Sports betting is one of the fastest-growing forms of gambling in Europe. With smartphones and the internet, betting apps are always open, and placing a bet takes a matter of seconds.
The occasional bet on your favourite team can be a bit of fun. But sports betting addiction means it’s hard to stop, even when it is causing you harm.
Sports betting is different from other types of gambling because many people who bet already know the sport well. This can make the betting feel less like chance, and more a test of skill and savvy.
But knowing the game is not the same as beating the odds. When you understand why, it’s easier to tell whether your betting, or that of someone in your life, has become harmful.
What is sports betting addiction?
Most people who bet on sport do so casually and never develop an addiction. Sports betting addiction describes a point where the betting has become difficult to control and keeps escalating, even though it’s causing harm.
Sports betting addiction is a behavioural addiction. There’s no substance involved, but gambling affects the brain’s reward system in similar ways to substance dependence.
The ICD-11, the World Health Organization’s diagnostic classification, describes gambling addiction and gambling disorder as a pattern where you find it hard to control your gambling, start putting it ahead of other parts of your life, and keep gambling even when it’s causing you problems.
ICD-11 also has a separate code for online gambling, such as betting on an app. A gambling disorder does not mean someone wants to gamble or doesn’t care about the consequences.
Why is sports betting addictive?
The illusion of control
Why do people bet on sports? Many do it to make watching a match more exciting, but if you follow a sport closely, you know the teams, the injuries, the key players, and the recent results. When you place a bet, you feel as if all that knowledge gives you an advantage.
Research on cognitive distortions in gambling describes an ‘illusion of control’.
This is the belief that your skill or knowledge gives you more influence over the outcome than it really does. But even if you know who’s likely to win, you still can’t be sure how a bet will turn out.
A roulette wheel gives you no basis for believing you have an edge. With sports betting, you have real knowledge, so it’s easier to believe you’re in control.
How betting products are designed to keep you engaged
Modern betting apps are convenient, and betting companies design them to keep you betting.
- In-play betting lets you place a new bet every few minutes during a match, so there’s never a break between one bet and the next.
- Cash-out functions give you the feeling of strategic control over your position, even though the odds have already adjusted.
- Push notifications remind you of upcoming matches and prompt you to bet when you weren’t planning to.
- Personalised odds, tailored to your betting history, make the next bet feel targeted and relevant.
With each of these features, you can act on the urge to bet faster. European gambling market data shows that online gambling in Europe brought in €47.9 billion in 2024, as more people moved their gambling online.
The role of dopamine
The mechanism behind how the brain becomes addicted to sports betting is well known.
Your brain releases dopamine when the outcome of a bet is uncertain, as well as when you win. Research on dopamine and gambling has shown that dopamine is closely linked to how the brain responds to uncertain rewards, and that this may be one of the main factors behind loss-chasing.
When you bet on sport, every match and every in-play bet has an uncertain result, and each one activates that same dopamine response.
If you’re betting on your own team, you’ve put money on a result you already cared about. Even when you’re not, you may keep betting because you feel you know enough to predict the result.
Signs of a sports betting addiction
Some signs are specific to sports betting.
- Checking odds between matches, even when you haven’t planned to bet.
- Thinking about betting well beyond the matches themselves.
- Betting throughout a live game rather than only before kick-off.
- Needing bigger stakes to feel the same level of interest in a match.
- Following sports you wouldn’t normally watch, because there’s a bet on.
- Getting into debt to fund betting, or using money meant for bills or rent.
There are also signs that apply to any form of gambling:
- Spending more time or money on betting than you intended.
- Betting to win back losses.
- Your relationships, work, finances or mental health being affected.
- Hiding how much you bet from people close to you.
“I contacted Castle Health with a view to getting online support after a period in rehab. They recommended recovery coaching and arranged for me to meet my coach in person as the first of 10 meetings. I continued the coaching on Zoom as I live in France. I was very happy with my 10 sessions and feel I am in a good place to continue my recovery.”
When to seek help with a sports betting problem
These signs can indicate you may be addicted to sports betting.
- You’ve tried to cut back and found it harder than you expected
- Betting is taking up more of your time or money than you’re comfortable with
- You find yourself thinking about betting at times when you wouldn’t normally
- People close to you have raised concerns
These don’t mean you have an addiction, but if several sound familiar, it may be time to look at your betting more closely.
If you want to cut back in the meantime, most betting apps let you set a limit on what you pay in or take a break. Many banks can also block payments to gambling sites.
The link between gambling disorder and suicide
A study published in BJPsych Open looked at 30 years of NHS data from Wales. It found that gambling was more strongly linked to suicide than depression, alcohol problems, or schizophrenia.
In Ireland, gambling was recorded as a factor in 23 deaths by suicide between 2015 and 2020. The researchers noted this is likely an undercount.
If you’re experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, contact your GP, call 111, or local charities like the Samaritains in the UK and Ireland.
How sports betting addiction is treated
Because there’s no substance involved, treatment for sports gambling addiction focuses on psychological therapy rather than medical detox.
People with a gambling disorder often have depression or anxiety too, and each can make the other worse. Shame and secrecy can make the depression worse, and when you’re low, gambling can feel like the only relief.
Castle Health offers both outpatient and residential gambling addiction treatment. We treat sports betting addiction and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety together.
If you’re not sure whether your betting has become a problem, a free screening is available. It can help you understand where you stand before speaking to anyone. You’ll keep working on your recovery after the initial treatment, and Castle Health will keep supporting you through our continuing care.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
One of the main therapies used for gambling disorders is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). In CBT, you work with a therapist to identify and challenge the thought patterns that keep the behaviour going.
For sports betting, you’d look at your beliefs about skill and your ability to predict outcomes. You might keep a record of when you bet and what you were thinking beforehand, then go through those thoughts with your therapist.
We can help you get a clearer picture.
If you’re not sure whether your relationship with sports betting has become a problem, talk confidentially with our expert team.
If someone you know has a sports betting problem
Sports betting is easy to hide because it happens on a phone. The person doesn’t need to leave the house or visit a bookmaker to place a bet.
You might notice increased secrecy around their phone, unexplained financial pressure or debt, mood swings tied to match results, or loss of interest in watching sport without a bet on it. Many families first know something is wrong when they find debts they can’t explain or money missing.
If you do raise it, mention what you’ve noticed when they’re calm and haven’t just lost a bet. Avoid paying off their debts without discussing it, because that can take away the reason to face the problem.
Castle Health can talk you through what you’re seeing and help you think about what to do next. If the person does go on to get treatment, Castle Health’s family support programme offers therapy for families during that process.
Frequently asked questions about sports betting addiction
How common is sports betting addiction?
Specific figures for sports betting addiction are hard to pin down because most countries measure gambling disorder generally rather than by type. The data does show that online sports betting was the most popular form of online gambling in Europe in 2018, and the market has grown considerably since then.
Why is gambling so addictive?
Gambling is so addictive partly because of what it does to the brain’s reward system. While you wait for a result you can’t predict, your brain releases more dopamine, and researchers think this may be why people keep chasing their losses. With sports betting, you may also feel more in control of the result because you know the sport.
Is online sports betting more addictive than other forms of gambling?
Online sports betting is always available, and unlike most other gambling, it can make you feel like an expert. Whether that makes it “more addictive” is a clinical question without a simple answer. But it can make it easy to lose track of how much time and money you’re spending.
What is the difference between problem gambling and gambling addiction?
Problem gambling describes a range of gambling behaviour that is causing harm. Gambling addiction, or gambling disorder, is the clinical term for when the behaviour meets diagnostic criteria. If gambling is affecting your life, you can get help however serious it is.
