Betting-driven sport consumption among young adults: Motivational dynamics and reconfiguration of sport engagement

Abstract

Research question: Sports betting has been promoted as a way of attracting and boosting younger audiences, although critics warn that it turns sport into a means to an end and can generate social harms. Evidence on this process is scarce. This article analyses how betting reshapes sports consumption among young adults in Portugal, what drives this and what it implies for the cultural value of sport. Research methods: Based on constructivist grounded theory, 28 semi-structured interviews were conducted with Portuguese bettors aged 18-35, recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were coded until saturation, with Self-Determination Theory as a sensitising framework. Results and Findings: The findings reveal a dual process. On the one hand, betting broadens sports consumption by increasing attention spans, stimulating interest in secondary competitions, and promoting the discovery of new sports. On the other hand, it fosters instrumental and fragmented consumption patterns, in which sport is experienced as a vehicle for financial gain rather than as a culturally significant practice. Some bettors moved from extrinsic to intrinsic engagement. Implications: The article contributes to the debates on the commodification of sport, highlighting how the market logics inherent in betting practices can both expand and erode the social meanings of sport.