Is the lighting in casinos and on gambling apps making gambling addiction worse?
New research from Flinders University in Australia suggests that a mechanism called circadian photoreception—the body’s non-visual response to light—could exacerbate problem gambling.
Nature’s Scientific Reports journal published the study. Researchers examined participants’ financial decisions using a series of gambling scenarios under blue-enriched and blue-depleted light.
They designed the study to assess the impact of light wavelengths on risk preferences.
“We found that light with more blue wavelengths in it, which is frequently emitted by LED screens and casino lighting, could subtly influence how people perceive losses and gains,” Dr. Alicia Lander, lead author from FHMRI Sleep Health, said in June 2025.
Researchers acknowledged that the study’s sample size of 15 adults was small.
They said more research is needed on the relationship between casino app lighting and gambling risk.
Tangentially, the findings bolster other research showing that gambling can disrupt sleep.
Blue Light & Chasing Losses
The study investigated whether circadian photoreception affects risk-taking gambling behavior through manipulating the “melanopic” brightness of light.
The results showed that participants exposed to blue-enriched light became less sensitive to losses. Thus, they were more likely to choose risky financial options.
Chasing losses is a common behavior in problem gambling. Worryingly, casino app lighting could fuel this destructive behavior in many users.
“Typically, people have a strong tendency to avoid losses, often outweighing potential gains in their decision-making,” Lander said.
“However, under blue-enriched light that stimulates non-visual circadian photoreceptors, they demonstrated a reduced sensitivity to financial losses that may influence gambling tendencies, potentially encouraging riskier behaviors.
“Under conditions where the lighting emitted less blue, people tended to feel a $100 loss much more strongly than a $100 gain — the loss just feels worse.
“But under bright, blue-heavy light such as that seen in casino machines, the $100 loss didn’t appear to feel as bad, so people were more willing to take the risk.”
The casino app lighting on smartphones appears to be working for the online betting industry.
More than 70% of “regular” online bettors in Australia experience harm, according to a report from the Australian Gambling Research Centre.
What Casino Lighting Does to Your Brain
The study suggests that blue light alters neural processing in brain regions tied to reward and decision-making. Specifically, these regions include the amygdala and habenula.
Modern casinos, gambling machines, and smartphone gambling apps use blue-heavy LED displays.
Senior researcher Sean Cain said that as online gambling continues to surge, reducing blue light exposure could be a strategy to mitigate compulsive gambling.
“Our study provides new insights into how light influences decision-making in financial risk scenarios and raises important ethical considerations.
“Under light with more blue wavelengths, people may be less able to accurately judge risk and reward due to a decreased cognitive sensitivity to loss,” Cain said.
As the researchers noted, more study of casino app lighting is needed.
Related Content:
Australia Sports Betting Study: 70% Of ‘Regular’ Gamblers Harmed
Why Can’t I Sleep After Sports Gambling?
Is Sports Gambling Bad For Your Heart Health?
Why Do Sports Bettors Gamble Until They Lose?
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