Entrepreneurs on Fire How Gambling Robs and Affects Your Productivity with Hugo Vrsalovic
Jan 5, 2026
Hugo Vrsalovic, a creator and podcaster dedicated to helping gamblers and alcoholics, shares profound insights on addiction. He emphasizes that true recovery requires addressing emotional issues rather than just intellectual analysis. Gambling, marketed as entertainment, actually tricks the brain into harmful highs, much like drugs. Hugo also highlights the manipulative tactics of the gambling industry and offers practical steps for recovery, including building small wins and using tools to boost natural happiness hormones.
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Emotional Work Beats Rationalization
- You cannot outthink an emotional issue; intellectual analysis alone won't heal trauma or addiction.
- True recovery requires doing emotional work, not just mental rationalization.
Gambling Is Branded As Entertainment
- The gambling industry deliberately frames gambling as harmless entertainment to normalize it.
- That marketing minimizes perceived risk while increasing participation and harm over time.
Gambling Creates A False High
- Gambling lights up the brain like a stimulant, similar to cocaine, creating a false high.
- That false identity makes gamblers believe they're doing something productive for money when they're usually losing.