The impact of the initial Covid-19 lockdown upon regular sports bettors in Britain: Findings from a cross-sectional online study
Male
330
United Kingdom/epidemiology
COVID-19
613
Sports betting
Article
United Kingdom
3. Good health
Gambling harms
03 medical and health sciences
Cross-Sectional Studies
0302 clinical medicine
Communicable Disease Control
Gambling
Psychology
Humans
Female
Gambling/epidemiology
Covid-19
Pandemics
Sports
DOI:
10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106876
Publication Date:
2021-02-23T10:22:10Z
AUTHORS (12)
ABSTRACT
In Britain, unprecedented restrictions on daily life associated with the Covid-19 pandemic included the suspension of professional sports events during the initial 'lockdown'. This provides opportunities to observe changes in sports bettors' behaviour when their primary form of activity is removed and assess the impact of Covid-19 related circumstances upon gambling.In July 2020, we conducted an online cross-sectional survey of people who bet regularly (at least monthly) on sports before Covid-19 (n = 3866). Bi-variate analyses compared changes in gambling behaviours before and during the initial lockdown. Multi-variate logistic regression models explored associations between problem gambling (men) and moderate risk or problem gambling (MRPG) (women) with changes in Covid-19 related circumstances and changing gambling behaviours during Britain's initial 'lockdown' (March-June 2020).29.8% of male sports bettors and 33.4% of female sports bettors stopped gambling altogether during the initial Covid-19 lockdown, though 17.3% of men and 16.5% of women started a new form of gambling during lockdown. Among men, adjusted odds ratios of problem gambling were higher among those starting a new gambling activity during lockdown (OR = 2.50 [95% CI 1.38-4.53]). Among women, adjusted odds ratios of MRPG were higher among those whose frequency of gambling on any activity increased during lockdown (OR = 4.21 [1.99-8.92] and among those shielding for health reasons. Poorer wellbeing was associated with problem gambling for men and MRPG for women.Those changing gambling behaviours during the initial Covid-19 lockdown (e.g. increasing gambling frequency or starting a new gambling activity) are potentially vulnerable to gambling harms.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
Coming soon ....
REFERENCES (30)
CITATIONS (34)
EXTERNAL LINKS
PlumX Metrics
RECOMMENDATIONS
FAIR ASSESSMENT
Coming soon ....
JUPYTER LAB
Coming soon ....