Between the lines : gambling among athletes and coaches in four elite sports

Abstract

Background and aim: Knowledge of how gambling and problem gambling are distributed in different societal groups is valuable for developing preventive initiatives. Considering the financial connections between sports and the gambling industry, as well as the structural and cultural aspects of sports employment, we need more knowledge of gambling and problem gambling in this setting. The general aims of this thesis were accordingly: to explore the prevalence of gambling and problem gambling as well as potential risk factors for problem gambling in a team sport environment; and to understand how gambling is experienced by the involved athletes, coaches, and managers.

Method: Data for Study I were derived from a web survey of a total population of elite athletes and coaches in four sports: ice hockey, football, floorball, and basketball. In the two sports with more than three divisions each (i.e., men’s football and ice hockey), all teams in the third highest division were also invited to participate; overall, 1438 athletes and 401 coaches completed the survey. The prevalence of gambling, the risk of problem gambling, and risk factors were estimated. Using ordinal logistic regression, the possible associations between the risk of problem gambling and the considered possible risk factors were calculated. In Study II, individual interviews were conducted with 30 male athletes, coaches, and managers in three sports: basketball, football, and ice hockey. The semi-structured interviews explored how the respondents experienced gambling in their own and other sports environments. The interviews were analysed using content analysis.

Results: In Study I, 2% of the female and 13% of the male athletes were classified as at risk of problem gambling. The results indicated associations between risk of problem gambling and eight of the investigated variables included in the survey: coaches positive attitude towards gambling, gambling company encouragement of gambling, talking about gambling during training, gambling on one’s own game, knowing someone who has gambled on their own game, gambling regarded as important in the family, knowing someone who has/had a gambling problem, and alcohol consumption among the athletes. Coaches of male teams had a higher prevalence (7%) of problem gambling than did coaches of female teams (3%). The results of Study II present a context in which gambling was normalized. The analysis identified two main themes: ‘desire for and concerns over money’ and ‘in the shadow of performance’. The first theme points to recurring and varied references to money, whether as a motivator of gambling, as creating and enhancing the thrill of gambling, as a factor in interpreting problem gambling, or as a reason for accepting sponsorship from gambling companies. Money was a symbol of success and a reward for achievement. The theme ‘in the shadow of performance’ refers to the athlete’s underlying feeling of constant evaluation and need to perform. Gambling was sometimes seen as a matter of performance: ‘being good at gambling’ was an achievement and winning money was succeeding, i.e., performing well. Overall, the respondents described reluctance to talk about the downsides of gambling and the absence of a gambling policy.

Conclusion: The present findings suggest that sports clubs need greater knowledge of problem gambling. The sports associations should take the lead in developing a gambling policy and facilitating education regarding problem gambling. It is important not to push the responsibility downwards in the hierarchy, ending up with the coaches and the athletes having to shoulder this responsibility on their own. To achieve the best results, it is recommended that prevention activities be synchronized at all levels of the socio-ecological framework.