Playing online casino games can be an enjoyable experience; you can spend time with the thrill of potentially winning some money. But how can these experiences affect your physical and mental health?
Possible Addiction and Problem Gambling
The elephant room is that online gambling can lead to some severe problems with your mental health. The highs and endorphins feel so good when you win on a wager or bet, but the lows are crushingly bad. It’s the hope and desire to recreate that good time, but it comes at the cost of navigating the losses. When you don’t consider the losses and only think about your next bet without considering the financial implications (possibly entering debt), this is known as problem gambling, where you are addicted. If this sounds like you, you should seek professional help.
The financial perils shouldn’t be documented thoroughly as they are somewhat evident. Players can face severe issues if they gamble with money they cannot afford to lose. This leads to problems stemming well beyond the addiction, as unpaid rent or mortgage payments may lose the roof over their heads or going without food.
Unsurprisingly the industry has been encouraged to help these players and offer as many safeguards as they can, so for the “safest” experience, we recommend these online casinos where you can play for real money but also there are controls to make sure you don’t overstretch yourself.
Online Casinos Lack Real World Venue Benefits
While online casinos are very convenient, they also lack some benefits from the tangible venues. If gamblers travel to a live venue, there is a certain amount of movement in there – no matter how little, it will provide some cardio exercise, even if it is a short walk. Opening the app on your phone while sitting on the couch offers no fat-burning experience. This could be offset if the online casino players walk into their local area and then play on the app. Of course, this only works if they are based in locations with acclimatable and comfortable weather conditions.
In addition, going to a live venue will ensure you meet other people. You will be greeted by the receptionist, the barman, the dealer, and even your fellow players. This social experience has been tried to be replicated online, but it’s never the same.
Some Online Casino Games Might Improve Cognitive Ability
Some casino games require strategy and evaluation of rapidly changing landscapes. Poker is one of the best examples, as players must assess their hand (and its changing strength), the community cards that change everything, and how other players act around the table. While games like this have slightly different metrics online than their live-setting counterparts, they still require brain capacity. If played in moderation, these games can help stimulate cognitive ability.
Other games that require elements of cognitive ability are blackjack, craps, and any that require the player to make their own decisions. Contrastingly, games like slot machines, bingo, and roulette wheels are almost exclusively chance and are the most commonly played games.
Longer Sessions Can Lead to Health Issues
While online casino apps and sites offer advice on how long players should spend on the site (much like video games do), how many people do you think take notice and heed the advice? As such, those indulging in online casino activity can start to live a sedentary lifestyle. These games are designed to get you seated for a prolonged period, just swiping away. This keeps you stationary, which, in time, can lead to obesity, cardiovascular issues, and even musculoskeletal problems.
That doesn’t even begin to mention the issues that can be caused to one’s vision if they play these games excessively. More than enough data suggests that elongated screen time can damage several eye components. In turn, this can lead to impaired vision and even headaches. Given that online casinos are often used at night when people have finished work for the day, the strain on the eye is more significant because the surroundings are darker. In addition, those dark sessions late at night can become very troublesome as sleep patterns can become disrupted. In turn, this leads to fatigue and decreased cognitive ability.
Potential Social Help from Online Gambling
While it might sound like an alien concept to some, some people suffer from extremely high social anxiety. Conforming and communicating with people in the real world can be challenging without spiraling into a panic attack. Therefore, speaking and sharing ideas with people online can be handy tools for helping them socialize with like-minded people. The instant messaging and forum functions on some online casinos can offer a safe space for such people who also enjoy gambling to enhance their social abilities and, in theory, improve their mental health.
