What are the main motivators for people when gambling?

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On 22 February, the Gambling Commission released new findings from their latest telephone survey about gambling behaviour in 2021. It’s a comprehensive study that describes several different parts related to the gaming industry and its complexity.

Among other things, it addresses how the behaviour among different players differs, and also, the main reasons why people are drawn to gamble for money. Here, we take a closer look at these things.

The main driving forces in gambling

For a long time now, it seems as if the trend of playing games online has been growing bigger and bigger every day. Slots online, poker, roulette, and other popular gambling forms can be found on millions of different gambling sites, and it is almost impossible for the players to choose which site to play at.

But what is it that drives people to make bets or play at an online casino?

According to the survey from the Gambling Commission, there is not just one answer to that question. Instead, the reasons for gambling can vary quite a lot depending on the players’ individual life situation. However, the two main motivators for gambling are the opportunity to win money and entertainment.

To dig a little deeper into the psychological factors that drive people to gamble for money, the authors of the study created eight different types of gambling behaviours. It showed that the same person could have different gambling behaviours based on different situations.

More information about the typologies of gambling behaviour can be found on the website of the Gambling Commission. 

The entertainment value

After mostly being about gambling for money, the betting industry has become pure and simple entertainment for many people as well. Today there are lots of games to choose from and in addition, they are made with different and exciting themes.

Game developers in the gambling industry are incredibly good at following the latest trends and adapting new games and their themes accordingly.

Something that has become particularly popular in recent years is to create themes based on current popular movies and TV series. It’s also not entirely uncommon for both actors and characters to appear in various games on casino websites.

Social exchange

During Covid-19 and long periods of lockdown, there was an increase in games at live online casinos. These are offered on several different sites and work more or less like a live broadcast from a real casino where you can participate in different kinds of games from your computer, phone, or tablet.

The game rounds are led by croupiers who can follow the players’ different moves via a monitor. As you play, you can also chat with the other players and the croupier can also comment on what is written in the chat. For many, this has also become a way to socialise with others who share an interest in gambling.

So, gambling for money can have different meanings for different people, and the reason why people play can also vary depending on the situation and occasion.