I noticed I gamble very differently depending on my mood.
Sometimes I just want to play low stakes for entertainment or try an interesting game and simply enjoy the session. It’s not really about winning. It’s more like playing Minecraft or another computer game where I just enjoy it and can still feel happy even if I lose. In fact, I've had sessions where I lost a big deposit and just thought, "Good, it was a nice session. I lost, but no worries, maybe I’ll win next time."
I've even spent hours playing a new slot in demo mode, of course regretting afterwards that it wasn't with real money after a big win...
But other times I end up chasing bigger hits and really want to win big, especially on Roulette or slots with huge potential payouts, and I get frustrated in my head when the wins don't come or are just missed. The funny thing is that most of the time those bigger risks lose, but when they finally hit, the feeling is completely different and suddenly all the previous losses feel "worth it" in your head.
For example on Roulette I sometimes put money on just a single number because the high payout is exciting, even though I know it’s unlikely. The worst feeling is when the ball spins around your number and then lands right next to it, or nearly lands there and bounces away. But when it actually lands, it feels amazing and you remember it for months.
Do you think this is just normal gambling psychology? I wonder if most people gamble mainly to win money or if many people genuinely enjoy gambling as entertainment, even when they lose (within what they can afford of course).
