While it may not be a literal addiction to losing

While it may not be a literal addiction to losing, the release of feel-good chemicals after a loss reinforces what may otherwise be interpreted as damaging behavior, pretty much short-circuiting the normal means of behavioral control. If a loss feels just as good as a pgslot win, theres less incentive to modify your behavior post-losing streak. A disturbing side note from this research may also be at play. When study participants believed they had a low chance of winning, their brains reacted to an unexpected even-money payout even stronger than when they won a jackpot with high confidence of winning overall. The chemical responsible is dopamine, a pathway infamous for requiring increasing amounts of stimulation to receive an equal reward.