We were talking about Parkinson's on a hike yesterday and it made me think about the things I've read about the dopamine connection with gambling. The November 2013 http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...d-to-gambling/ article by Ferris Jabr talks about it:
Quote:
Over the decades researchers noticed that a remarkably high number of Parkinson's patients—between 2 and 7 percent—are compulsive gamblers. Treatment for one disorder most likely contributes to another. To ease symptoms of Parkinson's, some patients take levodopa and other drugs that increase dopamine levels. Researchers think that in some cases the resulting chemical influx modifies the brain in a way that makes risks and rewards—say, those in a game of poker—more appealing and rash decisions more difficult to resist.
If we regulate online poker in California then the data will help protect addicts. This is because online histories of gains and losses are better tracked than brick and mortar histories involving cash. California's efforts are discussed:
Quote:
Around the U.S.—particularly in California—casinos are taking gambling addiction seriously. Marc Lefkowitz of the California Council on Problem Gambling regularly trains casino managers and employees to keep an eye out for worrisome trends, such as customers who spend increasing amounts of time and money gambling. He urges casinos to give gamblers the option to voluntarily ban themselves..
