Gambling for money can produce a “high” similar to alcohol or drugs and may be just as addictive, say German researchers in a recent issue of Biological Psychiatry.

“Physiological responses to gambling enhance mood, and winning has the ability to produce a euphoric state,” according to a research team from Germany who studied the responses of 10 men playing blackjack at a casino.

When playing for money, the men’s heart rate and hormonal secretions rose considerably more than when they played the same game without betting. That release of hormones, producing a “rush” of excitement, could explain how people repeat the process and become addicted to gambling, the researchers note.

— AARP Bulletin