Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33647707›Full record

ArticleAddictive behaviors2021

The impact of the initial Covid-19 lockdown upon regular sports bettors in Britain: Findings from a cross-sectional online study.

Heather Wardle, Craig Donnachie, Nathan Critchlow, Ashley Brown, Christopher Bunn, Fiona Dobbie, Cindy Gray, Danielle Mitchell, Richard Purves, Gerda Reith and 2 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Addictive behaviors, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Sports betting around the world: A systematic review.Journal of behavioral addictions · 2022
    Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Heather WardleSchool of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Adam Smith Building, Bute Gardens, Glasgow G12 8RT, UK; Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK. Electronic address: Heather.wardle@glasgow.ac.uk.
Craig DonnachieSchool of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Adam Smith Building, Bute Gardens, Glasgow G12 8RT, UK.
Nathan CritchlowInstitute of Social Marketing, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
Ashley BrownInstitute of Social Marketing, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
Christopher BunnSchool of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Adam Smith Building, Bute Gardens, Glasgow G12 8RT, UK.
Fiona DobbieUsher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Doorway 1, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK.
Cindy GrayInstitute of Health and Wellbeing, Room 230, 25-29 Bute Gardens, Glasgow G12 8RS, UK.
Danielle MitchellInstitute of Social Marketing, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
Richard PurvesInstitute of Social Marketing, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
Gerda ReithSchool of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Adam Smith Building, Bute Gardens, Glasgow G12 8RT, UK.
Martine SteadInstitute of Social Marketing, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
Kate HuntInstitute of Social Marketing, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/S019200/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn Britain, unprecedented restrictions on daily life associated with the Covid-19 pandemic included the suspension of professional sports events during the initial 'lockdown'. This provides opportunities to observe changes in sports bettors' behaviour when their primary form of activity is removed and assess the impact of Covid-19 related circumstances upon gambling.

methodsIn July 2020, we conducted an online cross-sectional survey of people who bet regularly (at least monthly) on sports before Covid-19 (n = 3866). Bi-variate analyses compared changes in gambling behaviours before and during the initial lockdown. Multi-variate logistic regression models explored associations between problem gambling (men) and moderate risk or problem gambling (MRPG) (women) with changes in Covid-19 related circumstances and changing gambling behaviours during Britain's initial 'lockdown' (March-June 2020).

results29.8% of male sports bettors and 33.4% of female sports bettors stopped gambling altogether during the initial Covid-19 lockdown, though 17.3% of men and 16.5% of women started a new form of gambling during lockdown. Among men, adjusted odds ratios of problem gambling were higher among those starting a new gambling activity during lockdown (OR = 2.50 [95% CI 1.38-4.53]). Among women, adjusted odds ratios of MRPG were higher among those whose frequency of gambling on any activity increased during lockdown (OR = 4.21 [1.99-8.92] and among those shielding for health reasons. Poorer wellbeing was associated with problem gambling for men and MRPG for women.

conclusionsThose changing gambling behaviours during the initial Covid-19 lockdown (e.g. increasing gambling frequency or starting a new gambling activity) are potentially vulnerable to gambling harms.

Indexed as

COVID-19GamblingSportsCommunicable Disease ControlCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalePandemicsUnited KingdomCovid-19GamblingGambling harmsSports betting

Identifiers

PMID33647707
PMCPMC9757982

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.