The Impact of Sports Betting on Athletes

Session Title

Session 1-1-A: Problem Gambling and Vulnerable Communities, Part 1

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Location

Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV

Start Date

23-5-2023 10:15 AM

End Date

23-5-2023 11:45 AM

Disciplines

Mental Disorders | Psychiatry and Psychology | Sports Sciences

Abstract

This presentation will describe how the expansion and attention of sports betting has impacted athletes' physical and mental health. Case series from the UCLA Sports Psychiatry Service and the UCLA Gambling Studies Program will illustrate examples of how the pervasiveness of sports betting can impact athlete's performance, psychological state, physical state and create conflict and uncertainty about the interplay between competition, finances and expectations. These issues are critical to be documented and discussed in order to develop stronger protection for athletes and to preserve the integrity of the sport being played.

Implications Statement: This paper will provide insights into timely issues that treatment providers, gambling regulators and professionals associated with athletes and sport organization need to include in daily practice, policies and procedures.

Keywords

Sports betting, athlete, well-being, performance, gambling disorder

Author Bios

Dr. Fong is a Professor of Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is the Co-Director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program. The UCLA Gambling Studies Program is an academic program focused on characterizing the clinical course of gambling disorder. He has been working in the gambling studies field since 2001 and is also the Director of the UCLA Sports Psychiatry Service.

Funding Sources

UCLA Gambling Studies Program and the Department of Athletics, UCLA. Both funding bodies supported the entirety of the work being presented.

Competing Interests

No competing interests.

Comments

uclagamblingprogram.org

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May 23rd, 10:15 AM May 23rd, 11:45 AM

The Impact of Sports Betting on Athletes

Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV

This presentation will describe how the expansion and attention of sports betting has impacted athletes' physical and mental health. Case series from the UCLA Sports Psychiatry Service and the UCLA Gambling Studies Program will illustrate examples of how the pervasiveness of sports betting can impact athlete's performance, psychological state, physical state and create conflict and uncertainty about the interplay between competition, finances and expectations. These issues are critical to be documented and discussed in order to develop stronger protection for athletes and to preserve the integrity of the sport being played.

Implications Statement: This paper will provide insights into timely issues that treatment providers, gambling regulators and professionals associated with athletes and sport organization need to include in daily practice, policies and procedures.