Gambling and the brain 
        Gambling can affect the way the brain functions. Learning how is key to understanding why some 
        people become addicted to gambling, and what they can do to overcome it. 
        It feels good                                            How the brain retaliates 
        A chemical called dopamine is released into              While the brain no longer experiences the same 
        the brain whenever we experience any kind of             pleasure it once got from gambling, memories of 
        pleasure.                                                past excitement remain.  
        Sometimes, activities like gambling cause a very         The brain is triggered by reminders, such as the 
        high surge of dopamine in the brain very quickly,        sounds made by pokies, leading to intense urges 
        creating abnormally high levels of pleasure. The         to gamble and recapture those feelings.  
        brain links this feeling to the action of gambling.      This is why it can be so difficult to stop gambling 
        If the brain is frequently flooded with high levels      even when it’s no longer fun, and why relapses are 
        of dopamine, it can develop a tolerance to the           common. 
        chemical. This means the dopamine becomes less 
        effective and the addicted brain requires a person 
        to gamble more to achieve the same feelings of 
        excitement. 
        Near-misses are tricky                                   Retrain the brain 
        Near-misses are most associated with products like       Overcoming a gambling addiction is rarely an easy 
        pokies and lottery tickets.                              path. It takes time and there are likely to be slip-ups 
        The brain responds to a near-miss in the same way        along the way. But the brain is constantly changing 
        it responds to a win – with a ‘dose’ of dopamine –       and adapting, which means addictions can be 
        as a reward to encourage a person to keep trying.        reversed.  
        In activities like sport, the release of dopamine        An urge to gamble usually occurs because the 
        that comes from a near-miss motivates a person           brain is pre-empting the reward – the release of 
        to keep practicing and improve their skills. But         dopamine – that comes from it. Instead of acting 
        the brain’s pleasure centre cannot differentiate         on the urge to gamble, a person who does another 
        between games of skill and games of chance, so it        pleasurable activity, like going for a run or calling 
        responds in the same way even though gambling            a friend, can retrain their brain to associate the 
        outcomes are mainly determined by ‘luck’.                reward with the new activity. Repetition is key to 
                                                                 retraining the brain, creating new activity-pleasure 
        While someone who gambles occasionally will              associations and causing the urges to fade away. 
        experience a slightly increased level of dopamine        A person who recognises what triggers their urge 
        from a near-miss, a person who gambles frequently        to gamble is likely to find it easier to change their 
        is likely to feel a more intense rush. This makes        behaviour. For example, the urge might be felt at 
        near-misses more addictive for some people than          the same time of the day, or when a person feels 
        others.                                                  lonely, or hears a particular sound. Knowing their 
                                                                 triggers allows a person to put strategies in place to 
                                                                 manage them.
        Gambling harm can happen to anyone 
        Gambler’s Help is available 24/7 for a free confidential chat on 1800 858 858.