Illusion of control

What is it?

The illusion of control thinking trap involves the belief that you have skills, abilities or strategies that increase your chance of winning. Or that you get better at gambling with practice…

Why is it a problem?

This belief increases our feelings of control over gambling outcomes that are essentially out of our control. This thinking trap therefore makes it more likely that we will bet higher amounts of money than we should.

What’s the real story?

All gambling outcomes are determined by chance. Experience and skill don’t make a difference as all gambling activities, even those that you think involve skill, are games of chance. But gambling activities often ask you to have some “active” role that increases your belief that you can personally control the chance of winning.

What are some alternative thoughts?

So now we need to identify some alternative thoughts. Choose the one that works best for you …