Gambling Activates Dopamine Into Nucleus Accumbens of Brain

What causes some people to become compulsive gamblers?

Dr. Stephen Strakowski, Director of Psychiatry at UC Health, may have the answer.

He tells Cincinnati’s WCPO, “There's a part of the brain, deep inside the brain, the nucleus accumbens, responsible for reward processing."

Dr. Strakowski says addictions may develop because of deficiences in this reward center.

"Gambling, video games, Internet, they all activate segments of the brain that launch something called dopamine into the nucleus accumbens, that tells your brain, this is potentially rewarding."

The problem is made worse by the vast number of gambling ads, WCPO notes in its report.

WCPO’s own Carol Williams points out that these ads are often seductive and prime for setting off dopamine.

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com