A study by researchers at the University of Oregon has demonstrated that legalized sports gambling is correlated to an increase in local domestic violence incidents.
The study, conducted by Researchers Kyutaro Matsuzawa and Emily Arnesen within the Department of Economics, explores “the relationship between legalized sports gambling, unexpected emotional cues, and reported intimate partner violence.
“Using crime data from the 2011 to 2022 National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and extending Card & Dahl (2011)’s model, we find that when sports gambling is legalized, the effect of NFL home team upset losses on IPV increases by around 10 percentage points,” according to the researchers.
“Heterogeneity analyses reveal that these effects are larger: (i) in states where mobile betting is legalized, (ii) in locations where higher bets were placed, (iii) around paydays, and (iv) for teams who were on a winning streak. Together, these findings support that financial losses from participation in sports gambling can amplify the emotional cues from a favorite team’s unexpected loss.”
In response to these findings, Minnesota Senators John Marty (DFL-Roseville), Erin Maye Quade (DFL-Apple Valley) and Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis), for example, issued the following statement:
“As the Legislature has considered legalizing sports gambling in Minnesota, virtually all the discussion has been focused on the benefits to those who would profit from bookmaking. Unfortunately, there has been little to no discussion of the health impacts or the economic harm from that legalization. The addictive nature of online sports betting is already well-documented, with known links to financial hardship, mental health struggles and suicide. Now, this study on domestic violence and sports betting shows that after losses in certain sporting events, there is a 10 percent increase in intimate partner violence in states that legalized sports betting compared to those that have not. Legislative debate over sports betting must include a recognition that this legislation will make the horrific problem of family violence even more common. We call on our legislative colleagues to conduct thorough hearings on the harmful impacts of sports bookmaking, addressing both the financial costs and the human toll, including domestic violence. The stakes are too high to ignore these issues. We must prioritize the health and safety of Minnesotans over the profits of a predatory industry.”
Expert Weighs In
Dr. Gil Fried, Professor at the University of West Florida and Editor-in-Chief of Legal Issues in Sports Betting, shared his thoughts on the study.
“This does not surprise me at all,” said Dr. Fried. “In the United States we are now several years behind the United Kingdom which has already seen the problems associated with legalized sport wagering. While many states have tried to find what might be possible solutions to the perceived problems that can result from sport wagering, both legal and illegal. There have been educational and informational efforts along with hot lines and exclusion lists.
“However, that does not limit individuals from placing large wagers they cannot afford, or they can possibly spiral into addiction. Then when things go south people can unfortunately try to solve their issues with alcohol, drugs, inappropriate financial decisions, wrecked marriages, lost jobs, and violence. Thus, these research findings do not shock me. The question is what to do with these findings? Will limiting the amount of wagers, similar to what is done in the UK, help? Will a federal effort of minimum protections help?”
To access the paper, visit https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4938642
