Leveraging College Men’s Sports Betting Experiences to Inform Responsible Gambling: A Focus Group Study

Authors

Chance V. Dow, 1. Department of Psychology, University of Memphis; 2. Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education & ResearchFollow
Matthew D. Andersland, 1. Department of Psychology, University of Memphis; 2. Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education & ResearchFollow
Emily A. Velandia, 1. Department of Psychology, University of MemphisFollow
Rory A. Pfund, 1. Department of Psychology, University of Memphis; 2. Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education & ResearchFollow
James P. Whelan, 1. Department of Psychology, University of Memphis; 2. Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education & ResearchFollow

Keywords

responsible gambling; experiences; sports betting; college student; men

Disciplines

Advertising and Promotion Management | Gaming and Casino Operations Management | Gaming Law

Document Type

Original Research Article

Abstract

College students are especially vulnerable to the harms associated with sports betting. Responsible Gambling (RG) strategies aim to mitigate these harms. However, research on the relevance and adoption of RG strategies among college students is limited and lacks insight from consumer experiences. The current study conducted a qualitative investigation to examine the experiences of college men who sports bet to provide guidance on how these experiences can subsequently inform RG. Three online focus groups with college men who sports bet (n = 12) were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Discussions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an open coding Thematic Analysis approach. Codes were independently identified and analyzed, resulting in 12 sub-themes that were consolidated into 5 primary themes. Themes included 1) gambling-related language, 2) motivational factors such as promotions and live games, 3) engagement through types of bets and features such as parlays, 4) emotional factors such as negative feelings from losses, and 5) social factors including betting with friends and its cultural significance. Insights from the lived experiences of participants will expand the knowledge base on sports betting among college men and guide efforts to develop more informed and consumer-driven strategies for promoting safe and responsible betting practices.

Funding Sources

Chance Dow was awarded an ESPN Research Fellowship from the UNLV International Gaming Institute; however, the findings and conclusions presented here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ESPN or the UNLV International Gaming Institute. The funding body had no involvement in the research questions, methodology, research conduct, data collection, analysis of results, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and decision to submit to UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal.

Competing Interests

The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding the content of this paper.

Recommended Citation

Dow, C. V., Andersland, M. D., Velandia, E. A., Pfund, R. A., & Whelan, J. P. (2025). Leveraging College Men’s Sports Betting Experiences to Inform Responsible Gambling: A Focus Group Study. UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal, 29(1). Retrieved from https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/grrj/vol29/iss1/5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.9741/2327-8455.1500