Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40727045›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in psychology2025

All bets are on: obsession, engagement, and moral tension in sports betting behavior.

Ronald A Yaros

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

1 author.

Ronald A YarosPhilip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: As legalized sports betting becomes increasingly integrated into American sports culture-particularly within the NFL-concerns have emerged about how such practices influence fans' emotional engagement, behavioral dependency, and moral judgment. This study investigates age-based variation in betting behaviors and identifies key predictors of media consumption, perceived dependency, and concern for others' gambling habits. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey ( Results: EFA revealed four dimensions: Personal Betting Habits, Betting-Driven Enjoyment, Concern for Others, and Perceived Social Addiction. Perceived obsession with betting was the only consistent and strong predictor of increased sports media engagement. Demographic factors such as age and gender were not significant predictors. Concern for others' gambling behavior was only weakly related to personal dependency and confrontation attitudes. Discussion: Findings suggest a form of cognitive dissonance among sports bettors, who may recognize problematic behavior in others but refrain from acting on it, especially when they are highly engaged themselves. This study contributes a multidimensional model of betting-related engagement and highlights the need for improved psychometrics, stakeholder awareness, and future longitudinal research on the psychological complexities of sports gambling.

Indexed as

digital media consumptionfan engagementgambling behaviormoral concernNFLobsessionsports bettinguses and gratifications theory

Identifiers

PMID40727045
PMCPMC12301884

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.