Gambling research has long discussed the existence of an early big win effect. This theory suggests that after a person experiences a big gambling win, they eventually stop winning, start losing, and experience gambling-related harms. In this study, the researchers aimed to examine the existence of the big win effect among people who bet on sports online with a European operator. Consistent with prior research, the researchers found that experiencing a big win was associated with initial increased gambling engagement, risks, and losses. The effect declined over time. But the specific timing of a big win did not significantly affect future gambling behaviour. Thus, there was no strong evidence of an early big win as all big wins had a similar effect regardless of their timing.
