New survey highlights impact on health of male sports bettors

A new survey from Men’s Health magazine has shone a light on the relationship between men and sports betting and the potential for problem gambling among males.

The health magazine surveyed 3,800 individuals across the US between May 26 and June 5, 2023, with 1,500 survey respondents revealing they had placed a bet within the last 12 months.

Of these 1,500 individuals, 61% of respondents said they placed bets either daily or weekly, with 76% betting either through a mobile app or online.

The majority of men surveyed who bet daily are: white; between the ages 25 and 34, and live in Florida, New York, California, or Pennsylvania.

Millennials bet more frequently than any other age group, according to the survey data, with more millennial black men betting more frequently than millennial white men.

Four in five of the 1,500 individuals who placed a bet within the last 12 months said that they spend up to six hours a day gambling. 

Sixty-seven percent of bettors responding to the survey said they had bet more frequently after downloading a betting app than they had done previously, with 44% saying that they found it hard to watch a game without placing a bet.

DraftKings (61%), FanDuel (56%), and BetMGM (31%) were among the top sportsbook apps downloaded and used by bettors surveyed, with football, basketball, and baseball the three top sports on which bets were placed by respondents.

Fifty-six percent of men surveyed said they preferred to bet on professional sports over college sports, however, 39% of respondents bet on both.

In a nod to promotional activity, 51% of respondents said they would be willing to wager as much as $10,000 on one game if it meant the chance of winning $1m.

Of those surveyed, nearly half said sports betting ads and promotional activity had influenced their gambling habits, with 34% suggesting there should be fewer betting commercials aired during sports games.

In line with this, 38% of respondents think sports broadcasters should not discuss anything betting-related on air.

One in five surveyed bettors said they allotted a quarter of their respective paychecks to fund their sports betting, with one in five revealing they had been or are in debt as a direct result of sports betting.

Of those, the majority who are currently in debt from sports betting make between $100,000 and $150,000 per year.

On the problem gambling side, 28% of survey respondents said they had actively considered quitting sports betting, with its effect on mood (51%) cited as the major factor in their motivation to quit.

Other factors included effects on relationships (34%), impacts on productivity (43%), and 18% said they felt it was destroying their life.

Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed said sports betting had affected their mental health, with 43% suggesting it had affected their physical health. Top mental health issues included stress, anxiety, and depression, with four in five admitting they felt anxious when placing bets.

Top physical health effects included headaches/migraines, high blood pressure, and weight gain.

Of those bettors surveyed, 43% said they knew someone who had or may have an addiction to sports betting, with 56% suggesting they were willing to seek treatment.

Lastly, 21% of bettors surveyed said they regret starting sports betting.