Sports Betting and Financial–Health Outcomes Among Young Adults: A Scoping Review

Abstract Background Sports betting has grown significantly over the last few years, especially amongst young adults, due to digital media, aggressive advertising, and integration of betting into the sporting culture. Although the available literature is mostly oriented to psychological and behavioural damages, recent facts reveal a high risk of sports betting to the financial health, such as debts, financial stress, and loss of savings. However, these financial impacts on young adults in terms of their scope, nature, and contextual determinants are still not integrated into the literature. Methods This scoping review has been conducted according to the system of methodology developed by Arksey and O’Malley and presented according to the PRISMA-ScR recommendations. Primary empirical research published since 2020 was determined with a systematic search in academic databases and grey literature sources. Eligible studies met the criteria of research on sports betting in young adults and provided outcomes that are related to financial health. The thematic and content analyses were used to chart and synthesise data. The quality of methodological approach was evaluated with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal instruments and Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Results Twenty-five major studies were eligible to inclusion. The data shows that the sport betting is extremely normalised in young adults and promoted by the ease of access online and promotional deals. The terms that were repeatedly included in the reported financial outcomes were financial stress, accumulation of debts, loss of savings, and poor financial resiliency. The behavioural drivers of these harms included perceived skill and loss chasing, and institutional and socio-technical settings, such as regulatory environments and mobile payment systems. The vast majority of the studies were set in the high-income countries, and there is little evidence related to the low- and middle-income environments. Conclusion Betting in sports is linked with initial and prolonged economic damage among young adults. The results highlight the importance of responding to marketing policy-level, enhanced regulation of marketing behaviours, and combined interventions affecting the financial welfare of a population. Longitudinal designs and context-specific evidence should be initiated in future studies so as to make appropriate prevention strategies.