Examining the effects of online sports betting on the perceived economic wellbeing of student-athletes

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of online sports betting on the perceived economic wellbeing of student-athletes using the regression analysis with an interaction effect used to test the effect of demographic variables on the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Correlation analysis was used to test the relationship between independent variables. The findings reveal that there was a positive and significant association3 between gambling severity and economic wellbeing. The study revealed that students’ sports bet online with large amounts of money to get the feeling of excitement. Sports betting leads to overspending which can disrupt home life to such an extent that it has some social effects such as the break-up of families. Sometimes due to sports betting the only deceptive course of action that seems to remain too often may lead the bettor to commit suicide.

Investigating the effects of online sports betting on the perceived social wellbeing of student athletes

This study investigates the effects of online sports betting on the perceived social wellbeing of student-athletes using a cross-sectional survey methodology with a sample of 38 universities. Findings of the study demonstrate that (i) there was a positive and significant association between gambling severity and social wellbeing, (ii) gambling severity and social wellbeing of students are positively and significantly related, (iii) demographic factors have a significant interaction effect on gambling severity and social wellbeing relationship. This paper also exhibited that gamblers were disappointed after online sports betting efforts and that fatigue and sleep disturbances were common after a loss or victory on online sports betting. Problem gamblers should be introduced to treatment or rehabilitation programmes that will help them to overcome their addiction to online sports betting.

Changes to the playing field: A contemporary study of actual European online sports betting

Background and aimsOnline sports wagering is a popular and still growing gambling activity around the world. Like other types of gambling, it can lead to problems that include devastating financial, social, and health-related harms. The first analysis of actual online sports wagering activity (LaBrie et al., 2007) suggested that levels of financial and time involvement were more moderate than anticipated from earlier self-report studies. However, these findings are now more than a decade old.MethodsThe current study examined actual online sports wagering activity of a similar cohort of 32,262 gamblers who subscribed to a European online betting platform in February 2015 to understand how sports betting might have changed in ten years. Measures included subscriber characteristics, betting activities, and transactional activities.ResultsPlayers placed a median of 15 bets during the 8-month study period, made a median of 2.5 bets per betting day, had a median bet size of 6.1 euros, and experienced a median net loss of 25 euros. We were able to distinguish highly involved bettors in the top 2% of total wagered, net loss, and number of bets, whose behavior differed from that of the rest of the sample.Discussion and ConclusionsSports wagering behavior has remained relatively stable over time despite legislative changes and an increase in popularity, with a small subset of subscribers exhibiting disproportionately high engagement, transactional activity, and in-game betting. Further investigation of individual trajectories of wagering behavior and engagement with different types of sports wagering products is merited.

Tipsters and Addiction in Spain. Young People’s Perception of Influencers on Online Sports Gambling

This research analyzes young people’s perception of the presence of tipsters as influencers on online sports gambling and whether their presence can promote addiction to this activity. To achieve this goal, we designed a questionnaire that was administered to young people in public universities in Madrid, being answered by 1032 individuals, out of whom 613 claimed to be regular bettors. We proceeded to the factor analysis of the variables with a high or very high correlation, and results showed that young people perceive a clear relationship between gambling and addiction. An even more enlightening aspect is the result that links tipsters with addiction to online sports gambling; young people’s perception correlates both concepts with extraordinary strength. This study’s main conclusion makes it clear that there is a huge amount of influence of tipsters on the world of online sports betting, as well as the risk of marrying these two concepts, since young people perceive that either they or others could be initiated into the world of problem gambling.

Current Addiction in Youth: Online Sports Betting

Background: Gambling landscape has changed in recent years with the emergence of online gambling (OG). Greater accessibility and availability of this betting modality can increase the risk of developing a gambling disorder (GD). Online sports betting (OSB) is currently the most common type of OG, but little is known about the clinical characteristics of OSB compared to slot-machine (SM) gamblers, the most common offline gambling disorder.Methods: This was a prospective study conducted between October 2005 and September 2019, and included outpatients diagnosed with GD seen in a Pathological Gambling and Behavioral Addictions referral unit. Only patients with OSB and SM disorders were included. The main objective was to assess the clinical profile of OSB compared to SM gamblers, and to define clinical predictors for developing OSB gambling disorder. Logistic regression was performed to determine the effects of variables on the likelihood of this disorder.Results: Among 1,186 patients attended in our Unit during the study period, 873 patients were included; 32 (3.7%) were OSB gamblers and 841 (96.3%) were SM gamblers. Overall, mean age was 45 ± 13 years and 94.3% were men. Compared to SM patients, OSB patients were younger (34.9 ± 9.5 vs. 45.3 ±13), more frequently single (43.8 vs. 20.6%) and had a university education level (43.8 vs. 4.5%); they were also more frequently non-smokers (18.7 vs. 66.7%) and had fewer psychiatric comorbidities (12.5 vs. 29.4%) than SM gamblers. GD duration before treatment initiation was shorter in OSB patients than in SM gamblers, most of them (81.3 vs. 42.4%) with ≤ 5 years of GD duration. OSB gamblers showed significant differences in weekly gambling expenditure, spending higher amounts than SM patients. Younger age (OR: 0.919; 95% CI: 0.874–0.966), university education level (OR: 10.658; 95% CI: 3.330–34.119), weekly expenditure >100€ (OR: 5.811; 95% CI:1.544–21.869), and being a non-smoker (OR:13.248; 95% CI:4.332–40.517) were associated with an increased likelihood of OSB gambling behavior.Conclusions: We identified different profiles for OSB and SM gamblers. Younger age, university education level, higher weekly expenditure, and non-smoking habit were associated with OSB compared to SM disorders. Prevention strategies should help young people become aware of the severe risks of OSB.

A Thematic Analysis of Sports Bettors’ Perceptions of Sports Betting Marketing Strategies in the UK

In the UK and other countries in the world, the volume of gambling advertisements is increasing, as is the popularity of online sports betting. While there is increasing research examining the content of such advertising, there is little research examining what gamblers themselves think about such advertising. Consequently, the aim of the present study was to firstly, explore the attitudes and opinions of sports bettors in response to marketing techniques used by the gambling industry and secondly, explore the perceived impact advertising has on their sports betting behavior. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 19 UK sports bettors aged between 21 and 32 years old. Thematic analysis (TA) was used to analyze the transcripts. The analysis identified three main themes: (i) “temptation to gamble,” (ii) “promotion characteristics of gambling,” and (iii) “regulating gambling advertising.” Each theme consisted of two or three subthemes that illustrated the underlying factors that were perceived to be important aspects that contributed to the opinions and attitudes towards the advertising. Findings indicate that specific inducements including enhanced odds and “request-a-bet” promotions were perceived to increase feelings of control and reduce feelings of risk, in some cases resulting in the placing of impulsive bets. According to the participants, social media marketing was found to be intrusive and the frequency of gambling advertising contributed to the normalization of betting. The present study highlights the need for further research into the efficacy of current advertising regulations in the UK, with the end goal of minimizing gambling-related harm.

Changes to the Playing Field: A Contemporary Study of Actual Online Sports Betting

Online sports wagering is a popular and still growing gambling activity around the world. Like other types of gambling, it can lead to problems that include devastating financial, social, and health-related harms. The first analysis of actual online sports wagering activity (LaBrie, LaPlante, Nelson, Schumann, & Shaffer, 2007) suggested that levels of financial and time involvement were more moderate than anticipated from earlier survey studies. However, these findings are now more than a decade old. The current study examined actual online sports wagering activity of a similar cohort of 32,262 online gamblers from 2015 to understand how sports betting might have changed in ten years. Measures included subscriber characteristics, betting activities, and transactional activities. Online sports wagering behavior was similar to what was found a decade ago, with the majority of subscribers exhibiting modest to moderate, and a small subset exhibiting disproportionately high engagement, transactional activity, and in-game betting. These findings suggest that further investigation of individual trajectories of sports wagering behavior and engagement with different types of sports wagering products is merited.