How do video games affect the brain?

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Last Updated On 12 June 2025, 12:50 PM EDT (Toronto Time)

With the rise of the gambling industry and the sudden increase in popularity of online casino games, it has become more and more important to discuss the unique psychological and neurological effects these games have on gamblers.

With millions of players interacting with the industry every day, the issue of problem gambling has also become more and more apparent, so learning about it can serve as a defensive layer for those who aim to play responsibly.

Let’s learn more about what makes casino games so special when it comes to the way they affect our brains and pinpoint the most effective strategies we can use to diminish their negative impact.

Video games have come a long way since their inception. What started as an extremely basic experience has evolved into one of the most comprehensive examples of entertainment media available to us today. Nothing truly compares to video games, and while they are absolutely fascinating, their impact on our behavior and mood is still studied.

On a positive note, video games are known to be cognitively engaging, with some games providing enough freedom for strategizing and coming up with your own solutions to complex problems. This can be stimulating and rewarding at the same time, making entertainment not just engaging but also educational at times.

However, we mostly play games because of how fun they are, and they can be a great way to relieve stress and relax. Considering how convenient and easy it is to access most video games, they have become a very common way to deal with feeling tired or bored.

However, when it comes to casino games, the situation is not as simple. Since casino games involve betting sums of money each round, they have an added layer of potential issues that surpass most other video games. What makes matters worse is that things that we generally can view as positive aspects of a game can become negative once we speak about slot machines or poker.

For example, when we say that a certain video game is addictive, we generally mean that it is fun to play and highly rewarding. Taking just one more turn in Civilization or playing one more round of Balatro is generally considered fine since there is no potential harm associated with it. However, if one more round in each of these games meant losing money, then the problem would become very apparent.

So, despite the fact that a lot of casino games use familiar and well-recognized video game mechanics, they are far more risky and can cause a much stronger negative impact on the player’s life, which is why analyzing how exactly these games trick us into playing is so important.

Casino games have existed for a very long time and will continue to exist because they are specifically designed to appeal to some of our core weaknesses. As Michael Slot of Slot Day notes, one of the most obvious examples of this is the gambler’s fallacy — the idea that multiple previous losses have to lead to an increase in winnings later on.

Our cognitive biases make us feel like we have some sort of control over the outcome of the game, when in fact everything is decided by random chance, and the odds are stacked heavily against players. However, casino games help us indulge in this illusion by using several tricks.

To study them, let’s take a look at fruit slots and see how these games can use their simple fruit-related visuals and sneaky tricks to affect players and make them spend significant amounts of money. If you feel like testing these mechanics in a safe manner, you can launch a Hot Hot Fruit demo and use free in-game credits for testing purposes.

An analysis by Slot Day specialists showcases how impactful the “near miss” effect can be for fruit slot enthusiasts. Seeing the reels almost line up into a perfect fruit-flavored winning combination makes us feel like we were close to victory, when in reality there are only two types of lines: the correct ones and the losing ones.

What that means is that four cherries and a seven mean just as much as five random fruit symbols since they produce the same outcome. In fruit slots, there is also no such thing as being closer or farther from victory — each spin will create a new random result that has nothing to do with the previous one.

However, online slot games will often double down on that feeling by showing players how close they were. Not only that, they will use celebratory sounds and animations to make players feel like they are winning even as their wallet keeps getting thinner. Considering how agitated all of this can make you feel, it is easy to see how gamblers start making impulsive financial decisions.

This goes further, however. The more we get used to spending money on a game, the more desensitized we become to the losses, and the more likely we are to spend more than we initially planned. As a result, lots of players find themselves in a bad place financially and start taking loans and showing other signs of a gambling disorder.

Gambling disorder can be simply described as a condition that forces gamblers to keep betting and playing casino games despite the fact that this causes a negative impact on their lives. Interestingly enough, people who already have ADHD, depression, or anxiety, are even more likely to become problem gamblers, meaning that the problem disproportionally affects those who are already dealing with certain conditions.

Gambling itself becomes a stress factor, however. Financial stress, the cycle of chasing losses and feeling bad about it, which in turn causes players to play more to relieve the tension, increased anxiety and depression — the list goes on. Problem gambling is known to cause issues in families, disrupt friendships, and also lead to bad workplace scenarios. Like a downward spiral, all of this combined puts gamblers in an even worse psychological condition, and finding a way out of it can be extremely difficult.

This is the reason why so many governments demand that casinos provide important information on the effects and signs of problem gambling. They also generally impose several other limitations to ensure that gambling is as safe as possible. However, multiple online casinos operate using the licences that are far more lenient, meaning that the players have to keep themselves informed and safe.

The first step to identifying problem gambling patterns is analyzing your behavior and spending and recognizing warning signs of addiction — for example, preoccupation with gaming or lying about playtime can be treated as red flags. As soon as the issue is identified, there are lots of ways to address it depending on how significant it has become.

Relying on self-exclusion features, spending limits, and other time and money restrictions can be a good place to start. If you feel like you cannot be trusted with gambling, then you should try seeking alternative activities to replace it — anything from exercise to social hobbies is going to work as long as you find it interesting and rewarding. Finally, you can always seek professional help, whether it is therapy or support groups like Gamblers Anonymous.

Video games can have a powerful impact on our brain reward systems, which is generally considered fine, but can be problematic when it comes to casino games. The potential psychological effects of casino games include gambling addiction that leads to irresponsible financial behavior and increased emotional distress, and dealing with these issues can be incredibly hard.

Although there are systems and specialists one can rely on when the problem arises, it is best to put a huge emphasis on moderation and awareness to not get into a bad spot in the first place. Learning about responsible gambling practices and following them is highly important for any casino player aiming to maintain their emotional and financial well-being.