Sports Betting and Financial–Health Outcomes Among Young Adults: A Scoping Review

Sports Betting and Financial–Health Outcomes Among Young Adults: A Scoping Review | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Systematic Review Sports Betting and Financial–Health Outcomes Among Young Adults: A Scoping Review Evans Kwaku Amakye This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9125426/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Sports betting has grown significantly over the last few years, especially amongst young adults, due to digital media, aggressive advertising, and integration of betting into the sporting culture. Although the available literature is mostly oriented to psychological and behavioural damages, recent facts reveal a high risk of sports betting to the financial health, such as debts, financial stress, and loss of savings. However, these financial impacts on young adults in terms of their scope, nature, and contextual determinants are still not integrated into the literature. Methods This scoping review has been conducted according to the system of methodology developed by Arksey and O’Malley and presented according to the PRISMA-ScR recommendations. Primary empirical research published since 2020 was determined with a systematic search in academic databases and grey literature sources. Eligible studies met the criteria of research on sports betting in young adults and provided outcomes that are related to financial health. The thematic and content analyses were used to chart and synthesise data. The quality of methodological approach was evaluated with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal instruments and Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Results Twenty-five major studies were eligible to inclusion. The data shows that the sport betting is extremely normalised in young adults and promoted by the ease of access online and promotional deals. The terms that were repeatedly included in the reported financial outcomes were financial stress, accumulation of debts, loss of savings, and poor financial resiliency. The behavioural drivers of these harms included perceived skill and loss chasing, and institutional and socio-technical settings, such as regulatory environments and mobile payment systems. The vast majority of the studies were set in the high-income countries, and there is little evidence related to the low- and middle-income environments. Conclusion Betting in sports is linked with initial and prolonged economic damage among young adults. The results highlight the importance of responding to marketing policy-level, enhanced regulation of marketing behaviours, and combined interventions affecting the financial welfare of a population. Longitudinal designs and context-specific evidence should be initiated in future studies so as to make appropriate prevention strategies. Social Policy Sports betting young adults financial health gambling-related harm scoping review public health financial wellbeing Figures Figure 1 Background Sports betting has become one of the fastest-growing forms of gambling on a global scale, largely driven by the increasing use of digitalisation, the proliferation of mobile technology, and the liberalisation of gambling laws in many jurisdictions. Sports betting has become quite convenient, especially among young adults who are technology-focused and heavy consumers of sports media due to the proliferation of online betting platforms [ 1 , 2 ]. Vicious marketing, including celebrity endorsements, in-play betting features, and social media advertisements, also further normalise betting habits among this group [ 3 ]. Therefore, sport betting has increasingly become a form of recreational activity, evolving from a pastime into a routine consumption behaviour that is integrated into modern sporting culture. Even though this growth has placed economic benefits in the hands of both the operators and governments in the form of taxes and creation of jobs, the same has brought forth apprehensions of the social and financial consequences amongst the vulnerable groups, especially young adults who have had to face early financial autonomy [ 4 , 5 ]. Young adulthood is one of the critical developmental stages, characterised by education, work, stable incomes, and financial responsibility. In this age group, people often have very low levels of financial literacy, experience volatile income, and are burdened by student loan debts, all of which increase their vulnerability to risky financial behaviour [ 6 , 7 ]. According to empirical research, sports betting among young adults is linked with the impulsive decision-making process, vision of the risk, and overestimation of the possible financial benefits [ 8 ]. Unlike in other types of gambling, sports betting is often presented as a skill-based, but not a chance-based game, which strengthens the assumptions about the fact that sports knowledge would allow generating reliable financial results. Such cognitive framing can lead to such incentives as placing even multiple bets, increasing financial risks, and persistently, which consequently will threaten the financial well-being and, in general wellbeing of young adults [ 9 ]. Financial health is a broad philosophical notion that takes into account the income levels of individuals but also remains the level of expense management, financial shock absorption, and manageable debt levels, as well as future planning abilities [ 10 ]. Problematic sports betting has been in recent research associated with poor economic results, such as building up of debt, less savings, late payment of bills, borrowing via informal finance, and financial strain [ 11 , 12 ]. The psychological distress, negative social relationships, and poor work or academic performance usually increases financial harm, which is a vicious circle in which gambling behaviour and financial fragility are associated [ 13 ]. Even at these harms that are documented in literature, the literature is still in a splintering condition, with various studies having different conceptualisations of financial health nearness, methodological frameworks, and a focus on populations. Numerous studies analyse the harm of gambling on a very general basis and do not focus on sports betting or disaggregate the outcomes on this particular population group, which restricts the possibility of coherent conclusion-making in that way [ 14 ]. Irrespective of the increasing amount of research on the topic of sports betting involvement and the gambling-related harms, there is little to no such review study that has systematically mapped the manner in which sports betting would impact the financial well-being of young adults in particular contexts. Most of the research that has been conducted takes an individual variable, whether it is frequency of betting, level of gambling, financial stress, or debt consequences, and leaves these factors to be located in a consistent definition of financial well-being. Further, research work in existence mostly looks into psychological or behavioural outcomes without much integration of economics and financial well-being measures. The proposed scoping review aims to fill this gap, thus mapping and synthesising current knowledge on sports betting and financial health in youths globally and other similar situations. The review will aim at establishing the nature, scope, and nature of existing research, conceptual and methodological gaps in the existing research, and underscoring socio-economic, behavioural, and institutional determinants that influence financial outcomes. Methods This scoping review has been conducted on this basis based on the methodological framework suggested by Arksey and O’Malley, which provides a systematic and clear way of mapping both the width and depth of evidence available regarding a developing topic of research [ 15 ]. The framework guided the review with the use of six repetitive methods, such as 1) identifying the research questions, (2) identifying relevant studies, (3) selecting studies, (4) charting the data, (5) collating, summarising, and reporting results, and (6) consultation. Besides, the review also complied with the Preferred Reporting Items extension of the systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses to Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) to increase the methodological rigour, transparency, and reproducibility [ 16 ]. The review was underpinned by three research questions: (1) What are the characteristics of existing studies examining sports betting among young adults? (2) What financial health outcomes are associated with sports betting participation in this population? (3) What contextual, behavioural, and institutional factors influence the relationship between sports betting and financial health among young adults? These questions were used to guide all steps of the review process, including the development of the search strategy and data synthesis. An interdisciplinary evidence range in the field of public health, psychology, economics, and social sciences was found by conducting an extensive literature review using several electronic databases, such as PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, EconLit, and Google Scholar. To be as comprehensive as possible, grey literature, including policy documents, institutional reports, and regulatory publications, was also included. In Table 1 , the Boolean operators were used to combine the search terms involving sports betting, financial health, financial stress, debt, and young adults. Records that were retrieved were also exported to Mendeley, where they are organised, and the duplicates are removed. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were filtered on some predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two reviewers were responsible for data extraction: they paid attention to the author information, the time when the study was conducted, the design, sample specifics, financial health indicators, the major findings, as well as gaps. Misunderstandings were bargained out. The extracted data were analysed using thematic and content analysis to identify patterns, dominant themes, and gaps in the existing evidence on sports betting and financial health among young adults. Eligibility Criteria for Considering Studies Inclusion Criteria Studies presenting primary empirical data using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods designs. Studies published from 2020 to the date of the literature search. Studies focusing on young adults, defined as individuals aged 18–35 years, or reporting findings for this age group separately. Studies examining sports betting as a primary or clearly identifiable form of gambling, including online and offline sports betting. Studies reporting outcomes related to financial health, such as debt, savings behaviour, financial stress, money management difficulties, or other economic consequences. Studies conducted in any geographical context. Studies published in the English language. Exclusion Criteria Review articles, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, meta-analyses, commentaries, editorials, conceptual papers, and opinion pieces Studies relying solely on secondary data without primary data collection Studies published before 2020 Studies focusing on gambling in general without explicitly isolating sports betting-related findings Studies that do not report financial or economic outcomes, focusing exclusively on psychological, clinical, or behavioural outcomes Studies involving populations outside the young adult age range, such as adolescents or older adults, unless young adult data are explicitly disaggregated Studies not published in English. Table 1 Comprehensive Keywords and Search Strategy Concept Area Keywords and Synonyms Boolean Operators / Search String Sports betting “sports betting”, “sports wagering”, “online sports betting”, “sports gambling”, “mobile betting”, “internet betting” (“sports betting” OR “sports wagering” OR “sports gambling” OR “online sports betting” OR “mobile betting”) Financial health “Financial health”, “financial wellbeing”, “financial well-being”, “financial stress”, “financial hardship”, “debt”, “personal debt”, “savings”, “money problems”, “financial behaviour” (“financial health” OR “financial wellbeing” OR “financial stress” OR debt OR savings OR “money problems” OR “financial behaviour”) Population “Young adults”, “emerging adults”, “youth”, “early adulthood”, “college students”, “university students” (“young adult*” OR “emerging adult*” OR youth OR “college student*” OR “university student*”) Combined Search Strategy Sports betting AND financial health AND young adults (“sports betting” OR “sports wagering” OR “sports gambling”) AND (“financial health” OR “financial wellbeing” OR “financial stress” OR debt OR savings) AND (“young adult*” OR “emerging adult*” OR youth) Appraisal of Studies and Data Extraction A rigorous quality appraisal was done on all the studies included in this scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools, which are designed to assess a wide range of study designs, such as qualitative, cross-sectional, longitudinal, and case-study studies. Also, the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) 2018 was applied to studies that followed mixed-method paradigms [ 17 ]. These tools have been used to examine the key methodological standards that included adequacy and representativeness of the sample, adequacy and clarity of description of study settings and other characteristics of the study participants, the appropriateness of data-collection methods and analysis tools, the reliability and validity of financial health outcome measures, relevant sub-populations, as well as the extent to which any potential confounding variables were controlled. The appraisal of all the eligible studies was done systematically, and the methodological quality was classified as low, moderate, and high according to the number of criteria satisfied in each checklist of appraisal. This was done through the use of this appraisal process in order to ensure that only studies with acceptable methodological standards were used in the synthesis of evidence to improve the credibility and strength of the findings of the review. Although the products of the appraisals did not affect the exclusion of any studies on the sole criterion of quality, the results interpretation was informed, and the limitations of the methods underlying the available evidence base were highlighted. Two reviewers were used in data extraction to ensure consistency, accuracy, and reliability. The information extracted included the authors and study year, country or region where the study took place, the aim of the research, design and methodology, characteristics of the study population, type and form of sports betting studied, financial indicators of health involved, key findings, and the policy or practice implications identified. Any difference of opinion among reviewers was resolved by consensus and debate. The data gathered were then subjected to a thematic analysis and content analysis in order to determine common themes, mainly recurring patterns in the literature, and gaps in the literature. This analytical process made it possible to map in detail the relationship between sports betting and financial health outcomes in young adults, highlighting areas where the areas requiring additional empirical investigation and policy focus are required. Results The search in the academic databases and additional sources that allow conducting a systematic literature search took place according to the protocols of the review. The first search resulted in 1,642 records in databases like PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, EconLit, and Google search; the second search brought 112 records in grey literature sources, including institutional repositories, policy documents, and references checking. This summation created a total of 1,754 records to be taken into consideration. After eliminating 286 duplicate records, 1,468 distinct records underwent title and abstract screening in line with the established eligibility measures. Next, after this screening stage, there was a retrieval of 94 full-text articles, which were evaluated in terms of their eligibility. Out of them, 69 were eliminated due to such reasons as insufficient primary empirical data, a date before 2020, insufficient focus on sports betting, no results on finance-health-related outcomes, or inadequate reporting of findings on the young adult population. Finally, 25 major empirical studies were found to meet all the inclusion criteria and included in the resultant synthesis. Figure 1 represents PRISMA flow diagram that defines the whole search and screening procedure in addition to the flow diagram that shows identification, screening, eligibility assessment and inclusion in the review. Findings Characteristics of included studies The studies involved in this review are highly heterogeneous in terms of sample size, methodological approach, study design, and geographic coverage. The studies were different across the sample: in-depth interviews and longitudinal qualitative designs utilised a range of studies with as few as 16 up to 32 respondents [ 2 , 27 ], whereas much larger quantitative data sets containing over 3,000 respondents were utilised in nationally representative surveys [ 21 ]. Most of the cross-sectional quantitative research presented moderate-to-large sample sizes, mostly between 221 and 567 respondents [ 1 , 23 , 28 , 32 ]. Though some ones were occupational or student-oriented, such that a sample of 300 to 425 was considered moderate. Only a small number of studies took task of longitudinal designs, although these were linked to smaller samples due to the increased costs of implementing the repetitions over time [ 24 , 29 , 30 ]. The evidence base in the methodological sphere was mostly quantitative, in particular, cross-sectional surveys [ 1 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 23 , 28 , 31 , 32 ]. Instead, these studies were based mostly on the validated self-report measures, like the PGSI, DASS, or other psychometric scales, and regression, correlation, or logistic modelling was used to interpret the results. A more limited yet still important group of studies used qualitative designs, such as focus groups, in-depth interviews, gambling diaries, and longitudinal qualitative interviews [ 22 , 27 ], allowing a more in-depth study of lived experience, normalisation processes, and the socio-cultural implications of sports betting. Mixed-methods designs were less common, but there were some included in the studies involving the combination of surveys with surveys or key informant interviews or observations [ 19 , 26 , 33 ], thus enhancing the contextual interpretation by methodological triangulation. With respect to study design, cross-sectional literature prevailed; thus, constraining the causal knowledge, though providing substantial glimpses of the relationships between sports betting and other outcomes, including mental health, financial well-being, or behavioural patterns. A relatively smaller amount of research included longitudinal designs, including cohort studies and natural experiments [ 24 , 29 , 30 ], therefore, providing stronger evidence of the relation over time and the effect of a policy intervention. The number of experimental designs was limited, but interesting, as one lab-in-the-field experiment that severely isolated the effects of framing on sports-betting behaviour was conducted [ 25 ]. This heterogeneity of methods highlights the development of the subject discussed as well as the gaps that have existed to date. Quality appraisal, which used the framework of JBI and MMAT, showed methodological rigour variance. Research which was designed with clear sampling methods, reliable measures, and intensive measures of analysis was mostly rated highly on methodological quality criterion especially those that were designed with large-quantitative surveys and well-constructed longitudinal studies [ 21 , 23 , 28 , 29 , 30 ]. It was also found that qualitative research which embraced the application of transparent analytic processes and reflexive practises had high methodological standards [ 22 , 27 ]. On the other hand, some cross-sectional and cross-method research had been rated as medium quality because they used self-report data, limited extrapolation, or did not provide sufficient information about the combination of the qualitative and quantitative elements [ 19 , 26 , 33 ]. The geographical coverage of the studies covered both high-income and low- and middle-income countries, namely the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, the United States, Italy, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This distribution shows the universality of harm related to sports betting, at the same time demonstrating cultural differences that are formed due to regulations, cultures, and socio-economic factors. Sports betting among young adults The analysed literature is very similar in the characterisation of sports betting as a ubiquitous, socially entrenched activity which is closely linked to youth-culture, sports consumption, and digital lifestyles. One of the studies suggests that in the first instance of getting involved in gambling, young adults rarely speak of it as a risky use of money; they tend to regard it as a recreational activity, one that involves skills or makes them money. Both qualitative and quantitative research support the idea that the participation of people in early stages is more driven by peer influence, exposure to marketing, and the accessibility offered by mobile technologies. Nevertheless, as time passed, several studies show a movement of experiential trends whereby there is a rise in the frequency of betting, spending, and emotional investment. All the literature places emphasis on the fact that sports betting is a dynamic behaviour in young adults that is motivated by social norms and developing personal incentives, and is not a fixed or independent behaviour. Normalisation and social embedding of sports betting. The reviewed studies present sports betting as being normalised in the coverage of the social contexts of young adults, mainly in groups of male peers and among participants in sports activities [ 22 , 27 ]. Betting is continually talked about as a supplement to watching football or having a sports media experience, but not as something that can harm one a bit. This normalisation is further sponsored by advertising, sponsorship, and social media content, which makes betting look like an amusement and a sign of knowledge about sports [ 1 , 21 ]. Peer networks have also been discovered to authorise betting participation in both African and European contexts, and reduce the perception of risk [ 33 , 37 ]. Patterns and intensity of betting engagement. There are high rates of participation and frequency of betting by young adults as reported in the reviewed studies, with most of them betting either weekly or daily [ 19 , 20 , 28 , 35 ]. Betting is dominated on the online and mobile platform that allows access to ongoing access and betting cycles [ 25 , 32 ]. Other works prove that the proportion of young punters who become moderate or high-risk is rather high, which means that intensive gambling is not an anomaly but a trend [ 28 , 36 ]. Transitions from recreational to problematic betting. The results of the studies reveal that betting usually starts with small amounts or as a trial, but slowly gets stiffer in an inorganic manner [ 11 , 23 ]. Promotional bids, running after a loss and after a win, passions add to the progression of involvement [ 1 , 25 ]. The qualitative and longitudinal evidence indicate that this process tends to be slow, and the young bettors themselves lack a clear understanding of the damage, thus it tends to come late [ 24 , 27 ]. Financial health outcomes associated with sports betting participation among young adults. Through the reviewed studies, a consistent finding has been in accordance with the assertion that sports betting involvement in young adults is linked with a series of unhealthy monetary results. Although the sudden and incidental bet may be discussed as a form of harmless entertainment, as displayed in the literature, a continued level of involvement can be said to weaken financial stability. Numerous documents state that financial damages also sprout earlier, prior to people passing criteria of problem gambling. Such consequences are especially high in the case of students, young people who do not have any jobs, and those who work informally, where the loss on betting overlaps with the financial deficit. These studies indicate that there is a trend where sports betting adds to the economic precarity instead of reducing it, contrary to the perceptions that there is the potential to make a profit off it. Financial strain, debt, and loss of financial control Numerous studies report the connection between the severity of betting and financial strain, which includes excessive spending, borrowing, pursuing losses, and a failure to pay essential expenses [ 19 , 28 , 35 , 37 ]. Young adults often complained about betting more than they could afford, and using a loan or other informal sources to keep betting, which perpetuates the cycles of debts [ 20 , 33 ]. The longitudinal evidence also provides that a high rate of betting can boost the chances of repaying a loan at a later stage [ 30 ]. Educational and livelihood-related financial consequences. Among students and young adults in training or early employment, betting-related financial losses were linked to misuse of tuition fees, reduced study resources, and compromised academic performance [ 19 , 32 , 35 ]. In low-income contexts, studies reported asset liquidation, reduced productivity, and unstable livelihoods resulting from persistent betting losses [ 25 , 40 ]. These findings indicate that financial harm extends beyond immediate monetary loss to broader life-course outcomes. Escalation and cumulative financial harm. A number of studies indicate that the extent of financial loss can be severe with regard to the frequency and exposure to inducements [ 1 , 21 ]. Experimental evidence that demonstrates that sports-betting framing has the effect of overstating the observed probabilities of receiving a payoff, thereby prompting more spending and recurring losses [ 25 ]. It appears that moderately and highly risk-takers are particularly susceptible to progressive financial losses in the long run [ 28 , 36 ]. Contextual, behavioural, and institutional factors influencing the relationship between sports betting and financial health The interaction of behavioural, social, and institutional determinants of sports betting and financial health in young adults. The reviewed literature shows that the individual decision-making process alone cannot result in financial harm, but instead, it manifests itself in larger socio-economic and regulatory contexts. Personal susceptibilities combine with violent marketing, social norms, and ineffective regulation controls to support wagering activities. These relationships are particularly high in situations that are defined by unemployment, lack of social protection, and exposure to a great extent to digital betting platforms. Behavioural and Psychological Influence. Personal influences, such as impulsivity, emotional distress, drug use, and depression, were continually linked to an increase in the intensity of betting and poor results in financial terms [ 20 , 23 , 29 , 31 ]. Loss-chasing and taking risky bets were more probable among young adults under psychological pressure, and, therefore, it made them more financially vulnerable [ 11 , 23 ]. Betting based on marketing increased these behaviour risks even more [ 1 ]. Social-economic and cultural Factors. The problem of high unemployment, financial insecurity, and strong forces of peers become the major drivers of betting in sub-Saharan African contexts [ 28 , 33 , 37 ]. Even in these reduced economic environments, gambling is often framed as an effective form of earning, notwithstanding reported net financial losses [ 25 , 40 ]. Additionally, peer group social approval strengthens further interaction and dampens the subjective economic risk [ 22 , 27 ]. Organisational and legislative realms. Empirical research highlights the role of lax regulatory practises, intensive advertisements, and the availability of mobile betting sites in continuing bets that are financially unsustainable [ 21 , 35 ]. Results of jurisdictions with greater regulatory control suggest that legalisation is not covering the recidivism of harm, especially when the level of marketing exposure is elevated, and the guardian controls against young adults are weak [ 24 ]. These findings support the need for combined regulation systems in relation to harm-reducing initiatives. Table 2 Extracted Evidence Table of Included Studies Author Purpose of the Study Study Population Sample Size Main findings Conclusion Appraisal Score [ 1 ] To examine whether sports betting marketing factors (advertising exposure, advertising-driven decisions, and inducements) predict problem gambling severity among young sports bettors after controlling for demographic, psychological, and behavioural risk factors Young adults aged 18–24 years with active sports betting accounts 567 Advertising-driven betting decisions and perceived susceptibility to betting inducements were strong predictors of problem gambling severity, while advertising exposure alone was not independently significant Sports betting marketing contributes to gambling-related harm primarily through psychological vulnerability to inducements rather than exposure alone, supporting tighter regulation of betting advertising targeting young adults High [ 11 ] To assess the association between sports betting participation and mental health outcomes among young adults, with a focus on psychological distress and subjective well-being Young adults from a nationally representative UK population sample Several thousand respondents Sports betting participation, including low to moderate levels, was significantly associated with higher psychological distress and lower subjective well-being, even after controlling for socio-demographic factors Sports betting is associated with adverse mental health outcomes at the population level and should be treated as a public health concern rather than a benign leisure activity High [ 18 ] To examine young adults’ perceptions of different sports betting inducements and their perceived influence on betting behaviour and gambling risk Young adults aged 18–24 years with prior sports betting experience in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand 130 Sign-up offers and bonus bets were perceived as having the strongest influence on betting likelihood, perceived value, and high-risk gambling, particularly among moderate- and problem-risk gamblers; perceived susceptibility to inducements independently predicted PGSI scores Zero- or low-cost inducements exert disproportionate influence on young bettors, especially higher-risk individuals, supporting regulatory restrictions on such promotions High [ 19 ] To assess the effect of online sports betting on the economic wellbeing of student-athletes in Kenyan universities University student-athletes and sports officials in Kenya 85 student-athletes (up to 423 respondents targeted) Gambling severity was strongly associated with poor economic wellbeing, including overspending, borrowing, tuition misuse, and loss-chasing; severity explained 25% of variance in economic wellbeing, with demographic factors moderating the relationship Online sports betting significantly undermines student-athletes’ financial stability, necessitating targeted awareness and intervention strategies High [ 20 ] To determine the prevalence and correlates of sports betting among young male motorcycle taxi riders and examine associations with alcohol and cigarette use Male boda boda riders aged 18–59 years in urban southwestern Uganda 401 Recent sports betting was reported by 18.5% of participants; moderate alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking were significantly associated with betting participation, while income was not Sports betting among economically vulnerable young men is linked to substance use, indicating clustered health risk behaviours in low-resource settings High [ 21 ] To examine the extent to which gambling marketing prompts unplanned gambling expenditure among emerging adults and regular sports bettors Emerging adults (16–24 years) and regular adult sports bettors in Britain 3,549 emerging adults; 3,195 sports bettors Around one-third of gamblers reported marketing-prompted unplanned spend, rising to nearly 90% among problem gamblers; direct marketing and social media engagement were key predictors Interactive and targeted marketing practices play a significant role in unplanned gambling expenditure, particularly among those already experiencing harm High [ 22 ] To explore how online sports gambling has become normalised within young adult male culture and sports fandom Young adult men aged 18–35 years in the UK 32 Online sports gambling was perceived as a routine part of sports fandom; mobile apps and inducements reduced perceived risk and encouraged impulsive betting, contributing to financial and psychosocial harms The normalisation of online sports gambling among young men poses significant public health concerns requiring stronger regulatory oversight High [ 23 ] To examine associations between problem sports betting severity and mental health and well-being among young adults Young adult sports bettors aged 18–29 years in the United States 221 Higher sports betting severity was associated with increased depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and reduced well-being, even at subclinical levels Problematic sports betting is closely linked to adverse mental health outcomes, reinforcing the need for early prevention and integrated interventions High [ 24 ] To examine whether the legalization of sports betting in the United States leads to changes in problem gambling severity over time using longitudinal evidence Adult sports bettors residing in US states with and without legalized sports betting 112 No significant time × legalization interaction was found, indicating no large immediate increase in problem gambling severity following legalization; however, younger and single participants exhibited higher severity levels Legalization was not associated with detectable short-term increases in problem gambling severity, though smaller or delayed effects cannot be ruled out, underscoring the need for continued monitoring and targeted harm-reduction strategies Moderate [ 25 ] To assess whether framing gambling opportunities as sports bets, rather than neutral lotteries, influences valuation and beliefs among regular bettors Regular sports bettors in urban Tanzania 729 Sports-betting framing led to higher valuations and inflated perceived probabilities of winning compared to equivalent lotteries, despite similar losses; information provision did not correct misperceptions The appeal of sports betting is driven by cognitive biases and framing effects rather than rational expectations, with important implications for consumer protection in low-income settings Moderate [ 26 ] To examine how online sports betting severity and demographic factors influence perceived mental health outcomes among student-athletes Student-athletes in Kenyan universities 385 student-athletes (+ 38 officials) Gambling severity was positively associated with poor mental health outcomes; demographic factors significantly moderated this relationship, increasing explanatory power Online sports betting exacerbates mental health risks among student-athletes, particularly when demographic vulnerabilities interact with gambling intensity High [ 27 ] To explore longitudinal changes in sports betting behaviours during COVID-19 disruptions Regular sports bettors in Britain 16 (13 follow-up) Gambling patterns were episodic and fluid; marketing and disrupted routines amplified harms, while resumed structure mitigated risk Gambling behaviour is dynamic and context-dependent, requiring flexible, multifaceted harm-reduction approaches High [ 28 ] To examine the association between online sports betting severity and psychological distress among Ghanaian youth Youth sports bettors in Volta Region, Ghana 403 Gambling severity strongly predicted psychological distress; problem gamblers faced over nine times higher odds of distress Online sports betting constitutes a major public mental health risk among Ghanaian youth High [ 29 ] To identify longitudinal predictors of problem gambling severity among young Australian men Young men aged 18–25 in Australia 265 Higher sports gambling frequency and depression predicted later gambling severity; anxiety showed a protective effect Sports betting frequency is a key modifiable risk factor for gambling problems in young men High [ 30 ] To assess links between gambling behaviours and mental and financial wellbeing among Irish young adults National cohort of Irish young adults 4,211 Gambling was not linked to short-term mental health outcomes but doubled odds of loan repayment difficulties Financial harms may emerge earlier than psychological harms in young gamblers Moderate [ 31 ] To identify psychological, behavioural, and social predictors of gambling risk among adolescents and young adults Italian high school and university students 314 Gambling risk was associated with impulse dyscontrol, substance use, trauma, and maladaptive coping Youth gambling risk is embedded within broader psychopathological and behavioural profiles High [ 32 ] To examine perceived moral, motivational, and academic impacts of sports betting among college students College of Education students in Ghana 302 Students acknowledged addictive potential and academic harm despite normalising betting morally High [ 33 ] To assess socio-economic effects of sports betting on youth livelihoods Youth aged 18–35 in Gashua, Nigeria 300 (+ 20 interviews) Betting driven by unemployment led to debt, addiction, and social strain outweighing benefits Sports betting exacerbates socio-economic vulnerability among unemployed youth Low [ 34 ] To examine pathways linking gambling addiction, intention, and financial wellbeing Young adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina 217 Gambling addiction increased intention, which reduced financial wellbeing Gambling harms operate through sequential psychological pathways High [ 35 ] To assess prevalence, predictors, and academic impacts of sports betting among undergraduates Nigerian university undergraduates 406 Advertising influence strongly predicted problem gambling and academic harm Marketing regulation is critical for protecting students High [ 36 ] To determine prevalence of sports betting problems among university student-athletes Nigerian university student-athletes 118 Over 40% were moderate/problem bettors, exceeding global averages Student-athletes represent a high-risk gambling subgroup Moderate [ 37 ] To estimate prevalence and correlates of adolescent problem gambling in rural Ghana Rural in-school adolescents (10–19 years) 1,101 One-third reported problem gambling; abuse, alcohol use, and bullying were strong predictors Adolescent gambling is embedded in social adversity and requires gender-sensitive interventions High [ 38 ] To examine psychosocial impacts of sports betting among Ethiopian youth Adolescents and young adults in Ethiopia 140 Betting frequency correlated with psychological distress and social dysfunction Sports betting contributes to adverse psychosocial outcomes Moderate [ 39 ] To explore psychosocial and economic impacts of sports betting among Nigerian youth Youth aged 18–30 in Ibadan, Nigeria 385 (+ 10 interviews) Betting was associated with financial strain, deception, and social conflict Sports betting imposes net socio-economic harm on youth High [ 40 ] To explore psychosocial and economic consequences of betting in urban Ethiopia Youth and adults in Bahir Dar City 33 Participants Betting led to severe psychological distress, family breakdown, and economic loss Betting poses profound psychosocial and economic risks in weakly regulated contexts High Discussion The current review questions the conceptualisation of sports betting among young adults as a phenomenon in the literature available on this issue, the financial health consequences that accompany this involvement, and the situational, behavioural, and institutional factors that inform this relationship. All evidence points to the idea that sport betting among young adults is not just a personal form of relaxation, but it is more of a practise that can be found within the community, and that such a direction has been decided by the social structure and thus cemented in stone regarding the long-term repercussions on financial well-being [ 1 , 21 , 22 , 27 ]. These results are combined with previous research to summarise the research findings and outline potential policy, regulation, and research implications. First, the literature has shown repeatedly that sports betting is an established behaviour among the social milieus of young adults, in both cases via sports fandom, peer networks, and online [ 22 , 27 , 33 ]. The betting is often presented either as a form of entertainment or a show of sporting expertise as opposed to a financially dangerous activity, which is intensified by substantial advertising and the promotion through inducement [ 1 , 21 ]. It has been found that young adults tend to take gambling lightly, particularly when gambling is socially endorsed and affordable through a small start-up [ 25 ]. Second, there is compelling evidence that shows that involvement in sports betting is correlated with poor financial health performances of young adults. In a variety of situations, severity of betting is associated with monetary pressure, including excess spending, debts, borrowing, and loss of financial authority [ 19 , 28 , 35 , 37 ]. Importantly, some of the studies have found that financial harm occurs even in the low- and-average-risk bettors, negating the adequacy of problem-gambling thresholds as the sole predictor of harm [ 21 , 30 ]. In groups of young people with weak economies, bettors were found to undermine investment in education, the prospects of livelihood, and long-term financial paths [ 19 , 32 , 40 ]. All these data are counterproductive to the storeys, which present sports betting as an opportunity to earn money as a financial strategy among young adults. Third, interacting behavioural, socio-economic, and institutional factors also determine the relationship that exists between sports betting and financial health. At a personal level, impulsivity, emotional upheaval, substance consumption, and depression are always linked to increased betting intensity and poor financial performance [ 20 , 23 , 29 , 31 ]. However, these vulnerabilities act within the wider structural frames, where there is unemployment, lack of income security, and no economic opportunity, especially in sub-Saharan African contexts [ 28 , 33 , 37 ]. On the institutional level, lax regulatory systems, ubiquitous advertisements, and unlimited access to mobile gambling applications have been determined to promote perpetual financial damage [ 21 , 35 ]. In jurisdictions where legalisation is stricter, it still fails to eradicate risk where the marketing exposure is still high, and protections to the young adults are still minimal [ 24 ]. Table 3 Thematic Evidence Mapping of Sports Betting among Young People Sports Betting Determinant / Outcome Studies High prevalence and normalisation of sports betting among young people [ 26 , 28 , 32 , 33 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. Male dominance in sports betting participation [ 28 , 29 , 31 , 33 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. Financial motivation and the pursuit of quick income [ 32 , 33 , 35 , 37 , 38 , 40 ]. Peer influence and social embedding of betting practices [ 27 , 32 , 33 , 35 , 37 , 38 ]. Easy access to online betting platforms and mobile technologies [ 28 , 30 , 34 , 35 , 38 ]. Advertising, promotions, and aggressive marketing exposure [ 27 , 30 , 35 ]. Transition from recreational betting to problematic gambling [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 35 , 36 , 39 ]. Psychological distress (stress, anxiety, depression, emotional instability) [ 26 , 28 , 29 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]. Suicidal ideation and severe mental health consequences [ 26 , 40 ] Financial strain, debt accumulation, and loan repayment difficulties [ 30 , 33 , 34 , 37 , 40 ] Academic disruption and reduced educational engagement [ 32 , 35 , 36 , 40 ] Substance use and co-occurring risk behaviours [ 26 , 31 , 37 , 38 , 39 ] Unemployment and socioeconomic vulnerability as drivers [ 33 , 37 , 39 ] Weak regulatory environments and limited institutional safeguards [ 30 , 33 , 37 , 40 ] Cultural acceptance and moral ambivalence toward betting [ 32 , 37 ] Protective factors and reductions in betting under changing life conditions [ 27 , 29 , 30 ] Context-specific vulnerabilities in low- and middle-income settings [ 26 , 28 , 32 , 33 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ] Gendered and age-specific risk patterns [ 29 , 31 , 39 ] Industry adaptability and product innovation sustaining engagement [ 27 , 34 ] Need for targeted public health, educational, and regulatory interventions [ 26 , 28 , 30 , 33 , 35 , 37 , 40 ] Practical implications for policy and interventions The results of the scoping review prove that the conceptualisation of sports betting among young adults should be perceived as a social concern regarding the health and financial well-being of the population, but not an individual problem of responsibility. The continued relation between gambling involvement and premature economic damages, such as amplified monetary strain, growing debt, and loss of savings suggest that confirmatory systems founded mainly on problem gambling indicators are insufficient. The policymakers should shift to a population-wide harm reduction policy that includes the financial health indicators in the gambling surveillance service that will help indicate the harmful trends in this population subgroup earlier. An example of a policy implication that is salient will be the regulation of the inducement and marketing of gambling. The review confirms that the promotional strategies include bonus schemes, free betting, and targeted online advertising as key processes of normalising gambling and creating an impulsive, wasteful behaviour. Enhanced legislation against such marketing, especially in the digital and sport-related media settings, which are eminently served by young adults, would reduce exposure and destabilise risk. Particularly in situations where there has been regulatory control, but not implementation, augmented enforcement systems become particularly important. The results also indicate the need to integrate gambling harm prevention into more comprehensive financial literacy and youth development interventions. The combination of education on the risks associated with betting and actual training on various financial capability aspects (such as budgeting, debt management, and long-term financial planning) will help to focus on the root causes of betting participation. This will be particularly relevant in the low and middle-income contexts where sport betting can be viewed as a source of income despite the reported financial harm. Early intervention initiatives at the service level ought to be more comprehensive than specialised services on gambling treatment. Financial counselling, student support services, and primary healthcare settings are some of the important points of entry into placing bets in order to detect financial harm associated with betting early. The integration of short-term screening tools into these services would help me to support and make referrals promptly. Study Limitations and Future Study Recommendations. This scoping review has a number of limitations, which are to be taken into consideration when interpreting the findings. First, the review considered studies published in English only since 2020, and thus, it might have led to the omission of possible knowledge published in other languages or older studies as a foundation. Second, even though the review concentrated on primary empirical studies, most of the studies were cross-sectional designs that used self-reported instruments that were used to assess the betting behaviour and financial success. This restricts causal inference and enhances the chances of recall and social desirability bias. Third, the evidence had been concentrated around high-income nations with relatively fewer evaluations in low- and middle-income contexts, limiting the ability of the study to generalise the results to various regulatory and socio-economic settings. Lastly, although the quality of methods was assessed with references to JBI and MMAT tools, scoping reviews do not filter out the studies in terms of their quality, which implies that certain results might be contaminated with the studies that are characterized by moderate quality limitations. The future studies would benefit from longitudinal and mixed-method research to uncover the longer causal relationships between sports betting and financial health. It is also important that more context-specific research is needed in low and middle-income nations, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, to understand how regulatory gaps, the inflated betting industry, and mobile money infrastructure determine financial abuse. Future studies need to combine both objective financial indicators and self-reported data and investigate the efficacy of the policy and intervention strategies to alleviate the effects of betting-related financial harm in young adults. Conclusion A current scoping review of the existing empirical findings in the field of sports betting and the financial well-being among young adults demonstrated that there is a relative stability in the correlation between engaging in sports betting and poor financial consequences, including, but not limited to, financial stress, debt, and reduced savings. The results highlight the importance of the interplay between social normalisation, virtual access, and marketing behaviours, as well as behavioural and institutional factors in increasing financial vulnerability among young adults. Though the evidence base is still biased to various geographic settings, the review reveals the need for policy interventions that will not be focused on individual responsibility but rather on the preventive and public health-based model. Financial damage caused by sports betting requires concerted efforts in such areas as the development of regulatory regulations, timely prevention, and the establishment of financial well-being within the policies and programmes targeting youth. References Di Censo G, Delfabbro P, King DL (2024) Examining the role of Sports betting Marketing in Youth Problem Gambling. J Gambl Stud 40(4):2005–2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-024-10347-x López-González H, Estévez A, Griffiths MD (2017) Controlling the illusion of control: a grounded theory of sports betting advertising in the UK. Int Gambl Stud 18(1):39–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/14459795.2017.1377747 Newall PWS, Thobhani A, Walasek L, Meyer C (2019) Live-odds gambling advertising and consumer protection. PLoS ONE 14(6):e0216876. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216876 Turcu I, Burcea G, Diaconescu D (2020) The impact of the betting industry on sports. Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov Series IX. 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Int J Soc Res Methodol 8(1):19–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616 17, Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, O’Brien KK, Colquhoun H, Levac D, Moher D, Peters MD, Horsley T, Weeks L, Hempel S, Akl EA, Chang C, McGowan J, Stewart L, Hartling L, Aldcroft A, Wilson MG, Garritty C, Straus SE (2018) PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-SCR): Checklist and explanation. Ann Intern Med 169(7):467–473. https://doi.org/10.7326/m18-0850 18, Hong QN (2018) Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) Version 2018 User Guide. Retrieved December 9, 2025, from http://mixedmethodsappraisaltoolpublic.pbworks.com/ Di Censo G, Delfabbro P, King DL (2023) Young people’s perceptions of the effects and value of sports betting inducements. Int J Mental Health Addict 23(2):1370–1390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-023-01173-0 Benson GN, Munayi SP, Wanjira J, Inyega J (2021) Examining the effects of online sports betting on the perceived economic wellbeing of student-athletes. Int J Res Bus Social Sci 2147–4478(7):242–248. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v10i7.1435 Nabifo SC, Izudi J, Bajunirwe F (2021) Alcohol consumption and sports-betting among young male motorcycle taxi boda boda riders in urban southwestern Uganda. BMC Public Health 21(1):363. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10406-7 Wardle H, Critchlow N, Brown A, Donnachie C, Kolesnikov A, Hunt K (2022) The association between gambling marketing and unplanned gambling spend: Synthesised findings from two online cross-sectional surveys. Addict Behav 135:107440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107440 McGee D (2020) On the normalisation of online sports gambling among young adult men in the UK: a public health perspective. Public Health 184:89–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2020.04.018 Shaygan A, Lambuth J, Song F, Hurtado M, Lostutter TW, Graupensperger S (2024) More than fun and games: Problematic sports betting and its adverse impact on mental health and well-being in young adults. Psychiatry Res 342:116258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116258 Xu T, Grubbs JB, Kraus SW (2025) A longitudinal investigation of sports betting legalization’s influence on problem gambling. Addict Behaviours 170:108448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108448 Chegere MJ, Falco P, Nieddu MG, Pandolfi L, Mattea Stein (2025) The Magic of the Game: Experimental evidence on Sports Betting behaviour. J Economic Behav Organ. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107301 Gathoni B, Munayi S, Wanjira J, Apaak D, Amakye E (2024) Online sports betting and demographic Factors’ effects on Student-Athletes’ mental health. Int J Phys Educ Recreation Sports 2(2):1–11. https://doi.org/10.47604/ijpers.2550 Brown A, Donnachie C, Critchlow N, Bunn C, Dobbie F, Gray CM, Purves R, Reith G, Wardle H, Hunt K (2025) Changes and continuities in gambling careers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal qualitative study of regular sports bettors in Britain. BMC Public Health 25(1):63. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-21077-5 Manu E, Acquah F, Douglas M, Akitty E, Zanu EP, Ampomah MA, Adoma PO (2024) Betting high, feeling low: a cross-sectional examination of gambling severity and psychological distress among Ghanaian youth. BMC Public Health , 24(1), 2032. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19550-2 Mancini VO, Brett JD, Heirene RM, Fisher K, Nevill TP, Mitrou F (2025) Predicting Problem gambling in Young men: The impact of sports gambling frequency and internalizing symptoms. J Gambl Stud 41(3):1119–1144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10403-0 Mohan G (2025) Frequency of gambling, mental health, and financial stress among young adults. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-24930-3 Rizzo A, La Rosa VL, Commodari E, Alparone D, Crescenzo P, Yıldırım M, Chirico F (2023) Wanna bet? Investigating the factors related to adolescent and young adult gambling. 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Discover Mental Health 5(1):134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-025-00214-5 Kerimu IJ, Ibraheem TO, Aina MG, Awosika OJ, Elufidipe-Olumide HA (2025) Sports betting and gambling problems among University Student-Athletes. J Sport Ind Blockchain Technol. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15663047 Njemanze VC, Nwokporo N, Agha EI, Nwosu EO, Alex Ekwueme Ndufu-Alike (2020) I. A., &. Public perception and the socio-economic effects of sports betting on youths in Ibadan. J Social Sci Humanit, 5(1) Abebe WG, Adamu DW (2023) Prevalence of sport betting and its relationship with young and adult’s psychosocial behavior in Hawassa City. Int Journal School Cogn Psychology. https://doi.org/10.35248/2469-9837.23.10.280 Odame SK, Quarshie EN, Oti-Boadi M, Andoh-Arthur J, Asante KO (2020) Adolescent Problem gambling in rural Ghana: prevalence and gender differentiation. J Gambl Stud 37(1):83–105. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-020-09987-6 Alemu LM, Almaw TE (2024) Psychosocial and economic impacts of betting among the youth and adults in Bahir Dar City. Ethiop J Social Sci 10(2):104–106 Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9125426","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Systematic Review","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":606223821,"identity":"a5bcee3b-87b1-4723-b5e4-bf67da177b60","order_by":0,"name":"Evans Kwaku Amakye","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACHgYGxgYog+EDELOxk6KFcQZICzMpWphBNjEQ0sLPc8bw48w2u2j+njOGj21+bZPnY2Zg/PAxB7cWyd4eY8mNbcm5M872GBvn9t02bGNmYJacuQ23FoPzvBskH7Yx5zac5zGTzu25zQjUwsbMi0eL/XnezT8fttXnzj/PY/7bsue2PUEtBry924AOO5y74WyPGTPDj9uJBLVInDn/zXLGueO5G88cK5bsbbid3MbM2IzXL/w9ack3e8qqc+edSd744cef27bz25sPfviIRwsS4DBgYGwDMSDxRAxgf8DA8IdYxaNgFIyCUTCSAABGcFUReai1tAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1529-1245","institution":"University Of Ghana","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Evans","middleName":"Kwaku","lastName":"Amakye","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-15 00:07:52","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":true,"vertebrateSubjects":true,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true,"humanSubjectConsent":true,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9125426/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9125426/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104814577,"identity":"9a7eb142-a837-46f1-a71d-31c6ef781bcd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-17 13:13:11","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":48729,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePRISMA Flow Diagram\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9125426/v1/9c6e25ce4f4602fd2bc95e0c.png"},{"id":104814891,"identity":"e1c83d25-7b1d-471e-aba4-6c9a00571c76","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-17 13:13:36","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1325556,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9125426/v1/c1e352d5-473b-4df4-a56e-6e94543b4c58.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSports Betting and Financial–Health Outcomes Among Young Adults: A Scoping Review\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eSports betting has become one of the fastest-growing forms of gambling on a global scale, largely driven by the increasing use of digitalisation, the proliferation of mobile technology, and the liberalisation of gambling laws in many jurisdictions. Sports betting has become quite convenient, especially among young adults who are technology-focused and heavy consumers of sports media due to the proliferation of online betting platforms [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]. Vicious marketing, including celebrity endorsements, in-play betting features, and social media advertisements, also further normalise betting habits among this group [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]. Therefore, sport betting has increasingly become a form of recreational activity, evolving from a pastime into a routine consumption behaviour that is integrated into modern sporting culture. Even though this growth has placed economic benefits in the hands of both the operators and governments in the form of taxes and creation of jobs, the same has brought forth apprehensions of the social and financial consequences amongst the vulnerable groups, especially young adults who have had to face early financial autonomy [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eYoung adulthood is one of the critical developmental stages, characterised by education, work, stable incomes, and financial responsibility. In this age group, people often have very low levels of financial literacy, experience volatile income, and are burdened by student loan debts, all of which increase their vulnerability to risky financial behaviour [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]. According to empirical research, sports betting among young adults is linked with the impulsive decision-making process, vision of the risk, and overestimation of the possible financial benefits [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]. Unlike in other types of gambling, sports betting is often presented as a skill-based, but not a chance-based game, which strengthens the assumptions about the fact that sports knowledge would allow generating reliable financial results. Such cognitive framing can lead to such incentives as placing even multiple bets, increasing financial risks, and persistently, which consequently will threaten the financial well-being and, in general wellbeing of young adults [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinancial health is a broad philosophical notion that takes into account the income levels of individuals but also remains the level of expense management, financial shock absorption, and manageable debt levels, as well as future planning abilities [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]. Problematic sports betting has been in recent research associated with poor economic results, such as building up of debt, less savings, late payment of bills, borrowing via informal finance, and financial strain [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. The psychological distress, negative social relationships, and poor work or academic performance usually increases financial harm, which is a vicious circle in which gambling behaviour and financial fragility are associated [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]. Even at these harms that are documented in literature, the literature is still in a splintering condition, with various studies having different conceptualisations of financial health nearness, methodological frameworks, and a focus on populations. Numerous studies analyse the harm of gambling on a very general basis and do not focus on sports betting or disaggregate the outcomes on this particular population group, which restricts the possibility of coherent conclusion-making in that way [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIrrespective of the increasing amount of research on the topic of sports betting involvement and the gambling-related harms, there is little to no such review study that has systematically mapped the manner in which sports betting would impact the financial well-being of young adults in particular contexts. Most of the research that has been conducted takes an individual variable, whether it is frequency of betting, level of gambling, financial stress, or debt consequences, and leaves these factors to be located in a consistent definition of financial well-being. Further, research work in existence mostly looks into psychological or behavioural outcomes without much integration of economics and financial well-being measures. The proposed scoping review aims to fill this gap, thus mapping and synthesising current knowledge on sports betting and financial health in youths globally and other similar situations. The review will aim at establishing the nature, scope, and nature of existing research, conceptual and methodological gaps in the existing research, and underscoring socio-economic, behavioural, and institutional determinants that influence financial outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e "},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis scoping review has been conducted on this basis based on the methodological framework suggested by Arksey and O’Malley, which provides a systematic and clear way of mapping both the width and depth of evidence available regarding a developing topic of research [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. The framework guided the review with the use of six repetitive methods, such as 1) identifying the research questions, (2) identifying relevant studies, (3) selecting studies, (4) charting the data, (5) collating, summarising, and reporting results, and (6) consultation. Besides, the review also complied with the Preferred Reporting Items extension of the systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses to Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) to increase the methodological rigour, transparency, and reproducibility [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e]. The review was underpinned by three research questions: (1) What are the characteristics of existing studies examining sports betting among young adults? (2) What financial health outcomes are associated with sports betting participation in this population? (3) What contextual, behavioural, and institutional factors influence the relationship between sports betting and financial health among young adults? These questions were used to guide all steps of the review process, including the development of the search strategy and data synthesis.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn interdisciplinary evidence range in the field of public health, psychology, economics, and social sciences was found by conducting an extensive literature review using several electronic databases, such as PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, EconLit, and Google Scholar. To be as comprehensive as possible, grey literature, including policy documents, institutional reports, and regulatory publications, was also included. In Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, the Boolean operators were used to combine the search terms involving sports betting, financial health, financial stress, debt, and young adults. Records that were retrieved were also exported to Mendeley, where they are organised, and the duplicates are removed. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were filtered on some predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two reviewers were responsible for data extraction: they paid attention to the author information, the time when the study was conducted, the design, sample specifics, financial health indicators, the major findings, as well as gaps. Misunderstandings were bargained out. The extracted data were analysed using thematic and content analysis to identify patterns, dominant themes, and gaps in the existing evidence on sports betting and financial health among young adults.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEligibility Criteria for Considering Studies\u003c/h3\u003e\u003ch2\u003eInclusion Criteria\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies presenting primary empirical data using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods designs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies published from 2020 to the date of the literature search.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies focusing on young adults, defined as individuals aged 18–35 years, or reporting findings for this age group separately.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies examining sports betting as a primary or clearly identifiable form of gambling, including online and offline sports betting.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies reporting outcomes related to financial health, such as debt, savings behaviour, financial stress, money management difficulties, or other economic consequences.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies conducted in any geographical context.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies published in the English language.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eExclusion Criteria\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eReview articles, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, meta-analyses, commentaries, editorials, conceptual papers, and opinion pieces\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies relying solely on secondary data without primary data collection\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies published before 2020\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies focusing on gambling in general without explicitly isolating sports betting-related findings\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies that do not report financial or economic outcomes, focusing exclusively on psychological, clinical, or behavioural outcomes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies involving populations outside the young adult age range, such as adolescents or older adults, unless young adult data are explicitly disaggregated\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies not published in English.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003ctable id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eComprehensive Keywords and Search Strategy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConcept Area\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKeywords and Synonyms\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBoolean Operators / Search String\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports betting\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e“sports betting”, “sports wagering”, “online sports betting”, “sports gambling”, “mobile betting”, “internet betting”\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(“sports betting” OR “sports wagering” OR “sports gambling” OR “online sports betting” OR “mobile betting”)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinancial health\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e“Financial health”, “financial wellbeing”, “financial well-being”, “financial stress”, “financial hardship”, “debt”, “personal debt”, “savings”, “money problems”, “financial behaviour”\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(“financial health” OR “financial wellbeing” OR “financial stress” OR debt OR savings OR “money problems” OR “financial behaviour”)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePopulation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e“Young adults”, “emerging adults”, “youth”, “early adulthood”, “college students”, “university students”\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(“young adult*” OR “emerging adult*” OR youth OR “college student*” OR “university student*”)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCombined Search Strategy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports betting AND financial health AND young adults\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(“sports betting” OR “sports wagering” OR “sports gambling”) AND (“financial health” OR “financial wellbeing” OR “financial stress” OR debt OR savings) AND (“young adult*” OR “emerging adult*” OR youth)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAppraisal of Studies and Data Extraction\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA rigorous quality appraisal was done on all the studies included in this scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools, which are designed to assess a wide range of study designs, such as qualitative, cross-sectional, longitudinal, and case-study studies. Also, the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) 2018 was applied to studies that followed mixed-method paradigms [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e]. These tools have been used to examine the key methodological standards that included adequacy and representativeness of the sample, adequacy and clarity of description of study settings and other characteristics of the study participants, the appropriateness of data-collection methods and analysis tools, the reliability and validity of financial health outcome measures, relevant sub-populations, as well as the extent to which any potential confounding variables were controlled.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe appraisal of all the eligible studies was done systematically, and the methodological quality was classified as low, moderate, and high according to the number of criteria satisfied in each checklist of appraisal. This was done through the use of this appraisal process in order to ensure that only studies with acceptable methodological standards were used in the synthesis of evidence to improve the credibility and strength of the findings of the review. Although the products of the appraisals did not affect the exclusion of any studies on the sole criterion of quality, the results interpretation was informed, and the limitations of the methods underlying the available evidence base were highlighted.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo reviewers were used in data extraction to ensure consistency, accuracy, and reliability. The information extracted included the authors and study year, country or region where the study took place, the aim of the research, design and methodology, characteristics of the study population, type and form of sports betting studied, financial indicators of health involved, key findings, and the policy or practice implications identified. Any difference of opinion among reviewers was resolved by consensus and debate. The data gathered were then subjected to a thematic analysis and content analysis in order to determine common themes, mainly recurring patterns in the literature, and gaps in the literature. This analytical process made it possible to map in detail the relationship between sports betting and financial health outcomes in young adults, highlighting areas where the areas requiring additional empirical investigation and policy focus are required.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe search in the academic databases and additional sources that allow conducting a systematic literature search took place according to the protocols of the review. The first search resulted in 1,642 records in databases like PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, EconLit, and Google search; the second search brought 112 records in grey literature sources, including institutional repositories, policy documents, and references checking. This summation created a total of 1,754 records to be taken into consideration. After eliminating 286 duplicate records, 1,468 distinct records underwent title and abstract screening in line with the established eligibility measures. Next, after this screening stage, there was a retrieval of 94 full-text articles, which were evaluated in terms of their eligibility. Out of them, 69 were eliminated due to such reasons as insufficient primary empirical data, a date before 2020, insufficient focus on sports betting, no results on finance-health-related outcomes, or inadequate reporting of findings on the young adult population. Finally, 25 major empirical studies were found to meet all the inclusion criteria and included in the resultant synthesis. Figure\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e represents PRISMA flow diagram that defines the whole search and screening procedure in addition to the flow diagram that shows identification, screening, eligibility assessment and inclusion in the review.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFindings\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCharacteristics of included studies\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe studies involved in this review are highly heterogeneous in terms of sample size, methodological approach, study design, and geographic coverage. The studies were different across the sample: in-depth interviews and longitudinal qualitative designs utilised a range of studies with as few as 16 up to 32 respondents [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e], whereas much larger quantitative data sets containing over 3,000 respondents were utilised in nationally representative surveys [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]. Most of the cross-sectional quantitative research presented moderate-to-large sample sizes, mostly between 221 and 567 respondents [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]. Though some ones were occupational or student-oriented, such that a sample of 300 to 425 was considered moderate. Only a small number of studies took task of longitudinal designs, although these were linked to smaller samples due to the increased costs of implementing the repetitions over time [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe evidence base in the methodological sphere was mostly quantitative, in particular, cross-sectional surveys [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]. Instead, these studies were based mostly on the validated self-report measures, like the PGSI, DASS, or other psychometric scales, and regression, correlation, or logistic modelling was used to interpret the results. A more limited yet still important group of studies used qualitative designs, such as focus groups, in-depth interviews, gambling diaries, and longitudinal qualitative interviews [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e], allowing a more in-depth study of lived experience, normalisation processes, and the socio-cultural implications of sports betting. Mixed-methods designs were less common, but there were some included in the studies involving the combination of surveys with surveys or key informant interviews or observations [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e], thus enhancing the contextual interpretation by methodological triangulation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith respect to study design, cross-sectional literature prevailed; thus, constraining the causal knowledge, though providing substantial glimpses of the relationships between sports betting and other outcomes, including mental health, financial well-being, or behavioural patterns. A relatively smaller amount of research included longitudinal designs, including cohort studies and natural experiments [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e], therefore, providing stronger evidence of the relation over time and the effect of a policy intervention. The number of experimental designs was limited, but interesting, as one lab-in-the-field experiment that severely isolated the effects of framing on sports-betting behaviour was conducted [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e]. This heterogeneity of methods highlights the development of the subject discussed as well as the gaps that have existed to date.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuality appraisal, which used the framework of JBI and MMAT, showed methodological rigour variance. Research which was designed with clear sampling methods, reliable measures, and intensive measures of analysis was mostly rated highly on methodological quality criterion especially those that were designed with large-quantitative surveys and well-constructed longitudinal studies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]. It was also found that qualitative research which embraced the application of transparent analytic processes and reflexive practises had high methodological standards [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]. On the other hand, some cross-sectional and cross-method research had been rated as medium quality because they used self-report data, limited extrapolation, or did not provide sufficient information about the combination of the qualitative and quantitative elements [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]. The geographical coverage of the studies covered both high-income and low- and middle-income countries, namely the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, the United States, Italy, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This distribution shows the universality of harm related to sports betting, at the same time demonstrating cultural differences that are formed due to regulations, cultures, and socio-economic factors.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSports betting among young adults\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe analysed literature is very similar in the characterisation of sports betting as a ubiquitous, socially entrenched activity which is closely linked to youth-culture, sports consumption, and digital lifestyles. One of the studies suggests that in the first instance of getting involved in gambling, young adults rarely speak of it as a risky use of money; they tend to regard it as a recreational activity, one that involves skills or makes them money. Both qualitative and quantitative research support the idea that the participation of people in early stages is more driven by peer influence, exposure to marketing, and the accessibility offered by mobile technologies. Nevertheless, as time passed, several studies show a movement of experiential trends whereby there is a rise in the frequency of betting, spending, and emotional investment. All the literature places emphasis on the fact that sports betting is a dynamic behaviour in young adults that is motivated by social norms and developing personal incentives, and is not a fixed or independent behaviour.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eNormalisation and social embedding of sports betting.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe reviewed studies present sports betting as being normalised in the coverage of the social contexts of young adults, mainly in groups of male peers and among participants in sports activities [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]. Betting is continually talked about as a supplement to watching football or having a sports media experience, but not as something that can harm one a bit. This normalisation is further sponsored by advertising, sponsorship, and social media content, which makes betting look like an amusement and a sign of knowledge about sports [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]. Peer networks have also been discovered to authorise betting participation in both African and European contexts, and reduce the perception of risk [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003ePatterns and intensity of betting engagement.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere are high rates of participation and frequency of betting by young adults as reported in the reviewed studies, with most of them betting either weekly or daily [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e]. Betting is dominated on the online and mobile platform that allows access to ongoing access and betting cycles [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]. Other works prove that the proportion of young punters who become moderate or high-risk is rather high, which means that intensive gambling is not an anomaly but a trend [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eTransitions from recreational to problematic betting.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results of the studies reveal that betting usually starts with small amounts or as a trial, but slowly gets stiffer in an inorganic manner [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]. Promotional bids, running after a loss and after a win, passions add to the progression of involvement [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e]. The qualitative and longitudinal evidence indicate that this process tends to be slow, and the young bettors themselves lack a clear understanding of the damage, thus it tends to come late [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eFinancial health outcomes associated with sports betting participation among young adults.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThrough the reviewed studies, a consistent finding has been in accordance with the assertion that sports betting involvement in young adults is linked with a series of unhealthy monetary results. Although the sudden and incidental bet may be discussed as a form of harmless entertainment, as displayed in the literature, a continued level of involvement can be said to weaken financial stability. Numerous documents state that financial damages also sprout earlier, prior to people passing criteria of problem gambling. Such consequences are especially high in the case of students, young people who do not have any jobs, and those who work informally, where the loss on betting overlaps with the financial deficit. These studies indicate that there is a trend where sports betting adds to the economic precarity instead of reducing it, contrary to the perceptions that there is the potential to make a profit off it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFinancial strain, debt, and loss of financial control\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNumerous studies report the connection between the severity of betting and financial strain, which includes excessive spending, borrowing, pursuing losses, and a failure to pay essential expenses [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]. Young adults often complained about betting more than they could afford, and using a loan or other informal sources to keep betting, which perpetuates the cycles of debts [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]. The longitudinal evidence also provides that a high rate of betting can boost the chances of repaying a loan at a later stage [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eEducational and livelihood-related financial consequences.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong students and young adults in training or early employment, betting-related financial losses were linked to misuse of tuition fees, reduced study resources, and compromised academic performance [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e]. In low-income contexts, studies reported asset liquidation, reduced productivity, and unstable livelihoods resulting from persistent betting losses [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]. These findings indicate that financial harm extends beyond immediate monetary loss to broader life-course outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eEscalation and cumulative financial harm.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA number of studies indicate that the extent of financial loss can be severe with regard to the frequency and exposure to inducements [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]. Experimental evidence that demonstrates that sports-betting framing has the effect of overstating the observed probabilities of receiving a payoff, thereby prompting more spending and recurring losses [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e]. It appears that moderately and highly risk-takers are particularly susceptible to progressive financial losses in the long run [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eContextual, behavioural, and institutional factors influencing the relationship between sports betting and financial health\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe interaction of behavioural, social, and institutional determinants of sports betting and financial health in young adults. The reviewed literature shows that the individual decision-making process alone cannot result in financial harm, but instead, it manifests itself in larger socio-economic and regulatory contexts. Personal susceptibilities combine with violent marketing, social norms, and ineffective regulation controls to support wagering activities. These relationships are particularly high in situations that are defined by unemployment, lack of social protection, and exposure to a great extent to digital betting platforms.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eBehavioural and Psychological Influence.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePersonal influences, such as impulsivity, emotional distress, drug use, and depression, were continually linked to an increase in the intensity of betting and poor results in financial terms [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e]. Loss-chasing and taking risky bets were more probable among young adults under psychological pressure, and, therefore, it made them more financially vulnerable [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]. Betting based on marketing increased these behaviour risks even more [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eSocial-economic and cultural Factors.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe problem of high unemployment, financial insecurity, and strong forces of peers become the major drivers of betting in sub-Saharan African contexts [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]. Even in these reduced economic environments, gambling is often framed as an effective form of earning, notwithstanding reported net financial losses [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]. Additionally, peer group social approval strengthens further interaction and dampens the subjective economic risk [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eOrganisational and legislative realms.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmpirical research highlights the role of lax regulatory practises, intensive advertisements, and the availability of mobile betting sites in continuing bets that are financially unsustainable [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e]. Results of jurisdictions with greater regulatory control suggest that legalisation is not covering the recidivism of harm, especially when the level of marketing exposure is elevated, and the guardian controls against young adults are weak [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e]. These findings support the need for combined regulation systems in relation to harm-reducing initiatives.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExtracted Evidence Table of Included Studies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAuthor\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePurpose of the Study\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudy Population\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample Size\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMain findings\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConclusion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAppraisal Score\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine whether sports betting marketing factors (advertising exposure, advertising-driven decisions, and inducements) predict problem gambling severity among young sports bettors after controlling for demographic, psychological, and behavioural risk factors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYoung adults aged 18\u0026ndash;24 years with active sports betting accounts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e567\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdvertising-driven betting decisions and perceived susceptibility to betting inducements were strong predictors of problem gambling severity, while advertising exposure alone was not independently significant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports betting marketing contributes to gambling-related harm primarily through psychological vulnerability to inducements rather than exposure alone, supporting tighter regulation of betting advertising targeting young adults\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo assess the association between sports betting participation and mental health outcomes among young adults, with a focus on psychological distress and subjective well-being\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYoung adults from a nationally representative UK population sample\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSeveral thousand respondents\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports betting participation, including low to moderate levels, was significantly associated with higher psychological distress and lower subjective well-being, even after controlling for socio-demographic factors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports betting is associated with adverse mental health outcomes at the population level and should be treated as a public health concern rather than a benign leisure activity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine young adults\u0026rsquo; perceptions of different sports betting inducements and their perceived influence on betting behaviour and gambling risk\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYoung adults aged 18\u0026ndash;24 years with prior sports betting experience in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e130\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSign-up offers and bonus bets were perceived as having the strongest influence on betting likelihood, perceived value, and high-risk gambling, particularly among moderate- and problem-risk gamblers; perceived susceptibility to inducements independently predicted PGSI scores\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eZero- or low-cost inducements exert disproportionate influence on young bettors, especially higher-risk individuals, supporting regulatory restrictions on such promotions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo assess the effect of online sports betting on the economic wellbeing of student-athletes in Kenyan universities\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUniversity student-athletes and sports officials in Kenya\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85 student-athletes (up to 423 respondents targeted)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGambling severity was strongly associated with poor economic wellbeing, including overspending, borrowing, tuition misuse, and loss-chasing; severity explained 25% of variance in economic wellbeing, with demographic factors moderating the relationship\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOnline sports betting significantly undermines student-athletes\u0026rsquo; financial stability, necessitating targeted awareness and intervention strategies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo determine the prevalence and correlates of sports betting among young male motorcycle taxi riders and examine associations with alcohol and cigarette use\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale boda boda riders aged 18\u0026ndash;59 years in urban southwestern Uganda\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e401\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRecent sports betting was reported by 18.5% of participants; moderate alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking were significantly associated with betting participation, while income was not\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports betting among economically vulnerable young men is linked to substance use, indicating clustered health risk behaviours in low-resource settings\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine the extent to which gambling marketing prompts unplanned gambling expenditure among emerging adults and regular sports bettors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmerging adults (16\u0026ndash;24 years) and regular adult sports bettors in Britain\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3,549 emerging adults; 3,195 sports bettors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAround one-third of gamblers reported marketing-prompted unplanned spend, rising to nearly 90% among problem gamblers; direct marketing and social media engagement were key predictors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInteractive and targeted marketing practices play a significant role in unplanned gambling expenditure, particularly among those already experiencing harm\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo explore how online sports gambling has become normalised within young adult male culture and sports fandom\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYoung adult men aged 18\u0026ndash;35 years in the UK\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOnline sports gambling was perceived as a routine part of sports fandom; mobile apps and inducements reduced perceived risk and encouraged impulsive betting, contributing to financial and psychosocial harms\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe normalisation of online sports gambling among young men poses significant public health concerns requiring stronger regulatory oversight\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine associations between problem sports betting severity and mental health and well-being among young adults\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYoung adult sports bettors aged 18\u0026ndash;29 years in the United States\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e221\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigher sports betting severity was associated with increased depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and reduced well-being, even at subclinical levels\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProblematic sports betting is closely linked to adverse mental health outcomes, reinforcing the need for early prevention and integrated interventions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine whether the legalization of sports betting in the United States leads to changes in problem gambling severity over time using longitudinal evidence\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdult sports bettors residing in US states with and without legalized sports betting\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e112\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo significant time \u0026times; legalization interaction was found, indicating no large immediate increase in problem gambling severity following legalization; however, younger and single participants exhibited higher severity levels\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLegalization was not associated with detectable short-term increases in problem gambling severity, though smaller or delayed effects cannot be ruled out, underscoring the need for continued monitoring and targeted harm-reduction strategies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo assess whether framing gambling opportunities as sports bets, rather than neutral lotteries, influences valuation and beliefs among regular bettors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegular sports bettors in urban Tanzania\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e729\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports-betting framing led to higher valuations and inflated perceived probabilities of winning compared to equivalent lotteries, despite similar losses; information provision did not correct misperceptions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe appeal of sports betting is driven by cognitive biases and framing effects rather than rational expectations, with important implications for consumer protection in low-income settings\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine how online sports betting severity and demographic factors influence perceived mental health outcomes among student-athletes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent-athletes in Kenyan universities\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e385 student-athletes (+\u0026thinsp;38 officials)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGambling severity was positively associated with poor mental health outcomes; demographic factors significantly moderated this relationship, increasing explanatory power\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOnline sports betting exacerbates mental health risks among student-athletes, particularly when demographic vulnerabilities interact with gambling intensity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo explore longitudinal changes in sports betting behaviours during COVID-19 disruptions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegular sports bettors in Britain\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16 (13 follow-up)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGambling patterns were episodic and fluid; marketing and disrupted routines amplified harms, while resumed structure mitigated risk\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGambling behaviour is dynamic and context-dependent, requiring flexible, multifaceted harm-reduction approaches\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine the association between online sports betting severity and psychological distress among Ghanaian youth\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYouth sports bettors in Volta Region, Ghana\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e403\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGambling severity strongly predicted psychological distress; problem gamblers faced over nine times higher odds of distress\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOnline sports betting constitutes a major public mental health risk among Ghanaian youth\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo identify longitudinal predictors of problem gambling severity among young Australian men\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYoung men aged 18\u0026ndash;25 in Australia\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e265\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigher sports gambling frequency and depression predicted later gambling severity; anxiety showed a protective effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports betting frequency is a key modifiable risk factor for gambling problems in young men\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo assess links between gambling behaviours and mental and financial wellbeing among Irish young adults\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNational cohort of Irish young adults\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4,211\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGambling was not linked to short-term mental health outcomes but doubled odds of loan repayment difficulties\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinancial harms may emerge earlier than psychological harms in young gamblers\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo identify psychological, behavioural, and social predictors of gambling risk among adolescents and young adults\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eItalian high school and university students\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e314\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGambling risk was associated with impulse dyscontrol, substance use, trauma, and maladaptive coping\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYouth gambling risk is embedded within broader psychopathological and behavioural profiles\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine perceived moral, motivational, and academic impacts of sports betting among college students\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCollege of Education students in Ghana\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e302\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudents acknowledged addictive potential and academic harm despite normalising betting morally\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo assess socio-economic effects of sports betting on youth livelihoods\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYouth aged 18\u0026ndash;35 in Gashua, Nigeria\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e300 (+\u0026thinsp;20 interviews)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBetting driven by unemployment led to debt, addiction, and social strain outweighing benefits\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports betting exacerbates socio-economic vulnerability among unemployed youth\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine pathways linking gambling addiction, intention, and financial wellbeing\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYoung adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e217\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGambling addiction increased intention, which reduced financial wellbeing\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGambling harms operate through sequential psychological pathways\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo assess prevalence, predictors, and academic impacts of sports betting among undergraduates\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNigerian university undergraduates\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e406\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdvertising influence strongly predicted problem gambling and academic harm\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarketing regulation is critical for protecting students\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo determine prevalence of sports betting problems among university student-athletes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNigerian university student-athletes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e118\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOver 40% were moderate/problem bettors, exceeding global averages\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent-athletes represent a high-risk gambling subgroup\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo estimate prevalence and correlates of adolescent problem gambling in rural Ghana\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRural in-school adolescents (10\u0026ndash;19 years)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1,101\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOne-third reported problem gambling; abuse, alcohol use, and bullying were strong predictors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdolescent gambling is embedded in social adversity and requires gender-sensitive interventions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine psychosocial impacts of sports betting among Ethiopian youth\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdolescents and young adults in Ethiopia\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e140\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBetting frequency correlated with psychological distress and social dysfunction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports betting contributes to adverse psychosocial outcomes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo explore psychosocial and economic impacts of sports betting among Nigerian youth\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYouth aged 18\u0026ndash;30 in Ibadan, Nigeria\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e385 (+\u0026thinsp;10 interviews)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBetting was associated with financial strain, deception, and social conflict\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports betting imposes net socio-economic harm on youth\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo explore psychosocial and economic consequences of betting in urban Ethiopia\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYouth and adults in Bahir Dar City\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33 Participants\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBetting led to severe psychological distress, family breakdown, and economic loss\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBetting poses profound psychosocial and economic risks in weakly regulated contexts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe current review questions the conceptualisation of sports betting among young adults as a phenomenon in the literature available on this issue, the financial health consequences that accompany this involvement, and the situational, behavioural, and institutional factors that inform this relationship. All evidence points to the idea that sport betting among young adults is not just a personal form of relaxation, but it is more of a practise that can be found within the community, and that such a direction has been decided by the social structure and thus cemented in stone regarding the long-term repercussions on financial well-being [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]. These results are combined with previous research to summarise the research findings and outline potential policy, regulation, and research implications.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst, the literature has shown repeatedly that sports betting is an established behaviour among the social milieus of young adults, in both cases via sports fandom, peer networks, and online [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]. The betting is often presented either as a form of entertainment or a show of sporting expertise as opposed to a financially dangerous activity, which is intensified by substantial advertising and the promotion through inducement [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]. It has been found that young adults tend to take gambling lightly, particularly when gambling is socially endorsed and affordable through a small start-up [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecond, there is compelling evidence that shows that involvement in sports betting is correlated with poor financial health performances of young adults. In a variety of situations, severity of betting is associated with monetary pressure, including excess spending, debts, borrowing, and loss of financial authority [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]. Importantly, some of the studies have found that financial harm occurs even in the low- and-average-risk bettors, negating the adequacy of problem-gambling thresholds as the sole predictor of harm [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]. In groups of young people with weak economies, bettors were found to undermine investment in education, the prospects of livelihood, and long-term financial paths [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]. All these data are counterproductive to the storeys, which present sports betting as an opportunity to earn money as a financial strategy among young adults.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThird, interacting behavioural, socio-economic, and institutional factors also determine the relationship that exists between sports betting and financial health. At a personal\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003elevel, impulsivity, emotional upheaval, substance consumption, and depression are always linked to increased betting intensity and poor financial performance [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e]. However, these vulnerabilities act within the wider structural frames, where there is unemployment, lack of income security, and no economic opportunity, especially in sub-Saharan African contexts [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]. On the institutional level, lax regulatory systems, ubiquitous advertisements, and unlimited access to mobile gambling applications have been determined to promote perpetual financial damage [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e]. In jurisdictions where legalisation is stricter, it still fails to eradicate risk where the marketing exposure is still high, and protections to the young adults are still minimal [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThematic Evidence Mapping of Sports Betting among Young People\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports Betting Determinant / Outcome\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh prevalence and normalisation of sports betting among young people\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale dominance in sports betting participation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinancial motivation and the pursuit of quick income\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePeer influence and social embedding of betting practices\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEasy access to online betting platforms and mobile technologies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdvertising, promotions, and aggressive marketing exposure\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTransition from recreational betting to problematic gambling\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePsychological distress (stress, anxiety, depression, emotional instability)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuicidal ideation and severe mental health consequences\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinancial strain, debt accumulation, and loan repayment difficulties\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcademic disruption and reduced educational engagement\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSubstance use and co-occurring risk behaviours\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnemployment and socioeconomic vulnerability as drivers\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWeak regulatory environments and limited institutional safeguards\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCultural acceptance and moral ambivalence toward betting\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProtective factors and reductions in betting under changing life conditions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eContext-specific vulnerabilities in low- and middle-income settings\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGendered and age-specific risk patterns\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndustry adaptability and product innovation sustaining engagement\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNeed for targeted public health, educational, and regulatory interventions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePractical implications for policy and interventions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results of the scoping review prove that the conceptualisation of sports betting among young adults should be perceived as a social concern regarding the health and financial well-being of the population, but not an individual problem of responsibility. The continued relation between gambling involvement and premature economic damages, such as amplified monetary strain, growing debt, and loss of savings suggest that confirmatory systems founded mainly on problem gambling indicators are insufficient. The policymakers should shift to a population-wide harm reduction policy that includes the financial health indicators in the gambling surveillance service that will help indicate the harmful trends in this population subgroup earlier.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn example of a policy implication that is salient will be the regulation of the inducement and marketing of gambling. The review confirms that the promotional strategies include bonus schemes, free betting, and targeted online advertising as key processes of normalising gambling and creating an impulsive, wasteful behaviour. Enhanced legislation against such marketing, especially in the digital and sport-related media settings, which are eminently served by young adults, would reduce exposure and destabilise risk. Particularly in situations where there has been regulatory control, but not implementation, augmented enforcement systems become particularly important.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results also indicate the need to integrate gambling harm prevention into more comprehensive financial literacy and youth development interventions. The combination of education on the risks associated with betting and actual training on various financial capability aspects (such as budgeting, debt management, and long-term financial planning) will help to focus on the root causes of betting participation. This will be particularly relevant in the low and middle-income contexts where sport betting can be viewed as a source of income despite the reported financial harm.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEarly intervention initiatives at the service level ought to be more comprehensive than specialised services on gambling treatment. Financial counselling, student support services, and primary healthcare settings are some of the important points of entry into placing bets in order to detect financial harm associated with betting early. The integration of short-term screening tools into these services would help me to support and make referrals promptly.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eStudy Limitations and Future Study Recommendations.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis scoping review has a number of limitations, which are to be taken into consideration when interpreting the findings. First, the review considered studies published in English only since 2020, and thus, it might have led to the omission of possible knowledge published in other languages or older studies as a foundation. Second, even though the review concentrated on primary empirical studies, most of the studies were cross-sectional designs that used self-reported instruments that were used to assess the betting behaviour and financial success. This restricts causal inference and enhances the chances of recall and social desirability bias. Third, the evidence had been concentrated around high-income nations with relatively fewer evaluations in low- and middle-income contexts, limiting the ability of the study to generalise the results to various regulatory and socio-economic settings. Lastly, although the quality of methods was assessed with references to JBI and MMAT tools, scoping reviews do not filter out the studies in terms of their quality, which implies that certain results might be contaminated with the studies that are characterized by moderate quality limitations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe future studies would benefit from longitudinal and mixed-method research to uncover the longer causal relationships between sports betting and financial health. It is also important that more context-specific research is needed in low and middle-income nations, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, to understand how regulatory gaps, the inflated betting industry, and mobile money infrastructure determine financial abuse. Future studies need to combine both objective financial indicators and self-reported data and investigate the efficacy of the policy and intervention strategies to alleviate the effects of betting-related financial harm in young adults.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eA current scoping review of the existing empirical findings in the field of sports betting and the financial well-being among young adults demonstrated that there is a relative stability in the correlation between engaging in sports betting and poor financial consequences, including, but not limited to, financial stress, debt, and reduced savings. The results highlight the importance of the interplay between social normalisation, virtual access, and marketing behaviours, as well as behavioural and institutional factors in increasing financial vulnerability among young adults. Though the evidence base is still biased to various geographic settings, the review reveals the need for policy interventions that will not be focused on individual responsibility but rather on the preventive and public health-based model. Financial damage caused by sports betting requires concerted efforts in such areas as the development of regulatory regulations, timely prevention, and the establishment of financial well-being within the policies and programmes targeting youth.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDi Censo G, Delfabbro P, King DL (2024) Examining the role of Sports betting Marketing in Youth Problem Gambling. 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Ethiop J Social Sci 10(2):104\u0026ndash;106\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Self funding","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Sports betting, young adults, financial health, gambling-related harm, scoping review, public health, financial wellbeing","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9125426/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9125426/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eSports betting has grown significantly over the last few years, especially amongst young adults, due to digital media, aggressive advertising, and integration of betting into the sporting culture. Although the available literature is mostly oriented to psychological and behavioural damages, recent facts reveal a high risk of sports betting to the financial health, such as debts, financial stress, and loss of savings. However, these financial impacts on young adults in terms of their scope, nature, and contextual determinants are still not integrated into the literature.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis scoping review has been conducted according to the system of methodology developed by Arksey and O\u0026rsquo;Malley and presented according to the PRISMA-ScR recommendations. Primary empirical research published since 2020 was determined with a systematic search in academic databases and grey literature sources. Eligible studies met the criteria of research on sports betting in young adults and provided outcomes that are related to financial health. The thematic and content analyses were used to chart and synthesise data. The quality of methodological approach was evaluated with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal instruments and Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTwenty-five major studies were eligible to inclusion. The data shows that the sport betting is extremely normalised in young adults and promoted by the ease of access online and promotional deals. The terms that were repeatedly included in the reported financial outcomes were financial stress, accumulation of debts, loss of savings, and poor financial resiliency. The behavioural drivers of these harms included perceived skill and loss chasing, and institutional and socio-technical settings, such as regulatory environments and mobile payment systems. The vast majority of the studies were set in the high-income countries, and there is little evidence related to the low- and middle-income environments.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eBetting in sports is linked with initial and prolonged economic damage among young adults. The results highlight the importance of responding to marketing policy-level, enhanced regulation of marketing behaviours, and combined interventions affecting the financial welfare of a population. Longitudinal designs and context-specific evidence should be initiated in future studies so as to make appropriate prevention strategies.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Sports Betting and Financial–Health Outcomes Among Young Adults: A Scoping Review","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-17 13:11:00","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9125426/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"1ddc7007-5ade-4bae-adf5-c636f3e2ba30","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 17th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":64514375,"name":"Social Policy"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-17T13:11:00+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-17 13:11:00","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9125426","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9125426","identity":"rs-9125426","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}