The Sports Club As an Ideal Setting for Gambling Prevention?
You can no longer miss it: advertising and sponsorship of online bookmakers, like non Gamstop betting, are increasingly bringing the gambling sector into the picture on and off the sports field. Both international and recent British research meanwhile show that athletes are a risk group when it comes to gambling. The theme of ‘sports betting’ is therefore an issue that both the sports world and the prevention sector must address.
- Athletes in sports clubs are 5.5 times more likely to participate in sports betting (last year) compared to the general population.
- Athletes from sports clubs are 10 times more likely to engage in risky gambling than the general population.
- Young people under the age of 18 are also finding their way to games of chance. Since their brains are still developing, they are also very vulnerable to negative consequences.
- Sports expertise is seen by athletes as an important factor in winning or losing when participating in sports betting. However, research shows that this feeling is unjustified, but it does reinforce the illusion of control.
- The highest risk group for getting into trouble with gambling are the younger men who play a team sport.
- The range of assistance available for gambling problems is insufficiently known and inadequate in certain regions.
Sports Betting Falls Under the Legislation on Games of Chance
Here are some relevant aspects of the legislation on games of chance:
- Games of chance are always prohibited without a license. Sports clubs are not allowed to organize sports betting.
- Advertising for games of chance is subject to a lot of regulations. For example, advertising and sponsorship on equipment and material of underage sports teams are prohibited.
- Sporting events have a major influence on gambling behaviour.
- It is prohibited to participate in a game of chance if the person concerned can have a direct influence on the result. An athlete, for example, may not bet on a competition in which he is involved. If in doubt, it is recommended not to participate.
Arne Nilis Experience
Arne Nilis shared his story about how he came into contact with the gambling world.
Arne came into contact with sports betting at the age of 13-14 through his football friends. Wild locker room stories about sports betting certainly sparked his interest in gambling. The kick he experienced on the football field, he also looked for in gambling in addition to the field. And once he got the hang of it, the illusion of winning back lost money encouraged him to keep playing. His expertise as a professional football player created a false sense of control over the situation.
“The kick I experienced on the football field, I also went to look for in gambling in addition to the field.”
Arne also experienced his gambling addiction as something that remained invisible to those around him for a long time. People with a gambling problem know how to hide their problems like no other – until they outgrow them. For Arne, it was his mother who first noticed what was going on, because she had some insight into his financial situation. She then urged him to seek help.
Arne’s story confirmed how difficult it is to overcome gambling addiction. The risks of gambling are insufficiently known in the sports world, so little is done in the context of prevention and referral. This contributes to the fact that problems remain invisible for a long time, and once they surface, it is not easy to find the right assistance.
Awareness at the Sports Clubs Is a Must
The risks of gambling are too little known and the magnitude of the problem is seriously underestimated. Awareness raising is therefore an absolute must.
An additional problem is that clubs are mainly concerned with the physical well-being of club members, but have less knowledge and skills in the field of psychological well-being. If clubs organize something non-binding, such as a testimonial or an information session, the turnout is often low. The threshold for the athletes is high, because of the confrontation with their own behavior and the taboo surrounding it. When developing prevention methods for gambling, the stigma, the taboo that still prevails within sports clubs, just like in the rest of society, must therefore be taken into account.
That is why it can also help to look from a broad perspective in the context of prevention and health policy within the sports club.
