Factors associated with in-play sports betting and related harms

In-play betting is a new form of sports betting that involves betting on specific sporting outcomes while a game is ongoing (e.g., which team will score the next goal). In-play betting may be associated with greater gambling-related harms. In this study, the researchers examined individual and contextual characteristics (e.g., gambling problems, impulsivity, and substance use while gambling), as well as motives associated with in-play sports betting. The researchers found that childhood trauma and impulsivity were associated with making more in-play bets. Additionally, people who drank alcohol and used cannabis while gambling were more likely to experience harms due to in-play betting. Problem gambling and other factors, such as coping motives, also increased the risk of harms due to in-play betting.

See the two-page plain language article summary Individual, contextual, and motivational factors associated with in-play sports betting and related harms in Greo's Evidence Centre.