Young men’s beliefs about the risks associated with sports betting

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Author(s): Nyemcsok, Christian ; Pitt, Hannah ; Kremer, Peter ; Thomas, Samantha L.

Journal: BMC Public Health

Year Published: 2022

Date Added: July 20, 2022

Sports betting has become a popular form of online gambling. Young men might be particularly vulnerable to harm associated with sports betting. This study explored young men’s beliefs about the risks associated with sports betting. The authors interviewed 16 young men from Australia who were between 18 and 24 years. They identified four key themes related to young men’s risk beliefs about sports betting. The themes included: 1) the role of early experiences; 2) the influence of peer rivalry and competition; 3) the normalization of gambling; and 4) the influence of perceptions of knowledge, skill, and control.

Citation: Nyemcsok, C., Pitt, H., Kremer, P., & Thomas, S. L. (2022). Young men’s perceptions about the risks associated with sports betting: A critical qualitative inquiry. BMC Public Health, 22, 867. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13164-2

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13164-2

Keywords: men ; perceptions ; public health ; risk ; risk factors ; sports betting ; young adults

Topics: Cultural Factors ; Gambling Cognitions ; Public Health ; Sports Betting

Conceptual Framework Factors: Gambling Types ; Cultural - Gambling Cultures ; Cultural - Gender ; Cultural Factors ; Resources - Harm Reduction, Prevention, and Protection ; Social - Social Demographics ; Psychological - Lifespan Development ; Psychological - Judgement and Decision Making ; Social Factors

Study Design: Qualitative: Grounded Theory

Geographic Coverage: Australia, Victoria

Study Population: A total of 16 young men, aged 18 to 24 years, who engaged in sports betting at least monthly participated. The average age was 21 years. Most lived at home with a parent or guardian. Most completed high school. About 75% of participants were employed full time. Scores on the PGSI showed a range of gambling risk profiles, including ‘non-problem’ ‘low-risk’, ‘moderate-risk’, and ‘problem gambling.’

Sampling Procedure: The participants were invited to participate through convenience and snowball sampling strategies. To do this, the researchers asked community organizations to distribute study information to their networks, including tertiary education providers, local councils, community sporting clubs, and gambling advocacy and support groups. The researchers did not specifically look to recruit young men who experienced harm associated with sports betting. The researchers also used purposive sampling. This was done to invite participants who mostly engaged in sports betting but also engaged with other forms of gambling.

Study Funding:

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.