Gambling as a Form of Catharsis
According to the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, the concept of catharsis is defined as "the attainment of insight through the powerful release of emotions." In one of his most well-known works, the Poetics, where he describes what he perceives what the ideal dramatic tragedy should be, he states that a good tragedy should be able to help a person gain catharsis, and that in the play itself, the protagonist should also experience a catharsis; which consequently, often leads to the resolution of the drama's conflict.
In a manner of speaking, while the act of gambling is quite different from writing, producing, or even being in the audience of a play, gambling can also be considered a form of catharsis. Of course, in Aristotle's definition of what a catharsis is, a person should always attain some sort of insight in the process of releasing their pent-up emotion, but nowadays, a catharsis is often defined as nothing more than a powerful emotional release.
Gambling, whether it be in the casino, the race track, sports betting, or even an informal wager between a certain number of people or groups, involves risk. When a person gambles, they wager something of value -usually something of material value, like money- on the results of an event or an activity with an unpredictable outcome, with the intention of gaining something of greater value as well. A person's predictions on the outcome are proven to be wrong, the object or amount of money that they had wagered is considered forfeit. This is true, regardless of the gambling game in question; whether it be a game of Texas Hold'em, roulette, blackjack, or even at the slot machine.
In a lot of cases, if a person wins, there is a great rush of relief as they realize that they do not have to give up what they had initially put at stake. There is also exhilaration at the realization that they have won something that is perhaps of exponential value. Victory can bring a person up to great emotional highs. Conversely, a loss can drag a person to the depths of despair; or at the very least, discourage them as they realize that they have lost what they had put in. This is especially true if the stakes are high -both for victory and for defeat. Whatever the case may be, whether the stakes are high or low, unless a person is truly indifferent to whether or not they win or lose, they often go through some variant of these emotions. Gambling offers a person a glimpse at pure emotion; it takes them through a lot of highs and lows, and it offers people a chance for true catharsis.