The experience of gambling problems in British professional footballers: a preliminary qualitative study

Abstract

Football, gambling and gambling-harms v3; 1 st July 2016 2 Media reports suggest high rates of gambling amongst professional footballers but little is known about how footballers develop and then seek help for gambling problems. Here, we report the findings of in-depth, qualitative interviews with 11 British professional footballers who had, or who were, being treated for gambling problems at a residential clinic. These individuals experienced gambling as a highly salient feature of life as a professional football player in UK professional leagues. Often gambling began as part of social networks of young players, but then progressed to gambling problematically in isolation. Factors that facilitated this transition included structural aspects of professional football as an occupation (e.g. high salaries, spare time, gambling as a shared leisure pursuit) as well as the competitive and emotional challenges of the game (e.g. loss of form, injury or contract release and their effects upon mood). Seeking help was delayed by a reluctance to disclose problems to peers and club managers, but facilitated by recommendations from other players with similar experiences. Football, gambling and gambling-harms v3; 1 st

Professional Footballers’ Association Counselors’ Perceptions of the Role Long-Term Injury Plays in Mental Health Issues Presented by Current and Former Players

“…Participant C5 suggested that '...they don't like to er, admit depression with the club doctors because obviously they fear for their career'. This supports the findings ofLim et al, (2017), and suggests that depression may be under-reported and a larger injury estimates were as high as 100%, '...I think they've probably all been injured in some way or another...' (C4). This supports the evidence that injury in football is common(Hawkins & Fuller,…”

“…Recent UK research has found that gambling is a common part of life as a professional footballer (Lim et al, 2017). Findings have suggested that British professional footballers previously treated or currently being treated for this addiction often began gambling as young players amongst friends but it became problematic when continued by the player in isolation (Lim et al, 2017). Emotional challenges such as a decline in performance, contract releases, or injury increases the risk of problematic gambling.…”

“…This supports findings from the NHS (2007) that men aged 16-24 engaging in gambling are at the highest risk of 'problem gambling'. Furthermore, the footballers interviewed by Lim et al, (2017) were reluctant to ask for help because they did not want to discuss their problems with other players or their managers. Gambling may become problematic following an injury because players may use it as a coping mechanism to deal with their emotional reaction to injury and their feelings of isolation.…”

Gambling and gambling problem among elite athletes and their professional coaches: findings from a Swedish total population survey of participants in four sports

“…If the prevalence of problem gambling in the sport environment is elevated relative to that in the general population, the question arises as to what factors in that environment contribute to the problem. In football, problem gambling has been associated with factors such as gambling as part of the social networks of young players, high salaries, spare time, gambling as a shared leisure pursuit, and the competitive and emotional challenges of the game (Lim et al, 2016). Wardle and Gibbons (2014) reported that 25% of respondents thought they were encouraged to gamble by teammates and 31% that they were encouraged by gambling companies.…”

Prevalence of problem gambling in an employed population in Brittany, France

“…All of these factors may help to identify occupational groups that could be more likely to gamble (i.e. occupational sectors with high incomes, attracting men or relative youth 14) ). Indeed, key drivers of gambling include social influences, which comprise influence (either negative or positive) from colleagues at the workplace 15,16) .…”