Betting on More Than the Game: Elevated Cannabis Use Disorder Risk Among U.S. Sports Gamblers

Session Title

Sports Betting: Youth, Addiction & Education

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Start Date

27-5-2026 12:00 AM

Abstract

Problem gambling and cannabis use disorder (CUD) are two increasing mental health concerns in the United States (U.S.). These concerns often co-occur and this co-occurrence is associated with more severe outcomes. Emerging research shows that U.S. adults who wager on sports experience significantly elevated difficulties with problem gambling and binge-drinking, yet less is known about problematic cannabis use among these communities. The purpose of the current study was to examine CUD in the context of sports betting in the U.S. Participants (N = 4363) included both a census-matched sample of U.S. adults (n = 2806) and an oversample of sports gamblers (n = 1557). Symptoms of CUD were measured through a total cannabis involvement index score (i.e., risk marker for CUD). Results indicated that risk for CUD is significantly higher among sports gamblers (M = 7.25, SD = 11.06) relative to other types of gamblers (M = 2.39, SD = 5.51; MD = 4.87 [4.21, 5.52], SE = 0.28, p < .001) as well as non-gamblers (M = 1.37, SD = 3.81; MD = 5.89 [5.10, 6.68], SE = 0.34, p < .001). Additionally, a moderation analysis (adjusted for age) indicated that the relationship between problem gambling severity and risk for CUD was significantly higher in sports gamblers relative to other types of gamblers (R2 = .345, F(4, 4061) = 534.48, p < .001, b = -5.18 [-6.48, -3.87]).

Author Bios

Frankie Nieblas, M.A. (he/him) is a second-year student in the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Frankie studies substance use, addiction, and sexual behavior under the mentorship of Dr. Shane Kraus, director of the Behavioral Addictions Lab. Additionally, Frankie is currently a pre-doctoral clinician at UNLV PRACTICE, a community mental health clinic in Las Vegas, NV. Frankie completed his master’s degree in psychological science in 2023 at California State University, San Bernardino.

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May 27th, 12:00 AM

Betting on More Than the Game: Elevated Cannabis Use Disorder Risk Among U.S. Sports Gamblers

Problem gambling and cannabis use disorder (CUD) are two increasing mental health concerns in the United States (U.S.). These concerns often co-occur and this co-occurrence is associated with more severe outcomes. Emerging research shows that U.S. adults who wager on sports experience significantly elevated difficulties with problem gambling and binge-drinking, yet less is known about problematic cannabis use among these communities. The purpose of the current study was to examine CUD in the context of sports betting in the U.S. Participants (N = 4363) included both a census-matched sample of U.S. adults (n = 2806) and an oversample of sports gamblers (n = 1557). Symptoms of CUD were measured through a total cannabis involvement index score (i.e., risk marker for CUD). Results indicated that risk for CUD is significantly higher among sports gamblers (M = 7.25, SD = 11.06) relative to other types of gamblers (M = 2.39, SD = 5.51; MD = 4.87 [4.21, 5.52], SE = 0.28, p < .001) as well as non-gamblers (M = 1.37, SD = 3.81; MD = 5.89 [5.10, 6.68], SE = 0.34, p < .001). Additionally, a moderation analysis (adjusted for age) indicated that the relationship between problem gambling severity and risk for CUD was significantly higher in sports gamblers relative to other types of gamblers (R2 = .345, F(4, 4061) = 534.48, p < .001, b = -5.18 [-6.48, -3.87]).