The experiences and engagement patterns of young adults who regularly view gambling livestreams: a qualitative interview study

Abstract

Background: Gambling livestreams, where content creators broadcast themselves engaging with various gambling products, represent an emergent form of both digital entertainment and gambling promotion. Research has recently begun to highlight the motivations for viewership and its associations with gambling behavior/severity. However, qualitative inquiry into engagement experiences and ascribed value is needed to extend existing findings and provide deeper insights into the underlying processes that drive viewership. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 young adults from the UK who regularly viewed gambling livestreams. The interviews addressed experiences of gambling livestreams, motivations for viewership, structural feature engagement, and perceived impacts. Qualitative data were audio recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed via an interpretivist epistemology. Results: Three main themes were identified: ‘Social experiences and vicarious excitement’ highlighted how viewers were drawn to gambling streamers’ personalities via parasocial relationships. Thrills were derived from streams that broadcasted high stakes gambling scenarios. ‘Interactivity and building loyalty’ revealed how gamified structural characteristics transformed passive viewing into active community-based participation during livestreams. ‘The urge and harm paradox’ demonstrated participants using livestreams to reduce gambling urges while simultaneously experiencing heightened urges to gamble. Increased gambling participation was reported as a result of gambling livestream viewership and streamers’ deceptive marketing tactics were recognized. Conclusions: Gambling livestreams are highly valued among those who regularly view them. They represent a complex digital phenomenon that simultaneously entertains and potentially harms audiences. These findings emphasize the need for broader regulatory frameworks and protective measures to address the emerging risks posed by digital gambling landscapes.