Sports Betting: Risks & Ripple Effects Teach-Out

How are sports betting and binge drinking connected, and what can researchers Sarah Nelson and Josh Grubbs tell us about preventing gambling harms?

Takeaways: Behavioral Addictions, Gambling, and Alcohol

We have prepared a list of key points from the Behavioral Addictions, Gambling, and the Role of Alcohol interview for your reference:

1. Behavioral addictions affect the brain in ways similar to substance addictions. Gambling does not require ingesting a substance to become addictive. Certain behaviors, especially those involving uncertainty and reward, trigger naturally occurring brain chemicals that mirror the neurological effects of drug or alcohol use. As a result, the risks, loss of control, and harms associated with gambling can closely resemble those seen in substance addictions, even if the outward signs look different.

2. Sports betting has design features that heighten addiction risk for some individuals. Sports betting differs from many traditional forms of gambling because of its speed, frequency, and constant availability. In-game betting, prop bets, and rapid cycles of wagering create intermittent reinforcement and continuous engagement. Research shows that the most involved and at-risk bettors are often those heavily engaged in live or in-play betting, where emotional decision-making is amplified.

3. Sports betting and alcohol use are deeply intertwined through culture and context. Watching sports has long been associated with drinking at tailgates, sports bars, stadiums, and at home. Sports bettors report higher rates of alcohol use and are more likely to drink while betting compared to other gamblers. This overlap is reinforced by marketing, particularly the dominance of alcohol advertising during sporting events, which normalizes simultaneous drinking and betting and can lower inhibitions.

4. A new and underserved population is being drawn into gambling-related harm. Unlike traditional treatment populations—often older adults engaged in casino or lottery gambling—sports bettors tend to be younger adult men. This group is less likely to seek help due to stigma, masculine norms around self-control, and a tendency to view betting as skill-based entertainment rather than gambling. Existing prevention messages and treatment systems were largely designed for older populations and have not kept pace with this shift.

5. Early behavioral markers and system-level responses matter—but remain uneven. Certain behaviors can signal elevated risk, including making frequent deposits within a single session, reversing withdrawals, chasing losses, or betting on unfamiliar sports. While sportsbooks use risk-scoring systems and offer tools like limits and self-exclusion, their effectiveness depends on how they are framed and implemented. In the U.S., inconsistent state-by-state regulation and the absence of national standards limit comprehensive harm prevention, underscoring the need for better-designed tools, clearer messaging, and continued research—especially on what resonates with young male bettors.

Reflection Questions

In your daily life, you may have one or more than one of the following roles. Think about the questions that we have posed here. How can you use the Behavioral Addictions, Gambling, and the Role of Alcohol interview to respond to these questions?

• Public health professionals:
  • How might research findings from European sports betting platforms apply to your local context, given different regulatory environments?
• Young adult casual bettors:
  • When watching sports with friends with alcohol involved, how would you recognize the point at which betting shifts from “fun” to risky?
  • What warning signs—such as chasing losses or betting on sports you do not follow—might signal that your betting is becoming more than casual fun?
  • If you or a friend noticed patterns like frequent deposits or betting on unfamiliar sports, what steps could you take to assess whether those betting habits are becoming risky?
• Athlete:
  • How might increased betting and alcohol use around games affect your mental health, performance, or exposure to external pressures?
• High school or college athletics professional:
  • What strategies could you use to educate student-athletes about behavioral addiction when the topic may carry stigma among young men?
• Higher education professional:
  • How can campuses integrate gambling education into existing alcohol and substance misuse prevention efforts?
• Parent or guardian:
  • What signs would help you distinguish between casual sports betting and early indicators of gambling-related harm?

Additional Resources

1. The BASIS, an online information source on addiction science that includes weekly science reviews, opinion pieces, and addiction-related resources.
2. Your First Step to Change, a self-change toolkit available online or in print for individuals interested in examining their relationship with gambling.