Current Addiction in Youth: Online Sports Betting

Abstract

Background: Gambling landscape has changed in recent years with the emergence of online gambling (OG). Greater accessibility and availability of this betting modality can increase the risk of developing a gambling disorder (GD). Online sports betting (OSB) is currently the most common type of OG, but little is known about the clinical characteristics of OSB compared to slot-machine (SM) gamblers, the most common offline gambling disorder.Methods: This was a prospective study conducted between October 2005 and September 2019, and included outpatients diagnosed with GD seen in a Pathological Gambling and Behavioral Addictions referral unit. Only patients with OSB and SM disorders were included. The main objective was to assess the clinical profile of OSB compared to SM gamblers, and to define clinical predictors for developing OSB gambling disorder. Logistic regression was performed to determine the effects of variables on the likelihood of this disorder.Results: Among 1,186 patients attended in our Unit during the study period, 873 patients were included; 32 (3.7%) were OSB gamblers and 841 (96.3%) were SM gamblers. Overall, mean age was 45 ± 13 years and 94.3% were men. Compared to SM patients, OSB patients were younger (34.9 ± 9.5 vs. 45.3 ±13), more frequently single (43.8 vs. 20.6%) and had a university education level (43.8 vs. 4.5%); they were also more frequently non-smokers (18.7 vs. 66.7%) and had fewer psychiatric comorbidities (12.5 vs. 29.4%) than SM gamblers. GD duration before treatment initiation was shorter in OSB patients than in SM gamblers, most of them (81.3 vs. 42.4%) with ≤ 5 years of GD duration. OSB gamblers showed significant differences in weekly gambling expenditure, spending higher amounts than SM patients. Younger age (OR: 0.919; 95% CI: 0.874–0.966), university education level (OR: 10.658; 95% CI: 3.330–34.119), weekly expenditure >100€ (OR: 5.811; 95% CI:1.544–21.869), and being a non-smoker (OR:13.248; 95% CI:4.332–40.517) were associated with an increased likelihood of OSB gambling behavior.Conclusions: We identified different profiles for OSB and SM gamblers. Younger age, university education level, higher weekly expenditure, and non-smoking habit were associated with OSB compared to SM disorders. Prevention strategies should help young people become aware of the severe risks of OSB.

Global scientific production regarding behavioral addictions: An analysis of the literature from 1995 to 2019

“…In this regard, the main concern is how gambling as a “pastime” could become a real health problem with adverse impacts on psychological and social life and cause economic or even legal difficulties ( Ferrara et al, 2018 ). In this context, current specific problems related to gambling, such as sports betting, are causing real concerns in society ( Aragay et al, 2021 ).…”

“…For this reason, in our bibliometric analysis, we considered that an article could study more than one type of addiction. Following the example above of sports betting, evidence of how ITC-related disorders could connect with other addictive behaviors is provided by Riley et al ( Aragay et al, 2021 ), who studied therapies that address online mobile smartphone sports betting addiction. In any case, it seems obvious that the spread of the internet (following The World Bank, the percentage of internet use in the world population has increased from 0.049% in 1990 to 51.1% in 2019 ( The World Bank, 2021b )) has had an intense influence on our lives that has notably affected problematic behaviors.…”

Online sports betting in universities: Does online sports betting addictions impact the academic achievements and social relations of students?

“…According to a report by DataReportal, Ghana currently has over 23.05 million internet users representing 68.20% of the entire population as of January 2023 (Digital 2023: Ghana, 2023). Aragay et al (2021), Montiel et al (2021), and Petry and Gonzalez-Ibanez (2015) have also reported that children who are less than the legal betting age of 18 are keenly involved in this social canker. Recent research on sports betting addictions suggests that the effects of betting addictions on the educational gains of students have negative implications for the socio-economic development of nations, especially those from the developing world (Odame et al, 2021).…”

Family Demographics, Somatic Symptoms and Problem Gambling Among Students in a Nigerian Institution

“…[9] The most common form of gambling is online sports betting, while others include lucky numbers, card games, dice games and bowling. [3,17] Potentially, it is expected that with an increase in gambling, there would be an associated increase in disordered gambling. [18] Regardless of the prevalence, gambling disorder remains an underestimated and under-identified problem due to poor reporting, illiteracy and stigmatisation.…”