Sports Bettors More Likely to Binge Drink, UNLV Study Concludes

A University of Nevada, Las Vegas study finds that sports bettors are more likely to binge drink

Many sports bettors not only risk their money when gambling, but they may also face health risks. That’s the conclusion of a new study conducted by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in collaboration with the University of New Mexico.

The report "Double Trouble: The Risks of Mixing Alcohol and Sports Betting" concludes that sports bettors are nearly twice as likely to binge drink than non-sports bettors. The study covers esports and fantasy athletes in the sports betting space.

"Our study shows that sports bettors appear to drink in particularly risky ways," said study co-author Shane Kraus, professor of psychology and director of the Behavioral Addictions Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. )explain. “Therefore, more education is needed to educate people about the potential risks of binge drinking when betting on sports.”

The study surveyed more than 4,300 adults in the United States. About 3,300 people said they had consumed alcohol in the past year, and 1,800 said they had participated in sports gambling.

Takeaway survey

The researchers found that sports bettors who drank alcohol were "at least" 1.9 times more likely to report excessive drinking, defined as five or more drinks in a game for men and four or more drinks for women. As the frequency of gambling increases, so does alcohol abuse.

The researchers said the findings provide additional evidence that sports bettors and gamblers are more likely to take risks, which can often lead to health-threatening habits such as alcohol abuse.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in six adults binge drink, with 25 percent binge drinking regularly or weekly. According to the federal health office, many people who binge drink are not dependent on alcohol. However, this excessive drinking is "in itself harmful."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, binge drinking can lead to chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and liver disease. Binge drinking also increases the risk of certain cancers, including cancer of the liver, colon, rectum, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and breast.

Alcoholics are at increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases due to risky sexual and violent behaviors such as homicide, suicide, partner abuse, and sexual assault.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas/University of New Mexico survey found that both male and female bettors were more likely to binge drink. The researchers concluded that there is a "great need" for ongoing research, "particularly to examine how novel gambling technologies impact the prevalence, manifestations, and prevention of alcohol use disorders and related harms."

Rapid market expansion

Sports betting in the United States, once limited to Nevada, bookmakers and illegal offshore sites, has become part of mainstream culture since the Supreme Court struck down a federal sports betting ban in May 2018.

Before the landmark ruling, only Nevada offered betting on the outcome of a single game. Other states, such as Delaware, also have sports betting, but only allow parlays, where multiple bets are combined into a single bet.

“In the past six years, most Americans have had access to sports betting via mobile apps or websites,” the study said. “There is growing evidence that sports betting is associated with increased drug use and abuse, particularly It’s alcohol, and the symptoms of alcohol use disorder.”

Today, 38 states, as well as Washington, D.C., allow sports betting. 31 of these jurisdictions include online sports betting.