Sports Wagering in the United States: What We Do and Don't Know

Session Title

Session 2-4-A: Predicting Problem Gambling

Presenters

Joshua B. Grubbs, Bowling Green State UniversityFollow
Shane W. Kraus, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Location

Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV

Start Date

24-5-2023 3:30 PM

End Date

24-5-2023 5:00 PM

Disciplines

Clinical Psychology | Psychology | Public Health

Abstract

Abstract

In the wake of the Murphy vs. NCAA decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, over 30 states now permit sports betting and a majority of Americans now have access to this activity. Even so, much remains unknown about the effects of widespread access to sports betting in the U.S. The present work reports interim results of multi-year data collection efforts in the U.S. In April of 2022, a U.S. nationally representative sample of 2,806 Americans and an additional sample of 1,553 sports wagering people were recruited by YouGov opinion polling, with follow up data collected in October of 2022, and planned data collections for January of 2023 and April of 2023, prior to the IGI conference, with more planned throughout 2023 and 2024. Initial results suggest that sports wagering remains a relatively niche gambling activity, but one that is associated with risk for and symptoms of gambling disorder. Additionally, sports betting is associated with a range of other addictive behaviors such as substance use and compulsive sexual behavior. Collectively, these results suggest that sports betting, though not especially common in the American populace, should be thought of as a risk-taking behavior that warrants further empirical study.

Implications Statement

Sports betting in the U.S. is now more accessible than ever, though many questions remain about the effects of this accessibility. The present study suggests that sports wagering is a unique risk-taking behavior associated with a range of other impulsive and addictive behaviors.

Keywords

substance use; compulsive sexual behavior; nationally representative; longitudinal; gambling disorder; risk factors

Author Bios

Joshua Grubbs, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at Bowling Green State University where he studies compulsive sexual behavior disorder, gambling disorder, and personality traits. He is especially interested in the social construction of addiction and understanding what leads people feel out of control in their behavior. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles on these topics and others.

Shane W. Kraus, PhD., is assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and the Director of the Behavioral Addictions Lab at UNLV. Dr. Kraus uses behavioral, epidemiological, and neurobiological methods to assess factors that contribute to the development of addictive behaviors among US military veterans. He has published over 140+ scholarly works in substance use, trauma, sexual behavior, and gambling disorder.

Funding Sources

During the past 3 years, Joshua B. Grubbs has received funding from the International Center for Responsible Gaming, the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio, and the Kindbridge Research Institute. During the past 3 years, Shane W. Kraus has received funding from the International Center for Responsible Gaming, The Nevada Problem Gambling Project, Sports Betting Alliance, and Kindbridge Research Institute.

Competing Interests

During the past 3 years, Joshua B. Grubbs has received funding from the International Center for Responsible Gaming, Springer Science + Business Media, the Kentucky Psychological Association, the Center for Anxiety, the Center on Alcohol, Substance Use and Addictions, the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio, the Kindbridge Research Institute, the Charles Koch Foundation, the Conru Foundation, and the National Institute for Civil Discourse. During the past 3 years, Shane W. Kraus has received funding from the International Center for Responsible Gaming, MGM Resorts International, Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies, Taylor Francis, Springer Nature, The Nevada Problem Gambling Project, Sports Betting Alliance, and Kindbridge Research Institute.