A bad bet for sports fans: The case for ending the “gamblification” of sport

A “gamblification” of sport has occurred over the last 25 years. Sports betting operators are now major sponsors of sport, and gambling activities and cultures are firmly embedded into sport. This paper considers the key issues affecting harmful gambling amongst sport audiences arising from this gamblification and implications for sport management. A narrative literature review identifies seven key issues: 1) harmful sports betting and negative consequences, 2) increased access to sports betting through smartphones, 3) innovated betting options that appeal most to bettors already experiencing gambling harm, 4) how advertising exacerbates harmful betting, 5) the normalisation of sports betting amongst sports fans, 6) impacts on children and adolescents, and 7) the heightened risk of harmful betting amongst sports participants. Sports organisations play an instrumental role in the gamblification of sport and derive revenues from wagering operators that are, in large part, derived from harmful gambling by sports fans. Rising community backlash against the normalisation of sports betting, and increasing regulatory restrictions on sports betting sponsorship and advertising, suggest that gambling sponsorship of sports will increasingly become untenable. Sports organisations need to plan for a future without wagering sponsorships and use their considerable influence to reduce gambling harm amongst their fans, players and broader communities.