Tilting is a state of frustration and irrationality that occurs when a person experiences repeated losses or strong negative emotions while gambling. When tilting happens, people may place riskier, higher odds bets or increase betting frequency. This study investigated whether people who bet on sports could be classified based on their tilting episodes and awareness of tilting. An online survey was completed by 225 adults in the United Kingdom. Three distinct groups of people who bet on sports were identified. The first group were “conscious tilters” who were aware of their own tilting episodes. They experienced tilting more frequently and had higher problem gambling severity. The second group were “unconscious tilters” who underestimated their tilting episodes. They were at moderate-risk of gambling-related harm. The third group were “non-tilters” because they had little to no tilting episodes. They were at low risk for gambling-related harm. These groups differed in terms of gambling frequency, impulsivity, and in-play product preferences.
