New research from Miami of Ohio University done in tandem with Playmaker is shedding new light on how bettors operate as well as why they bet.
The study, authored by Dr. Brody J. Ruihley spoke with 283 bettors, many of whom have been betting long before the repeal of PASPA. The average time of sports betting in the group averaged almost 10 years and was overwhelmingly male, with only 2% of the group being women. The group was also overwhelmingly Caucasian, with less than 10% of those surveyed representing other races.
Study pool of bettors overwhelmingly white and male
For this group, Twitter was the place to be for the latest info related to betting. Participants averaged 65 minutes a day on Twitter and 78% of respondents said Twitter was where they gathered info about bets they wanted to place. Instagram was a distant second, with 21 minutes a day on the app and 12.4% citing it as their preferred means of social media bet prep.
The group was also very single-mindedly focused on the NFL, with 97% of subjects betting on the sport.
The group also indicated that the primary reason they bet is not for money but for enjoyment, which is in line with how operators and responsible gambling advocates hope bettors are engaging with the activity.
Gen Z spends less time researching their sports bets
The study also split data based on age group and observed some key differences between Gen Z and older adults. Consumption of sports is slightly lower for Gen Z, but interestingly, the 18-24 age group spends half the amount of time as older bettors on researching bets. The 25+ age group spends roughly six hours a week prepping, while the younger group spent just 2.7 hours.
The Gen Z group also eschews Twitter, preferring Instagram, TikTok, and even SnapChat as their primary social media accounts. However, the group did concede Twitter is the best social outlet to get betting information.
Finally, the report looked into why people have been resistant to betting.
Money seems to be the prevailing reason people did not choose to sports bet, however, concern over addiction was the second-most cited reason in a group of non-participants. Lacking the knowledge to be a successful bettor rounded out the top three.
