Rolling the dice, cranking a slot machine, betting at the racetrack – the allure of winning it big can entice even the casual gambler. But the odds of winning are not in our favor.
Marlboro College professor emeritus Joseph Mazur has long been fascinated with gambling and he’s written a new book that takes account of its history, mathematics, and psychology. It’s called What’s Luck Got to Do with It? The History, Mathematics, and Psychology of the Gambler’s Illusion.
He spoke with VPR’s Jane Lindholm about what drives people to risk it all.