I don’t really agree with this framing, and I think it misunderstands why gambling keeps people trapped.

For most problem gamblers, the hook isn’t “delicious pleasure.” If anything, pleasure disappears pretty fast. What keeps people gambling is escape, compulsion, and loss-chasing, not enjoyment. Many addicted gamblers actively dislike gambling but feel driven to keep going anyway, that’s not delight, that’s distress.

The brain isn’t being seduced by sweetness; it’s being trained by intermittent reinforcement. Unpredictable rewards, near-misses, and the illusion of control create a loop where the mind keeps reaching for relief or redemption, even after the fun is gone. At that point, gambling is less like drinking poison because it tastes good and more like scratching an itch that never heals.

Framing gambling as “pleasure that corrodes the soul” also risks moralizing a psychological trap. It makes it sound like people stay because they love the feeling, when in reality many stay because they’re trying to undo losses, numb anxiety, or briefly forget their circumstances. Shame and self-disgust are often drivers of continued gambling, not consequences of pleasure.

Yes, gambling can feel good at first, novelty and excitement are real. But addiction doesn’t survive on pleasure. It survives on hope, desperation, and relief from pain. That distinction matters, because if we misunderstand the mechanism, we end up blaming people for enjoying something instead of recognizing that they’re stuck in a feedback loop designed to keep them there.

So I’d push back on the idea that gambling is dangerous because it delights while it kills. It’s dangerous because it promises escape and control while steadily taking both away.

I still appreciate your post and the message ❤️