This paper examines the risk factors associated with problematic sports betting, highlighting the demographic, behavioral, and cognitive variables that increase vulnerability. According to Russell, Hing, and Browne (2019), young men who bet frequently, engage in multiple forms of gambling, or speak a language other than English are among the most at-risk groups.
The study found that bettors who gamble for money, experience erroneous cognitions, or exhibit strong gambling urges and alcohol-related issues are more likely to develop gambling problems. These findings underscore how perceived skill, emotional triggers, and impulsive behavior combine to create illusionary control and interpretive biases — key cognitive distortions driving problem gambling.
Limiting sports betting to events one genuinely enjoys watching can help reduce risk, while interventions should specifically target younger men engaged in diverse and frequent gambling activities.
Key Ideas
1. Prevalence and demographic risk
- Around 41% of monthly sports bettors report one or more gambling-related problems.
- Demographic risk factors include being young, male, single, educated, and employed or studying full-time.
- Distal factors — such as younger age, male gender, and speaking a language other than English — heighten susceptibility.
2. Behavioral and situational risks
Behavioral patterns play a major role in gambling harm:
- Frequent betting and higher expenditure correlate with increased risk.
- Multiple modes of access (online, mobile, in-person) and engagement in other gambling forms add further exposure.
- Impulse betting and in-play betting are disproportionately common among problem gamblers.
- Betting with credit cards, operator credit, or payday loans significantly increases financial and emotional risk.
3. Emotional and motivational factors
Many bettors are motivated by emotional and social drivers, including:
- Excitement and adrenaline rush
- Perceived expertise or “knowledge of the sport”
- Financial gain or ego enhancement
- Boredom and ease of access
- Social bonding and group belonging
For many young men, sports betting functions as a form of social acceptance, linking emotional gratification with peer validation and identity.
4. Cognitive distortions and illusions of control
A key risk factor is erroneous cognition, where bettors overestimate their skill or control. Common distortions include:
- Illusion of control — believing one’s expertise or intuition can predict outcomes.
- Interpretive bias — selectively remembering wins and discounting losses.
- Gambling-related expectancies — overvaluing betting as a source of success or recognition.
These beliefs reinforce overconfidence and persistence in risky gambling, especially when coupled with money-oriented motivations and low self-control.
5. Self-control, urges, and comorbidities
- High gambling urges and low self-control are strong predictors of problem gambling.
- Alcohol misuse and high expenditure further increase risk.
- Individuals seeking ego validation through betting success are especially vulnerable to harm.
Research suggests that higher-risk bettors often externalize responsibility, attributing losses to luck or external factors rather than self-regulation.
6. Protective behaviors and interventions
- Limiting betting to events of genuine interest can reduce impulsive play and emotional detachment.
- Targeted preventive interventions should focus on younger male bettors who gamble across multiple platforms.
- Addressing cognitive distortions and teaching self-regulation can significantly reduce long-term gambling-related harm.
Selected Insights
- “41% of monthly sports bettors experience one or more gambling problems.”
- “Young, male, single, educated, and employed individuals are at the highest risk.”
- “Impulse and in-play betting are more common among problem gamblers.”
- “Erroneous cognitions such as illusion of control and interpretive bias increase vulnerability.”
- “Limiting betting to events one truly enjoys can lower the likelihood of problematic play.”
Academic Reference
Russell, A., Hing, N., & Browne, M. (2019). Risk Factors for Gambling Problems Specifically Associated with Sports Betting. Journal of Gambling Studies, 35.
External References
- Armstrong, A. R., & Carroll, M. (2017). Gambling participation, expenditure and risk of harm in Australia, 1997–1998 and 2010–2011. Journal of Gambling Studies, 33(3), 685–704.
- Braverman, J., & Shaffer, H. J. (2012). How do gamblers start gambling: Identifying behavioural markers for high-risk internet gambling. European Journal of Public Health, 22(2), 273–278.
- Fang, X., & Mowen, J. C. (2013). Examining the antecedents of risky behaviors among young people in the United States and China. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 30(3), 238–247.
- Gainsbury, S. M., Russell, A., Hing, N., Wood, R., Lubman, D., & Blaszczynski, A. (2013). How risky is internet gambling? New Media & Society, 15(5), 668–689.
- Gainsbury, S. M., Russell, A. M. T., & Hing, N. (2015). An investigation of social casino gaming among land-based and internet gamblers. Computers in Human Behavior, 45, 228–235.
- Hing, N., Gainsbury, S., & Russell, A. (2016). Interactive Gambling. In Williams, R. J., Wood, R. T., & Parke, J. (Eds.), Routledge International Handbook of Internet Gambling. Routledge.