Scientists discover Part of Brain that causes Gambling Addiction

For years, scientists have tried to pinpoint what exactly it is that causes certain people to gamble far more than they should. And researchers at the University of Cambridge believe they’ve finally provided the breakthrough that can lead to minimizing gambling addiction.

Cambridge scientists say that those with an overactive insula are more likely to spiral out of control with gambling. The researchers came to this conclusion after having both healthy people and those with various brain injuries play online slots and roulette.

On average, they found that the healthy people and most with brain injuries were far more likely to keep playing slots and roulette after narrowly missing a big win. The reason why is because some of these people had an overactive insula. Only the group with faulty insulas were able to avoid the temptation to chase losses are a near miss.

Cambridge’s Dr. Luke Clark explained this phenomenon by saying that some people overestimate their chances of winning due to errors in thinking. Continuing to play after a narrow miss is one example since certain players think that this means they’re bound to win soon. But in reality, the near miss is no different from completely failing to win. Furthermore, most groups fall victim to the “gambler’s fallacy,” where, for example, one might think that because red has won several times in a row in roulette, black is due to win on the next spin.

“While neuroimaging studies can tell us a great deal about the brain’s response to complex events, it’s only by studying patients with brain injury that we can see if a brain region is actually needed to perform a given task,” Clark told the DailyMail. He added, “Based on these results, we believe that the insula could be hyperactive in problem gamblers, making them more susceptible to these errors of thinking.”

While simply knowing that an overactive insula can lead to more problem gambling won’t solve the issue, it could definitely move researchers towards a helpful solution to limit addiction. But as of right now, the best way to diminish problem gambling is by educating people on the gambler’s fallacy, the odds of winning and bankroll management. Just understanding that each future bet is independent of the last is a great way to get over the gambler’s fallacy.