In an era where smartphones have become as ubiquitous as wallets, a recent study in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions reveals how the convenience and privacy of mobile betting platforms might be reshaping the gambling landscape — for better or for worse. Researchers have peeled back the digital curtain to show that the ease of placing a bet from anywhere, at any time, alongside the allure of promotional inducements, is linked to riskier betting behaviors and, potentially, more significant harm.
The digital revolution has transformed traditional gambling, with smartphones leading the charge in making betting a constant companion. This shift prompted researchers to investigate how the structural features of gambling products and the environments they create contribute to gambling harm. Specifically, the study aimed to explore the impact of situational features—like the ease of access and privacy offered by smartphones—on harmful betting behaviors.
To understand the complex dynamics of smartphone betting and its potential harm, the researchers used what is known as a Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). This methodological choice allowed the researchers to capture real-time data on 1,378 betting sessions directly from participants’ natural environments, thus ensuring high ecological validity.
Participants were young adults aged between 18 and 29, residing in New South Wales, Australia, who engaged in betting on sports, esports, or daily fantasy sports (DFS) at least fortnightly. The study spanned several months in 2021, with participants responding to a series of surveys that asked about their betting habits, the platforms used, and their experiences of gambling harm.
The analysis revealed that the ability to bet from anywhere at any time and the privacy afforded by smartphone betting emerged as significant predictors of impulsive betting and increased short-term betting harm. This suggests that the very features that make smartphone betting appealing — its 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 study also shed light on how the choice of betting platform plays a role in gambling behavior, albeit to a lesser extent than the situational features themselves. Specifically, betting with a smartphone was associated with a higher likelihood of impulsive betting compared to using a computer or laptop. This finding underscores the unique risks associated with 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 aetiology of smartphone gambling behaviour and harm.”
Looking ahead, 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 the modification of 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.
