It is the desire to win that can be acted out in very different ways. While some, both in childhood and adolescence, want to prove to themselves that they can do it by solving puzzles, others need a rival – the opponent who can be defeated. And this phenomenon is not new either: while some are testing their mettle in the schoolyard in real life, others are entrenching themselves behind the game console – also with the desire to defeat their virtual rival.
In adulthood, victories become rarer. Between the demands of the working world and the tasks adults have to accomplish in the family on a daily basis, there is little time for the struggle to win. Everyday life, often characterized by stress and hectic activity at work or home, can be very monotonous at times. The chance to participate in competitions or the like is thus reduced to a minimum for many people. That Is where the betting offers on the Internet, such as from sportwetten24.com, at the racetracks, or in the local casinos come in just right. Unlike the former trial of strength in childhood and adolescence, however, in adulthood, everyone is free to decide whether or not to take on this challenge.
From a purely biological point of view, endorphins were suspected for a long time. These have always been regarded as “happiness hormones” and are released when people engage in sports. Far from it, lead now other scientists into the field. Since the feeling of happiness arises in the brain and not in the body, endorphins can therefore not be made responsible for it. They exist only in the blood – and not in the brain. Endocannabinoids, serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline are now suspected of triggering sport-related well-being.
How instructive is betting actually?
Of course, placing a betting tip can by no means be equated with one’s own sporting activity. But a look at the psychological pitfalls of sports betting could be instructive and have positive consequences – just like in sports.
Especially with sports betting, the risk of addiction is high
Yet sports betting has become widespread, especially since online betting providers came into existence. In 2018, 8.8 billion euros were bet in Germany alone, twice as much as five years earlier. Whether it is soccer, tennis, curling, chess, the Champions League, or youth soccer in Myanmar: almost any time there’s organized sports somewhere in the world, you can bet on it on the Internet. Not on some dubious platforms, but with large, well-known providers: Tipico, Bwin, betway. Of the 18 German first-division soccer clubs, only one does not have a betting provider as a premium sponsor. Famous personalities like Oliver Kahn are the faces of the providers. And they are everywhere. Whether on TV, in online articles, or in the stadium, fans can no longer consume soccer without being constantly confronted with ads for sports betting.