How gambling can trick the brain

My name is Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, and I'm a brain expert from the University of Melbourne.

When you get a gambling win, your brain releases a chemical that makes you feel great. However, when you gamble often, the same chemical gets released when you get a near miss. Essentially, your brain gets tricked into thinking you've won and this encourages you to keep going, because practice makes perfect, right?

Well, not really.

Most gambling isn't like sports or academics. It doesn't matter how hard you try or how much you practice, the odds won't change.

In fact, some gambling products, like pokies and roulette, are specifically designed to trick your brain and make you feel like you're winning, even when you're not.

It's important to understand how gambling affects you because the more you understand, the easier it is to change.

Learn more at gamblershelp.com.au