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With the convenience of mobile devices, sports betting has become more accessible than ever, allowing people to wager anytime and anywhere. However, this convenience often overlaps with environments where alcohol is readily available, such as sports bars or social gatherings, leading to an increased risk of alcohol misuse. Keep reading to better understand some ways that sports betting is associated with alcohol misuse.
Environment: Many gambling events happen in places where alcohol is served, such as casinos or sports bars. Additionally, with the increasing prevalence of mobile sports betting, gambling often occurs in social settings like parties, tailgates or even at home, where alcohol is easily accessible. This convenience makes it easier for people to drink, including binge drinking, while they gamble. Higher levels of alcohol consumption can increase the risk of gambling problems.
Binge drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08% – or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter – or higher. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks (male), or four or more drinks (female), in about two hours. One recent study of binge drinking among people who bet on sports determined that:
Stress: Betting can be stressful, especially if someone is losing money. Some people might drink alcohol to feel less stressed, but this can lead to problems if they drink too much.
Social Pressure: Sometimes, in the excitement of watching sports and betting, everyone around is drinking and it might feel hard not to join in. This can make some people drink more than they usually would.
Peer Influence: Peer influence in sports betting has the tendency to foster social environments where risky behaviors, like drinking games and alcohol misuse, become normalized or encouraged due to shared competitiveness and a tendency to overindulge.
It’s important to recognize how gambling environments, whether physical or virtual, might encourage drinking. With mobile devices making sports betting more accessible than ever, it’s easy for gambling to occur in settings where alcohol is present, increasing the risk of misuse. Understanding the link between sports betting and alcohol misuse can help people make better choices and avoid the risks associated with excessive drinking. If you’re planning to bet or gamble—whether in-person or through a mobile app—and alcohol is involved, consider setting clear boundaries in advance. Decide how much you will drink, or choose not to drink at all, to maintain control and reduce potential risks.
For more information on the health and wellness impacts of sports betting, visit the Warfighter Wellness website .
