Mapping Internet Gambling: Emerging Modes of Online Participation in Wagering and Sports Betting

Abstract

Participation in gambling online has to date been largely regarded under homogenising terms such as 'interactive gambling' or 'e-gambling'. This article explores different modes of participation gambling in the online environment, seeking to begin a process of better understanding some of the factors that construct distinguishable populations of online gamblers and distinct experiences of gambling online. The article commences with a brief overview of the internet, commenting on the apparent suitability of commercial gambling products for the development of successful online business models. Social and institutional factors constraining various modes of online participation in gambling are briefly outlined in relation to online wagering and gaming in Australia. Data drawn from three online surveys are then used to provide an overview of participation in the areas of online wagering and sports betting. These results form the basis of an initial analytical distinction between modes of participation in online betting on racing and sports in Australia.

Internet-Based Structural Characteristics of Sports Betting and Problem Gambling Severity: Is There a Relationship?

“…Many of these studies are country-specific, with great preponderance of research coming from Australia (Deans et al 2016a;Deans et al 2016b;Gordon et al 2015;Hing et al 2017a;Hing et al 2016;Sproston et al 2015;Woolley 2003). Cross-sectional studies of Australian sports bettors have identified risk factors for gambling problems such as being male, young, never married, living alone or in a group household, and with higher level education .…”

Problem gambling on the internet: implications for internet gambling policy in North America

“…Some predict that Internet gambling will become at least a 10 billion dollar per year industry before the end of the decade (The Wager, 2001). Thus, in this age of continued fiscal austerity, and as other Western nations, such as Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom move also towards legalized Internet gambling (see McMillen and Grabosky, 1998;Smeaton and Griffiths, 2004;Wooley, 2003), it seems likely that North American governments would seek to divert "lost" Internet gaming revenue into government owned and regulated gaming sites.…”

Understanding the convergence of markets in online sports betting

“…The novelty of the online component has raised questions regarding the new nature of sports betting, bringing to the public debate the yet unseen implications of this recent form of gambling. From the first exploratory studies (LaBrie et al, 2007;LaPlante et al, 2008;Woolley, 2003), the topic has gained momentum from the point of view of its detrimental effects -more specifically problem gambling (Hing et al, 2015) and match-fixing (Asser Institute, 2014)-as well as its economic impact (Paul and Weinbach, 2010). However, little is known about its characteristics as a cultural product of mass consumption and its convergence and integration with other products from adjacent markets.…”