Stress is usually associated with gambling. Putting your money on that table also means putting your time on it, and not being able to assess the risk and assume the direction the game will take can only further increase the stress levels.
Anxiety and Depression
A short-term serotonin boost also means that the serotonin levels will drop at a certain point. People who enjoy gambling too much often have an imbalance of serotonin levels. This can lead to anxiety, depression, and faulty sleep patterns.
Final Considerations
Considering how widespread gambling has become, it is no wonder that so many people take up this leisure activity. However, while moderate gambling once or twice a week can have beneficial effects on your mental health, exactly the opposite happens with prolonged hours at the computer. Staying smart with your gambling time seems to be the best way to both reap the benefits and avoid the negative effects of this activity.
About the author: James Haynes
James Haynes loves spending time in the virtual world. He loves playing video games, and classics, such as HL2 and Bioshock, are among his favorites. He would love to be a game tester one day and be paid to do what he already loves.