Viewing young men’s online wagering through a social practice lens: implications for gambling harm prevention strategies

ABSTRACT

Online wagering has expanded significantly in recent decades and has emerged as a serious public health issue. Research investigating online wagering has predominantly used quantitative methods to explore the determinants that influence young men’s engagement with these products, with fewer qualitative insights. Social practice theory offers a framework in which to qualitatively analyse how online wagering practices are shaped, modified, and evolve. This study explored the online wagering practices of sixteen, 18–24 year old, young men, in Victoria, Australia. In-depth, qualitative interviews explored the contexts and motivations in their early and current wagering practices and the influence of social and structural conditions. Data were interpreted using a reflexive approach to thematic analysis. The data were theoretically conceptualised through a social practice lens, focusing on materials, meanings, and competencies. Materials included social networks and spaces, and wagering infrastructure and marketing. Meanings encompassed peer belongingness and bonding. Perceived competencies included an exaggerated confidence that influenced the type of gambling chosen and perceived spending strategies to achieve financial gain. Importantly, these three elements intersected to form a bundle of wagering practices. Interrupting the interconnection of these bundles may form the basis of public health intervention. Public health research must also continue to monitor how online wagering practices evolve and change in response to a range of interacting determinants and move away from a focus on the individual.

KEYWORDS:

• Young men
• sports betting
• online wagering
• social practices
• public health

Acknowledgements

We extend our thanks for the organisations who agreed to distribute information about the study to their networks of young men and allowed us to attend their venues to approach young men and provide them with information directly. Most importantly, we thank the young men who participated for their time and for openly sharing their lived experiences.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Notes

1. Multi bet involves combining selections from betting markets across two or more sport matches into a single bet.

2. A Punter’s Club is a collectively managed formal or informal syndicate made up of a social network of individuals, who pool together money for the purposes of betting on sport.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. Author One was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship.