Playing the Odds
For the vast majority of adults, casino gambling is a perfectly safe and enjoyable hobby. But two to three percent of gamblers will develop a gambling problem. And, as Lesley Stahl reported this week on the "60 Minutes" broadcast, the increased speed of modern slot machines can make players more vulnerable to gambling addiction.
With The New York Times reporting that Americans drop more than $1 billion a day into slot machines, "60 Minutes Overtime" decided to ask addiction expert Dr. Petros Levounis about what's happening in the brains of gamblers. What we learned was eye-opening. Be aware, your brain is not always your best friend when it comes to playing the odds!