A new report has found a concerning link between sports gambling and binge drinking. According to the study led by Joshua Grubbs, an associate professor of clinical psychology at the University of New Mexico, both men and women who bet on sports were at least twice as likely to engage in binge drinking compared to non-gamblers.
The research team highlighted that the frequency of gambling also played a role in the likelihood of binge drinking. The study analyzed survey data from nearly 4,400 adults, with over 1,800 being sports gamblers. Results showed that those who bet on sports once or twice in the previous year were 2.4 times more likely (women) and 1.9 times more likely (men) to report binge drinking.
Furthermore, the odds of binge drinking increased as the frequency of sports gambling increased. For those who gambled monthly, the odds were 3.8 times higher for women and 2.9 times higher for men. For weekly gamblers, the odds increased to 5.9 times for women and 4.7 times for men. Daily or almost daily gamblers had the highest odds, with 14.4 times more for women and 8.9 times more for men.
Binge drinking is associated with various health risks, including injury, violence, sexually transmitted diseases, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, liver disease, and cancer. The findings of this study shed light on the potential dangers of combining sports gambling with risky alcohol consumption habits.