This Rat Casino Shows Us Why We Love to Gamble

A rat casino assembled by scientists from the University of British Columbia (UBC) have proven two things: that bright lights and sounds may cause us to engage in more addictive behavior, and that the release of dopamine is directly associated with risky gambling.

According to a paper published in the Journal of Neuroscience this week, the researchers set up a pseudo-gambling scenario for the 32 rats involved, with the rewards being sugary snacks instead of money. They then gave the rats an option of four choices to bet on, each with an increasing level of both risk and reward.

At the beginning the experiment, rats stuck with the low risk option, knowing that they could take home small rewards consistently without having to face the prospect of losing—a result that would net them a timeout period in which they received no treats.