How Does Your Personality Type Affect Your Gambling Habits?

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BetMGM Jun 14, 2023, 12:12 PM

Have you ever considered your personality type and how it might affect the way you play online casino games? Research suggests that there is often a connection between a person’s personality and their gambling habits, their behaviors while gambling and the types of games they like to play. Uncovering these patterns within yourself could lead to better outcomes and a more rewarding recreational gambling experience. After all, knowledge is power — and self-knowledge is power over self. Take a closer look.

How To Establish Your Personality Type

People often refer to zodiac signs for personality traits, while there are various other tools and theories on which to investigate themselves. One such tool is the Enneagram test and its nine temperaments. Another uses the four humors of ancient Greek mythology. Many personality tests ask a series of questions about yourself, but there are no right or wrongs in your appraisal and you can choose what you feel works best for you. The numbers, letters or symbols in terms of which an assessment might describe are called your dominant traits. These assessments are mostly based on psychological theories and if you took a variety of tests, you would probably find the same dominant characteristics. One of the most popular personality tests is the evidence-based Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator, which separates four personalities into four types.

The Relationship Between Personality Type and Gambling

Essentially, the four Myers-Briggs personalities talk about the relationship between a person’s personality type and their attitude towards playing casino games.

The analysts make decisions based on logic instead of emotions. Analysts prefer strategy games such as blackjack and poker rather than luck-based games.

The diplomats also exhibit intuition but are more inclined to make decisions based on how they feel, rather than what they think. They enjoy the occasional gamble because of the inherent thrill it has for them and are often drawn towards traditional casino games such as baccarat and roulette.

The sentinels are the least likely to enjoy gaming as they want to be organized, systemic and responsible. Sentinel characteristics are sensing and judging. They process thoughts using their senses instead of what they feel. Their judging characteristic sees them acting on an organized plan instead of improvising.

The explorers are defined by their senses and what they perceive. As explorers are more impulsive and bolder than other personalities, they enjoy taking risks and they are more drawn to chance-based online casino games such as online slots.

Personality Traits of a Gambler

So, what type of casino gamer are you? Do you play casino games regularly or just dip into them occasionally for fun? Maybe you enjoy the social aspect of a night out at the local casino, meeting regulars and enjoying the fun of slots or joining the more serious strategists playing poker or blackjack. Maybe you prefer the convenience of playing online slots or having a session of table games with a live dealer online. It’s worth asking yourself these questions. Once you’ve discovered your personal gaming traits, you might even improve your game. To get you started, here’s how the main gambling personality types break down.

Professional Gamblers

Professional and would-be professional gamblers know how to get along with other players both online and in brick-and-mortar casinos. They are also smart in managing their finances and capitalize on everything they’ve learned about casino games. Their decisions are calculated and accurate, while they prefer skilled games like poker and blackjack to jackpot slots. Professionals don’t like surprises and rely greatly on awareness, patience, perseverance, stability, methodology and betting systems. They accept their losses like a quarterly loss of earnings, something to take note of and improve on.

Conservative Gamblers

Conservative gamers are amateurs who play mainly for fun. They don’t spend much money, but they play for the fun and experience of gambling. They generally play games other people choose and may imitate winning moves. Conservative gamblers are usually found playing at low-stake tables or machines. When they win, they stop playing and take their winnings home. Despite their conservative habits, they will try most types of games, from the ever-popular slots to video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette or even baccarat, for the thrill of trying something new.

Escapists

Escapist gamblers see gambling as a means of getting relief when loneliness, boredom or depression take over their lives. Escapists are quite dedicated to their games and become quite experienced. However, when their issues are resolved through professional treatment for their depression or their lifestyles change, they stop gambling and don’t return to it.

Social Gamblers

Casual social gamblers thrive on social interaction and are often found at racetracks, where they can socialize on a grand scale while making bets. They like to flirt with luck and may regularly play the lottery or indulge in other kinds of sports betting. Occasionally they may go to a brick-and-mortar casino for the fun of it and play roulette, craps and baccarat. This type of gambler keeps gambling at the bottom of the list of priorities.

Then there are serious social gamblers for whom gambling is their major source of fun. Although they gamble a lot, they keep their habits in check. However, they don’t keep away from slots and table games. Serious social gamblers do not like to ruin their reputations by allowing gambling to take over their lives, but they are susceptible to turning into compulsive gamblers if they don’t curb themselves properly.

Type A Gamblers

Type A personality gamblers are ambitious, aggressive and highly competitive. They like to win at all costs and often play for high stakes at poker tables. They are experts in taking advantage of their opponents, come from all walks of life and tend to have colorful personalities.

Compulsive Gamblers

Compulsive gamblers are the most at risk of becoming pathological gamers who play to relieve some kind of pain, irrespective of wins. They usually end up doing illegal acts to fund their addiction. To resolve their addiction, compulsive gamblers need professional treatment for their disorder.

Keeping a Healthy Balance

As you can see from these descriptions, some personality types thrive on gambling, others are in it just for fun and others still have a deeply unhealthy relationship with casino games. These players need to get help. If you’re a professional gambler, the state of your finances will indicate whether you need help or not. If you’re an average conservative or social recreational player, you’ll know how to keep a healthy balance. It’s the escapists and compulsive gamblers who should seriously consider contacting a professional to address the personality issues at the root of their gambling problem.

Play It Straight With Casino Games at BetMGM

Whether you’re a professional gambler or a recreational player, you’ll find games to suit your tastes at BetMGM. Register to experience a broad range of online casino games, ranging from engaging online slots to casino table games such as blackjack, baccarat and roulette in both single-player and live dealer versions. If you’re a poker player, the poker site has you covered. Sports betting? You bet. Practically every code is on the mobile app. so get your game on at BetMGM.

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Our BetMGM editors and authors are sports experts with a wealth of knowledge of the sports industry at all levels. Their coverage includes sports news, previews and predictions, fun facts, and betting.

Our BetMGM editors and authors are sports experts with a wealth of knowledge of the sports industry at all levels. Their coverage includes sports news, previews and predictions, fun facts, and betting.