Researcher ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6692-630X

Graduation Year

2025

Date of Submission

11-2024

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Economics

Reader 1

William Lincoln

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2024 Jasmine X Tan

Abstract

The legalization of online sports gambling has rapidly expanded access to gambling platforms, raising concerns about its potential impacts on gambling behavior and addiction. This study investigates whether early wins in online sports gambling predict sustained gambling engagement. Using longitudinal data from 46,339 subscribers to online gambling site bwin Entertainment, we analyzed the gambling activity of new sports bettors over 18 months. Gamblers were categorized based on early outcomes (losses, break-even, small wins, and big wins), and engagement was measured by total bets placed, total gambling days, total stakes after the first three days, and frequency of play. Interaction terms are included to explore whether the effects of early outcomes differ by gender or gambling experience. Users with moderate or high positive early results exhibit significantly higher engagement across all metrics, while prior gamblers tend to engage less overall, suggesting a dampened response to early wins. We also find that males are more susceptible to early wins.

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