Scrolling. Swiping. Twitter (X). TikTok. Snapchat. The demand for short, to-the-point content is stronger today than it’s ever been before. And there’s a reason for that: many of us are programmed in a way that makes us seek out quickfire dopamine hits… or instant gratification, if you prefer.
So many of us are now checking our phones more frequently than ever. Whether we’re checking our socials, doom scrolling the news or seeking out fresh ideas, immediate access to a galaxy of new content is now seen as a necessity, rather than a luxury. It’s a mindset that is fuelling the search for other forms of instant gratification, such as online casino gaming.
Players can use sites such as https://legalcasino.uk/mobile/, where experts rank licensed operators to help users choose from dozens of legal casino apps. These gambling platforms, in turn, offer thousands of slots and table games, along with various bonuses and promotions. The opportunity for a quick dopamine hit is readily accessible.
Of course, the quest for instant gratification can lead to issues when it comes to gambling. How can we balance our hunt for speedy dopamine hits while recognizing the challenges that doing so can bring?
The Psychology of Instant Gratification
Psychologists have coined a phrase – delay discounting – to explain our modern demand for pleasure now, now, now.
This is a sweeping statement, but if you’ve ever sat down with someone under 30 to watch a movie with a run time in the region of, say, three hours, you will have seen delay discounting in action.
It’s seemingly impossible for them to sit still and focus for that length of time; they have become so accustomed to seeking out small but instant rewards, as opposed to the slower paced, but arguably more rewarding, experience that comes with the long game.
But this is nothing new. Way back in 1920, influential thinker Sigmund Freud published his work ‘Beyond the Pleasure Principle’, which revolved around the idea that human beings are genetically designed to seek out instant pleasures to satisfy both our biological and psychological needs.
So, while technology has changed, as well as the vehicles via which we seek our instant gratification, the principles of it have been around for centuries.
Some might argue that there’s no harm then in seeking out quick dopamine hits, even if the content we are consuming via social media channels is, shall we say, often lacking in intellectual worth.
Online Casinos and the Pursuit of Instant Gratification
Online casinos have leaned into that phenomenon for a number of years. What’s interesting about this niche is that slot games have their RTP – Return to Player – rate, which reveals how often a player can expect to win.
There’s never been a slot game with an RTP in excess of 100%; they typically sit in the 85-98% range. Table games like blackjack and roulette also have a house edge built into them.
The upshot? Most players are aware that they are likely to lose when playing any of these casino games, but they keep coming back for more anyway.
And that’s a notion with which Freud himself would have no doubt had a field day with.
Seeking Dopamine Hits… Safely
The good news is that the gambling industry is acutely aware of its responsibility to help people seek out rapid gratification in a safe way, ensuring that their welfare and their financial health is protected.
In many jurisdictions around the world, casino sites have to adhere to strict licensing conditions. Among these is the demand for ‘responsible gambling’ tools and messaging, which can help to keep those hunting for instant gratification safe.
Online casinos allow players to limit their activity on a website or app; be it the length of time that they play for, or the amount that they are able to deposit and/or wager within specific timeframes.
It’s a model that helps to protect people from their innate ‘pleasure principle’ ideals, while allowing them to enjoy their favorite games – whether that is hinged on the dopamine hit of winning a blackjack hand or hitting a win on the slots, or not.
These casino platforms didn’t make us addicted to instant gratification; that impulse has been there for centuries already.
Training Yourself to Resist Instant Pleasure
A positive takeaway thought? There’s increasing scientific evidence to suggest that we can all ‘hack’ our brains, slowing down our thinking and in turn combatting our innate need for instant pleasure. We can act with more rationality and conservatism, which in turn may just help us to make better decisions.
Practice by putting your phone down for ten minutes, turning it upside down so that you can’t see the screen and the notifications upon it. Then treat yourself to a five-minute browse of your device.
Then, put it down for 15 minutes. Repeat this process until you can go a whole hour without seeking your instant dopamine hit. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to reverse your desire for immediate gratification.
