Does the Physical Act of Placing a Bet Matter? App vs Desktop vs In-Person

[Klaus]

Cash payment activates pain centers in brain (anterior insula).

Digital payment does not activate same regions.

Neurologically different experiences despite identical monetary value.

 

[FadeThePublic]

This is why casinos use chips instead of cash at tables.

Psychological distance from real money makes people bet more.

 

[ParlayPrincess_88]

Wait so betting apps are like designed to make you bet more??

 

[SharpEddie47]

Yes Princess. That's literally their business model.

Frictionless interface, instant gratification, gamification elements. All designed to increase betting frequency.

 

[DublinDegen]

yeah the apps are brutal... notifications about games starting... highlighted boosts... suggested bets... its all designed to make you keep betting... which is why i cant stop even though i know i should...

 

[CoachTony_Bets]

Conor have you tried deleting the apps and only using desktop?

 

[DublinDegen]

tried that... just downloaded them again... the phone access is too convenient... therapist said i should accept i like betting and just try to control how much... easier said than done though...

 

[TaffyTipster]

Mate that's rough.

But setting limits is something yeah?

 

[DublinDegen]

trying... not always successful but better than before...

 

[Klaus]

Harm reduction approach valid when abstinence unachievable.

Weekly deposit limits, session time limits, stake size limits all helpful.

 

[oli_sussex]

Self-exclusion features exist on apps. Mandatory cool-down periods between bets.

Worth exploring Conor.

 

[ParlayPrincess_88]

This got serious fast!

I was just asking about phones versus computers lol

 

[FadeThePublic]

Different topic but related Princess.

Interface design has real psychological impact on behavior.

 

[ThePuntingProf]

This is quite a fascinating discussion about the physicality of betting, when I began betting in the 1990s one had to physically visit a betting shop or telephone a bookmaker which created natural barriers to impulsive betting, the modern smartphone application removes all friction and creates what behavioral economists call a frictionless transaction environment which demonstrably increases consumption, I primarily use desktop computer for betting because it forces me to sit at my desk and engage with my spreadsheets and models, the ritual of opening Excel and reviewing my tracking data before placing bets serves as psychological checkpoint that prevents impulsive decisions, when I have attempted mobile betting I find myself placing wagers without proper analysis simply because the interface makes it so effortless, the physical act of sitting at one's desk and conducting research creates mental separation between casual thought and committed action.

 

[TaffyTipster]

Prof that's exactly what I meant about betting shops.

The physical act of going there makes you think twice.

 

[SharpEddie47]

Prof's point about ritual is important.

Creating physical barriers to betting - even arbitrary ones - improves decision quality.

 

[CoachTony_Bets]

I do something similar. Only bet from my home office, never from my phone in other rooms.

Creates geographic boundary that helps with discipline.

 

[Klaus]

Environmental design for behavioral modification.

Physical space dictating betting behavior. Effective harm reduction strategy.

 

[FadeThePublic]

You guys are making betting sound like a chemical dependency with all this talk about barriers and rituals.

 

[SharpEddie47]

Fade, for some people it is. Gambling addiction activates same brain pathways as substance addiction.