What Bettors Don't Know About Their Own Betting: A Programme of Research Using Matched Behavioural and Self-Report Data to Examine the Limits of Informed Decision-Making in Online Sports Wagering

Session Title

Sports Betting: Behavior & Decision Making

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Start Date

28-5-2026 12:00 AM

Abstract

Informed decision-making is a foundational assumption of consumer protection frameworks for online gambling, yet the conditions required to support it are rarely examined empirically. This talk presents a programme of research investigating the cognitive, behavioural, and socioeconomic factors that systematically undermine awareness and decision-making in online sports wagering. Drawing on a series of studies that uniquely combine transaction-level behavioural account data with matched self-report measures, we examine how bettors estimate their own expenditure, respond to wins, losses, and liquidity shocks, and differ in self-control awareness across problem gambling severity levels and socioeconomic groups. Findings demonstrate systematic and predictable failures of financial self-awareness that are most pronounced among those at greatest risk of harm. We also present an evaluation of government-mandated strategies designed to enhance spending awareness, assessing their impact on both self-reported and objectively measured behaviour. Implications for the design of harm minimisation frameworks are discussed, with attention to the structural conditions under which informed decision-making can be meaningfully supported rather than assumed.

Author Bios

Dr Sally Gainsbury is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Sydney. She is internationally recognised for her research on gambling behaviour and the prevention of gambling-related harms.Over the past two decades, her work has shaped policy and practice in Australia and internationally, including informing the design and implementation of deposit limits, time-out tools, and consumer-facing harm reduction messages. She established key areas of research in online gambling and continues to lead work on how digital environments influence gambling behaviour.Her research integrates clinical insight with behavioural science to develop practical, evidence-based approaches that support people to make informed decisions about their gambling.Dr. Gainsbury advises governments, regulators, and industry, and her work has been widely adopted into policy and practice across multiple jurisdictions.

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May 28th, 12:00 AM

What Bettors Don't Know About Their Own Betting: A Programme of Research Using Matched Behavioural and Self-Report Data to Examine the Limits of Informed Decision-Making in Online Sports Wagering

Informed decision-making is a foundational assumption of consumer protection frameworks for online gambling, yet the conditions required to support it are rarely examined empirically. This talk presents a programme of research investigating the cognitive, behavioural, and socioeconomic factors that systematically undermine awareness and decision-making in online sports wagering. Drawing on a series of studies that uniquely combine transaction-level behavioural account data with matched self-report measures, we examine how bettors estimate their own expenditure, respond to wins, losses, and liquidity shocks, and differ in self-control awareness across problem gambling severity levels and socioeconomic groups. Findings demonstrate systematic and predictable failures of financial self-awareness that are most pronounced among those at greatest risk of harm. We also present an evaluation of government-mandated strategies designed to enhance spending awareness, assessing their impact on both self-reported and objectively measured behaviour. Implications for the design of harm minimisation frameworks are discussed, with attention to the structural conditions under which informed decision-making can be meaningfully supported rather than assumed.