Understanding Sports Betting Among Youth in Oforikrom Municipality, Ghana: An Integrated Psychosocial Perspective

Sports betting has become a major public health concern, where many young people view it as an economic opportunity to supplement their income. However, limited research has examined this phenomenon using an integrated framework that considers the psychological, social, and environmental factors influencing youth participation in sports betting. This study examined the prevalence and the factors influencing sports betting among the youth in Oforikrom Municipality. We analyzed data from 744 youth (mean age = 21.95, SD = 3.05, 74.2% Male) from a cross-sectional survey. Results show a high prevalence of sports betting among youth in Oforikrom Municipality, with 84.4% reporting lifetime participation, 62.4% reporting betting within the past 12 months, and 33.6% within the past 30 days. Again, higher odds/trends of sports betting were largely driven by being traditionalist, fear of missing out, easy accessibility of online platforms, and peer pressure, while social acceptance, promotions and bonuses, family gambling history, and aggressive advertising were associated with lower odds/trends of sports betting. These findings indicate that sports betting is growing, though at a decreasing rate, among the youth; targeted interventions and public health policies and strategies are needed to reduce the growing prevalence among the youth in Oforikrom Municipality, Ghana.