In an age where smartphones are as common as wallets, a recent study published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions uncovers how the convenience and privacy of mobile betting platforms might be reshaping gambling behaviors, for better or worse. The research highlights that the ease of placing bets anytime, anywhere, coupled with enticing promotions, is linked to riskier gambling behaviors and potentially greater harm.
The impact of smartphones on gambling
The digital revolution, spearheaded by smartphones, has transformed traditional gambling into a constant companion. This prompted researchers to explore how the structural features of gambling products and the environments they create contribute to gambling harm. The study focused on the impact of situational features—such as ease of access and privacy provided by smartphones—on harmful betting behaviors.
Methodology: real-time data collection
To delve into the dynamics of smartphone betting and its potential harms, researchers employed Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). This method allowed them to capture real-time data on 1,378 betting sessions directly from participants’ natural environments, ensuring high ecological validity.
Participants were young adults aged 18 to 29, residing in New South Wales, Australia, who engaged in sports, esports, or daily fantasy sports (DFS) betting at least once every two weeks. Conducted over several months in 2021, the study involved a series of surveys where participants reported their betting habits, the platforms used, and their experiences of gambling harm.
Key findings: risk factors in mobile betting
The analysis revealed that the ability to bet anytime and the privacy offered by smartphone betting were significant predictors of impulsive betting and increased short-term betting harm. This suggests that the very features making smartphone betting appealing—convenience and discreteness—may also lead to riskier gambling behaviors.
Additionally, the study found that greater access to promotions and betting options was linked to higher engagement with promotional inducements and betting with more operators, further indicating a pathway to potential gambling harm.
Interestingly, quick and easy access from home was associated with more betting activity but correlated with lower short-term betting harm, indicating that not all aspects of accessibility have a uniform impact on gambling outcomes.
The role of betting platforms
The choice of betting platform also influenced gambling behavior, albeit less significantly than situational features. Specifically, smartphone betting was associated with a higher likelihood of impulsive betting compared to using a computer or laptop. This underscores the unique risks of mobile betting platforms, which combine high accessibility with privacy and a wide array of betting options and inducements.
“This study has expanded our understanding of smartphone betting since previous research has mainly involved small interview studies,” the researchers concluded. “However, numerous research questions remain unanswered about the prevalence of smartphone-related gambling harm, who are most at risk, protective and risk factors, and the etiology of smartphone gambling behavior and harm.”
Future research and recommendations
The researchers suggested directions for future research, including a deeper dive into the differences by betting form and a longitudinal approach to better understand how situational features and betting behaviors evolve. They also highlighted the potential for regulatory and educational interventions to mitigate gambling harm, particularly focusing on modifying betting inducements and promoting safer betting practices.
The study, “Situational features of smartphone betting are linked to sports betting harm: An ecological momentary assessment study,” was authored by Nerilee Hing, Matthew Browne, Matthew Rockloff, Alex M. T. Russell, Catherine Tulloch, Lisa Lole, Hannah Thorne, and Philip Newall.
