Sanctified Bets? Religiosity, Gender, and Sports Gambling in the United States

Abstract

Over the past decade, the gambling landscape in the United States has shifted dramatically, with sports betting becoming more accessible and widespread than ever. Sports gambling is linked to sanctified constructs and rituals involving masculinity, leisure, sport, nation, and religiosity, complicating traditional moral deterrents related to it. To investigate connections between religiosity and sports gambling, we drew on the National Sports and Society Survey data ( N = 3,701) on U.S. adults. Findings challenge assumptions that religiosity uniformly suppresses gambling behavior. Those who attended religious services infrequently (e.g., once or twice a year) were more likely to gamble and wager more money than both weekly attenders and nonattenders. Catholics were especially likely to engage in sports gambling. Yet, gender moderated these relationships, with religious women significantly less likely to gamble on sports or wager large sums. Still, religiosity did not appear to determine sports gambling outcomes (i.e., wins/losses), among those who gambled. Overall, our findings reveal a complex, contingent relationship between religion and sports gambling.