Persistence in soccer betting : the effects of secondary knowledge, risks & earnings on youth gamblers decision to continue or quit.

Abstract

Soccer bettors believe that the information they encompass and their recent winning streak makes them skilled in predicting the outcomes of soccer matches. Thus they often naively choose to continue gambling, even when they are in deficit. This study investigated the effects of (a) the type of soccer knowledge (odds or background information) utilized, (b) amount of stake (high or low), (c) the reinforcement outcome (high profit, high loss, low profit and low loss) and (d) the effect of BIS and BAS personality on soccer bettor’s persistence in a betting scenario. 199 male undergraduates from Nanyang Technological University participated in this experimental study. The findings revealed that the type of soccer knowledge, amount of stake, degree of earnings, and the BAS Drive and Reward Responsiveness variables were not significant predictors of one’s decision to continue or quit gambling. However, the BIS and the BAS Fun Seeking scales proved to be significant predictors.