The negative effects of alcohol on the ability to gamble profitably

Enjoying your free time is vital. People work hard and the opportunity to enjoy a break and relax is always welcome. For many, relaxation is turning on the computer and playing a bit of online gambling, and for many this is often accompanied by a couple of drinks.

So, how can alcohol affect the outcome of gambling? First of all, it should be noted that while a small amount of alcohol is unlikely to cause an adverse effect, people are very surprised to find that their judgement can quickly deteriorate after just a couple of drinks.

In fact, a single drink or a couple of glasses of wine is often enough to impair a person’s judgement to such an extent that their ability to reason quickly and make good choices is compromised.

This was demonstrated by a recent study in Amsterdam, where three groups of people: a control group who were given no alcohol, a group who were given a small amount of alcohol, and another group who received enough alcohol to become intoxicated were tested with a computer programme that included their quick reaction to an arrow appearing on a screen.

Those who had no alcohol in their blood had an error rate of about 5%, those who had consumed a small amount of alcohol had an error rate of 19.8% and those who were intoxicated had the same error rate.

This simple experiment showed not only that a small amount of alcohol can impair reactions and the ability to assess situations, but also that a person is not even aware of making mistakes while under the influence of alcohol.

As for gambling, this has somewhat disturbing consequences. When playing a game such as blackjack or video poker, which involves a relatively high degree of strategy and the ability to think clearly about which move to make next, any significant decline in the ability to do so is likely to lead to worse results.

The net result of losing more at the table means it’s worth your money.

However, this is not the only way alcohol affects the player while gambling. Even when playing a slot machine, the ability to reason and judge what is best in any scenario can be compromised.

At first glance, this seems illogical, given that slots are random processes that the player has no control over. However, there are aspects to the game, such as deciding whether or not to play, where the player may feel more brave to take the riskier option, which of course means that they are more likely to lose money.

Another aspect to consider with gambling and alcohol is how alcohol lowers inhibitions and makes you make bad decisions that you regret after sobering up.

When sober, most people understand that they have a certain budget for gambling, and most gamblers can operate normally within those limits without any problems.

However, when even a ‘reasonable’ gambler has had a bit to drink, their judgement may be so impaired that they may make rash financial decisions.