The Casino Industry In The US

There are 1,511 casinos in the United States. The casino industry in the United States is worth over $240 billion and it employs around 1.4 million people, according to a 2013 study by the American Gaming Association (Pierceall). With these statistics, it can be hard to see the downside of the casino industry and the negative effect it has on people. There are over 1 million people in the U.S with a reported gambling problem. The severity of the addiction differs, but it has ruined lives and continues to do so. Gambling addicts are not only harming themselves, but also their families. The question is why people get addicted to gambling in the first place. Research shows that gambling addiction is caused by a combination of someone’s neurological composition and several outside factors, …show more content…
Many people believe it has nothing to do with addiction. Studies show that in the case of gambling, neurological composition actually can cause an addiction. The brain produces a chemical called norepinephrine that is secreted when humans experience high stress or excitement. People who are born with low levels of norepinephrine in the brain are more likely to have an addiction to gambling. This is because of the persons need to overcompensate for the chemical imbalance. The act of gambling releases this chemical in their brain and they get a rush of excitement. People then repeat this to continue feeling the excitement and it leads to an addiction over time (Horridge). Gambling addiction shares similarities with other addictions such as drug or alcohol addiction. One similarity is that people use gambling to cope with stress. The act of gambling relieves someone of the stress in their daily lives. The problem is the stress relief is temporary and people’s problems come back once they stop gambling. This is what causes people to continue gambling repeatedly and eventually develop an addiction