A new study finds evidence of a troubling connection between sports gambling and risky alcohol consumption. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, suggest that individuals who bet on sports, esports, and daily fantasy sports are significantly more likely to engage in binge drinking compared to those who do not gamble or who gamble on other activities.
As sports betting becomes more accessible through mobile apps and websites, its correlation with risky behaviors, particularly excessive alcohol consumption, has drawn increased scrutiny. Previous studies have already pointed to higher alcohol consumption among sports gamblers, who may also exhibit more general risk-taking behaviors. This connection prompted researchers to further investigate how sports betting might influence alcohol use patterns.
For their new study, the researchers conducted a survey from March 17 to April 6, 2022, which specifically aimed to gather a representative sample of U.S. adults that was aligned with national census demographics, with an additional focus on individuals who actively participate in sports wagering.
The survey included a detailed questionnaire to collect data on participants’ gambling habits, specifically whether they had placed bets on sporting events, esports, or participated in daily fantasy sports within the last year. The final sample consisted of 4,363 individuals.
For assessing binge drinking, the researchers utilized the National Institute on Drug Abuse Quick Screen, version 1.0. This tool asks respondents to report how often they consumed a large amount of alcohol in one sitting—defined as five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women. Responses were scaled from 1 (never) to 5 (daily or more), allowing the team to categorize drinking patterns from no binge drinking to frequent binge drinking episodes.
Sports gamblers reported a markedly higher frequency of such drinking episodes. Specifically, these individuals were at least 1.9 times more likely to engage in binge drinking at least monthly over the past year. In contrast, the likelihood of reporting no binge drinking episodes was considerably lower among sports gamblers than among other groups. Binge drinking increased as gambling frequency rose.
These patterns persisted even after adjusting for demographic factors such as age, and race and ethnicity, suggesting that the observed behaviors are strongly linked to sports gambling itself rather than demographic differences.
“Our study suggests that sports bettors appear to use alcohol in particularly risky ways,” said study co-author Shane W. Kraus, a professor of psychology who serves as director of the UNLV Behavioral Addictions Lab. “Therefore, more education is needed to inform people around the possible risks of heavy alcohol use while also wagering on sports.”
The study, “Binge Drinking Among Sports Gamblers,” was authored by Joshua B. Grubbs and Shane W. Kraus.