Abstract
Internationally, Internet gambling is increasingly permitted under regulated licensing conditions; however, the specific products that are legal varies between jurisdictions. Online sports and race wagering are now legal in many jurisdictions, but in-play betting (also referred to as “live action” or “in-the-run” betting) is often restricted. In-play betting enables bets to be placed on an event after it has commenced. Prohibitionist policies often cite the potential for this type of betting to increase risk of gambling problems. This study aimed to identify which online bettors are most likely to engage in in-play betting, and to investigate the relationship between in-play betting and gambling problems. Online survey responses were collected from 501 Australian past-month online sports bettors in the context of in-play betting only being available on offshore gambling sites or via telephone betting. Thirty-four percent of participants had placed a bet in-play in the past month. Participants placing in-play bets differed from those who had not in terms of education, employment status, ethnicity, age, and gambling involvement. Those who bet in-play had higher problem gambling severity scores than those who did not bet in-play. Problem gambling severity significantly predicting in-play betting, holding other variables constant. Findings are consistent with previous research indicating that the relationship between in-play gambling and problems holds across jurisdictions which have prohibited and legalized in-play betting. The findings suggest that in-play betting should warrant specific regulatory attention and interventions to minimize gambling harms among individuals that engage with this activity.
Highlights
In-play betting refers to betting markets that allow bets to be wagered after an event, such as a race or sporting matches, have commenced
In-play betting participants were more likely to speak a language other than English at home, χ2 (1, N = 500) = 10.55, p < 0.001, φ =0.15, there was no significant difference in country of birth (p >0.05)
The results of this study show that among the sample of participants who regularly gamble online, in-play betting is relatively common
Summary
In-play betting ( termed “live,” “live action,” or “in-the-run” betting) refers to betting markets that allow bets to be wagered after an event, such as a race or sporting matches, have commenced. In-play betting is becoming an increasingly popular feature of contemporary gambling markets [1]. Statistics on the prevalence of in-play betting are scarce as it is common for the activity not to be measured in prevalence studies. One UK-based survey conducted in 2018 found that 45.4% of bettors surveyed (aged 18–54 years) had bet in-play [2]. Another UK study found that in-play betting among 18- to 24-year-olds rose from 38% in 2015 to 45% in 2016 [3].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
